All Articles

Social Responsibility and Small Business: Newest Business Coach Podcast Available Today


    TORONTO, June 13 /CNW/ - Terms like corporate social responsibility and
ethical management and community investment pepper the business media today,
but they're often discussed in association with big multinationals -
especially in the aftermath of some kind of financial or environmental
scandal. But there are advantages to these things for small and mid-sized
companies, too. Join Ian Portsmouth, editor of PROFIT magazine and Paul Klein,
president of Impakt, a Toronto-based advisor to firms in the areas of
community investment and corporate responsibility, as they discuss the
integration of ethical management and small business. They'll discuss:-   The definition of "community investment"-what does it consist of?
    -   What's the business case for community investment, particularly in a
        small-business context where owners need to see demonstrable benefits
        sooner rather than later?
           -  What does it cost?
           -  Are there any risks involved?
    -   How does a company decide where to make its "investment" in the
        community?
           -  Is it the owner's prerogative, or should employees be
              consulted?
           -  How should a company balance supporting social issues that are
              directly related to its product/industry versus the many other
              worthy causes?
           -  Should companies stick with a single long-term initiative, or
              spread the wealth?
    -   How can small business owners evaluate how well their program is
        working, both in terms of how much the chosen "charity" is getting
        out of it, and how much ROI the company is seeing?
    -   How do small business CEOs promote their community investment to
        their constituents (e.g., employees, customers) without generating
        cynicism and appearing too self-serving?Rated as one of the top podcasts available for download during the run of
its first episode on Apple iTunes, the new Business Coach episodes offer new
insight and information in an updated format to help small business owners run
their business better. Since October of 2007 podcast episodes have been
regularly available on iTunes, as well as on bmo.com and PROFITguide.com.
Previous releases include: "Lessons from the Dragons' Den," "Building an
advisory board," "Family business," Personal finance," "Better Workplaces,"
"Social Media," "Tax Planning," "Going Global," "Retire Rich," "Cash
Management," "Fortune Hunters," "Economic Outlook," "Search Engine
Optimization," "Market Value," "Taglines," and "Hedging."
    The Business Coach podcast is offered in both English and French, with
the English language interviews hosted by Ian Portsmouth and broadcaster André
Hains leading the Francophone episodes. The podcast is produced by PROFIT in
cooperation with BMO Bank of Montreal.

    About PROFIT

    PROFIT: Your Guide to Business Success is Canada's preeminent publication
dedicated to the management issues and opportunities facing small and
mid-sized businesses. For more than 25 years, Canadian entrepreneurs across a
vast array of economic sectors have remained loyal to PROFIT because it's a
timely and reliable source of actionable information that helps them increase
their revenues, boost their profitability and get the recognition they deserve
for generating positive economic and social change. Published six times a year
by Rogers Publishing Ltd., PROFIT is distributed almost exclusively to the
chief executives of companies with 5 to 250 employees and annual revenue of
$1 million to $25 million, reaching more than 300,000 readers across Canada.
Visit PROFIT online at http://www.profitmagazine.ca.