Andrea Armeni’s Post

🔓To unlock regenerative business, we need new models of business ownership! Check out Julie Menter and Erinch Sahan's article in Pioneers Post published today. 💪Some good quotes: - Investors [...] might support your mission when it helps those financial parameters, but challenge it where returns are below expected benchmarks - Alternative Ownership Enterprises (AOEs) have demonstrated better financial performance, lower turnover, improved job quality, and higher wages, while expanding wealth-building opportunities to more people and reducing gender and racial inequality - The question that faces us now is not whether Alternative Ownership Enterprises are desirable (socially, ecologically and economically), but how to ensure they are financed. This requires innovation and ambition not just among entrepreneurs, but among investors as well 📰 Read the full article here:  https://lnkd.in/g_K-r6kR

We agree, Transform Finance! This is a great reminder of why we need new models of business #ownership - and how business leaders and investors can shift their practices to accelerate the changes we need to see. 👍

Great article in the Pioneers Post about the importance of rethinking business ownership structures and a new report to help investors finance employee and other alternative forms of ownership. 🌱 The prevailing ownership systems today prioritize returns to the few and so increase wealth and income inequality, and also typically fail to address the deeper environmental and social issues we face. This is a topic I discuss in my recent book #TheProfiteers: How Business Privatizes Profit and Socializes Cost. 💡 In this article and report, Erinch Sahan of Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL) and Julie Menter of Transform Finance introduce a typology of "Alternative Ownership Enterprises" based on how the form centers workers, purpose or other stakeholders. 🌍 Transitioning to business models that emphasize stewardship over extraction is crucial and having a clear map of the space that includes well known types like employee ownership and cooperatives and newer models like perpetual purpose trusts will be useful for business leaders and investors. 📚 You can keep abreast on different advances in #RegenerativeBusiness in my newsletter Regenerative Insights, see link in comments!

Sustainable social value based business has the important inherent edict. Profit ‘with’ not ‘from’. There is a circularity in societal economics. A chain of cause and effect. An unemployed individual once employed can become a net contributor to the exchequer and to the community’s specific economic hive. Simplistic as this is and the inequalities it can contain, it still holds that social value isn’t just something you do ‘for’ someone, it’s something you do ‘with’ someone. With and within a community. Social value may be in intent a philanthropic and not a conscious profitability strategy. But artlessly it is business logical all the same. You will see its business silhouette appear in bidding opportunities and contractual codicils. You will see it on spreadsheets and columns. In £$€ signs and percentages. It’s all that. It’s also however bread on the table for someone and flour for the proverbial grindstones of community’s socio-economic sustainability.

Exciting times ahead as StartSomeGood merges with EnergyLab's Piers Grove, promising a brighter future for social enterprises. This strategic move could redefine support structures for changemakers, blending innovation with sustainability. Let's watch this space for the ripple effects. #SocialEnterprise #Innovation #Sustainability

Mitie Business Boost Supported by OneAIM and Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH), the Mitie Business Boost is an exciting initiative designed to support and empower entrepreneurs, start-ups, and new small businesses on their journey towards sustainability. With a chance to win £10,000 in investment, the programme offers invaluable resources, expert guidance, and tailored support to help businesses develop and implement innovative sustainability strategies.   Participants will benefit from: 1:1 Discovery Sessions to explore business goals and identify sustainability opportunities. Workshops focusing on the Three Pillars of Sustainability: Social/People, Economic/Financial, and Environmental/Operational. Mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities to refine and elevate their sustainability plans.   To be selected as a finalist, businesses will need to submit a sustainability-focused business plan. Finalists will then have the opportunity to pitch their sustainability ideas to a panel of experts, including representatives from Mitie, OneAIM, and iSH, for a chance to secure the £10,000 investment to help drive their sustainability goals forward.   The Mitie Business Boost, in partnership with OneAIM and iSH, aims to foster long-term growth, innovation, and measurable impact, contributing to a more sustainable future for businesses and the broader community. Delivering with SiX. To apply follow the link or scan the QR code https://lnkd.in/e3E_9-jm

GROWTH SUSTAINABILITY “Motivation is the catalysing ingredient for every successful innovation,” said Clayton Christensen, Economist and professor at Harvard University. Once you start off your enterprise, it’s inevitable to think, plan, and strategize the various ways to grow it, nurture it, and develop it into an outstanding establishment.  What then drives you and sustains you to reach this level? ✅Resilience- while challenges are inevitable when growing your business, it’s important to develop a stoic and resilient backbone to withstand the tough times and overcome these hurdles for greater rewards ahead. ✅People-oriented- your enterprise must be solving a challenge that is experienced in the society, therefore, the focus of making people’s lives better, should be enough fuel to keep driving your vision, goals and objectives to improve the society for a broader impact. Assessing your product feedback and acting on it to improve your services rapidly boosts your enterprise's growth. ✅Legacy building- some entrepreneurs are motivated by the desire to leave a lasting legacy. Building a successful enterprise that endures beyond your involvement becomes a significant goal to steer you forward. ✅Financial success- the pursuit of financial prosperity is a powerful motivator, this can alternatively be used as a great force or change agent within the society. Dr. James Mwangi, CEO of Equity Bank Limited, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, and Strive Masiyiwa, Zimbabwean businessman and philanthropist, share their golden secrets and key motivators of driving their enterprises to immense growth and success. When you feel like quitting, remember why you started because success is not always about greatness but about consistency. Watch full videos on:  - https://lnkd.in/dgGPQacb Courtesy of Nairobi Securities Exchange PLC - https://lnkd.in/dWuk-fUu Courtesy of Y Combinator - https://lnkd.in/dVMRGyYw Courtesy of Evan Carmichael

Sustainability in Business: A Trend or The Future? As we continue to witness dramatic shifts in consumer preferences and regulatory landscapes, sustainability has moved from a buzzword to a business imperative in 2024. More companies are integrating eco-friendly practices and sustainability goals into their core strategies, but the question remains: Is this just a passing trend, or are we witnessing the blueprint for future business models? From reducing carbon footprints to embracing circular economies, businesses are finding that sustainability isn't just good for the planet—it's also profitable. However, implementing these changes comes with challenges. I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences: 1) What sustainable practices has your company adopted recently? 2) Do you believe that sustainability can coexist with profitability? Share your insights or stories in the comments below. Let’s discuss how we can collectively foster a more sustainable future in our professional environments! #Sustainability #GreenBusiness #CorporateResponsibility #FutureOfBusiness #Business #Startup

The Sustainability-Profitability Matrix helps companies strategically analyze their ventures based on environmental/social impact and economic performance, guiding decisions to foster long-term success that balances financial returns with positive contributions. Champions (High Sustainability, High Profitability): Ventures leading the way in creating financial returns while actively benefiting the environment and society. Pioneers (High Sustainability, Low Profitability): Ventures with strong ethical foundations but lacking a sustainable business model to ensure their long-term viability. Profiteers (Low Sustainability, High Profitability): Ventures generating significant profits but potentially at the expense of long-term environmental or social well-being. Burdens (Low Sustainability, Low Profitability): Ventures offering little economic value while actively harming the environment or societal structures. Strategies for Moving Towards 'Champions' Pioneers: Analyze profitability barriers: Conduct deep analysis to identify bottlenecks related to costs, pricing models, or market reach. Innovate business models: Explore circular economy models, value-based pricing, or collaborations that drive shared sustainable profits. Profiteers: Integrate sustainability metrics: Embed environmental and social KPIs into core business decision-making and reporting. Transition planning: Develop roadmaps with concrete milestones to progressively reduce adverse impacts while fostering positive contributions. Burdens: Assess turnaround viability: Thoroughly examine the potential for a complete overhaul towards sustainable and profitable models. Responsible phasing out: If transformation is infeasible, explore divestiture or a structured closure that minimizes negative consequences.

I had a fascinating discussion last week with Christopher Marquis, Professor at the University of Cambridge, and author of 'The Profiteers', where we dove deep into the complex world of corporate accountability. Our conversation shed light on critical issues related to the environment, income inequality, and the future of business ethics. Here are three golden nuggets I took away from our interview: 💭 Rethinking Profit and Responsibility: Many businesses privatise profits while socialising costs, passing the burden of environmental and social damages to taxpayers and consumers. Chris argues for a shift in corporate accountability and the need for businesses to internalise these externalities. 💰 Income Inequality & CEO Pay Ratios: The dramatic increase in CEO-worker pay ratios contributes to income and wealth inequality, negatively impacting societal economic performance. Traditional solutions like trickle-down economics and philanthropy are being questioned for their effectiveness in addressing these disparities. 🌳 Regenerative Business Practices: Companies like Patagonia are pioneering the shift from sustainability to active repair and restoration of the environment. By embedding regenerative principles into their business models, they set a powerful example of how businesses can contribute positively to solving environmental challenges. Take a listen to our Business Elevation Show conversation to help understand how we can drive a paradigm change in business models towards a more equitable and sustainable future - https://lnkd.in/ehQdNZcS