Use Your Purchasing Power to Support Inclusive Companies
Tips on being mindful of where you spend your money to support inclusive companies. Make every penny count.
Today’s consumers have more choices than ever before. Thanks to the widespread availability of products and easy access to online information, consumers have the power to influence even the biggest corporations. Companies must adapt to the demands and desires of their customers to remain relevant and profitable. This holds great promise for the movement towards equality!
Your purchasing power can do a lot to drive societal change, regardless of your budget or financial status. Be mindful of where you spend your money so you can reward the companies that are working towards equality. Here’s how you can make every penny count — check out these tips, courtesy of 3 Plus International.
Supporting a Diverse Workforce
Diversity benefits businesses in countless ways. As What To Become explains, companies that embrace inclusivity are more likely to capture new markets, produce higher revenue, make better decisions, enjoy a competitive advantage, and exceed their financial targets. Buying from inclusive companies is a great way to support these valuable incentives.
Before shopping from a company, do some research into their hiring and employment practices. You should be able to find diversity or inclusion statements on the company website. Look for companies that have set diversity goals and established programs to promote workplace inclusion, such as Johnson & Johnson, Macy’s, and L’Oreal.
Do you want a more inclusive hiring process but don’t know how? Read on: How to create a more inclusive hiring process – 3 Plus International
Equality in Marketing
Marketing is another area where big companies are making strides in the name of diversity. According to the Content Marketing Institute, truly diverse marketing goes far beyond including visible minorities in advertising photos and videos. Companies that excel at inclusive marketing find ways to reflect a sincere commitment to diversity in the content they produce.
Keep an eye out for marketing campaigns that highlight all kinds of people who may be misrepresented, whether relating to ethnicity, gender, sexuality, race, religion, or physical ability. Outreach can tell you a lot about whether a business is worthy of your hard-earned dollar.
Inclusive Shopping Experiences
Beyond marketing, brands also need to make an effort to create more inclusive shopping experiences for their customers. It’s not uncommon for certain groups to experience discrimination in retail stores. Companies can do a number of things to combat this issue, like hiring multicultural retail staff, adjusting shoplifting policies to focus on suspicious behavior rather than race, and enforcing zero-tolerance policies for inappropriate behavior — for both customers and employees. Support brands that take these steps in the right direction!
Unconscious bias training is not an HR issue. It’s a business issue. Read more: Unconscious Bias Training Workshops – 3 Plus International
Minority-Owned Businesses
Minority-owned businesses play a very important role in local economies by keeping money in the community and creating millions of jobs across the country. There are several ways you can support these businesses and encourage more members of minority groups to pursue entrepreneurial paths.
The easiest way to do this is to purchase their goods and services, and remember to write online reviews to help increase their visibility. While you may be able to get cheaper products from multinational retailers, shopping from small, local businesses will benefit you and your neighbors in the long run.
If you operate a business yourself, consider working with minority-owned vendors to build an inclusive system of support in your industry. You could even offer a sliding-scale payment program for non-profits that can’t afford your regular rates! This works best for businesses offering services like marketing, accounting, or web development. Whether you’re a consumer or business owner, try to be mindful of where and how you spend your money.
As a consumer, you have substantial leverage over big companies. Use your spending power to support the businesses that reflect your values — and hold those accountable that don’t meet your expectations. You can make a difference!
For a variety of business services to build workplaces with gender balance, diversity, and inclusion, Contact 3Plus International today!
