It Is Time to Step up

The idea of the global village was an early inspiration for me when I was growing up. The realisation that we are in this together, and that our actions on one side of the planet have a very real effect on the other. With global politics in a turbulent state, we see this effect playing out before our eyes. The global community was once an uplifting, popular and empowering vision. It has now become toxic within domestic politics worldwide. Diplomat Richard Haas says that as a result, governments across the western world are demonstrating a palpable “abdication of international responsibility, not the embrace of duty”. David Miliband, CEO of the International Rescue Committee, echoes these thoughts, describing a retreat by western governments just at a time when the world needs them most. He calls for businesses and NGOs to step up.

When we started One Shot, we considered how our company might step up and play our small part. Our societal and environmental contribution was paramount from day one. For us, there was no point in starting a business if it didn’t have this broader commitment. It is very easy to leave this big picture stuff for another day. However, we believe that whilst the company is young, now is the best time to put things in place. We can then sow the seeds for of an impactful business immediately.

So, how can a business step up?

Before disappearing into a fog of confusion over what organisations big and small can do, I have summarised some of the excellent B Corporation guidance and given a few examples of big company (Patagonia) and start-up (One Shot) actions. This all aims to shift the dial further towards a greater sense of responsibility and action:

1. Make sure you have a vision and a mission (live it and ensure that investors and customers know it).

   B Corporation Advice: Make sure the mission statement contains a commitment to a specific positive social impact as well as a commitment to serve a target beneficiary group in need.

   Patagonia Mission:

   We’re in business to save our home planet.

   One Shot Immersive Mission:

   Virtual Reality that empowers people to save lives.

2. Set the purpose in stone to protect the company from mission creep.
   B Corporation advice: The company needs a legal entity/governance that preserves mission and requires stakeholder consideration

   Yvon Chouinard: “Patagonia is trying to build a company that could last 100 years. Benefit corporation legislation creates a legal framework to enable mission-driven companies stay mission-driven through succession, capital raises, and even changes in ownership through institutionalizing the values, culture, processes and high standards put in place by founding entrepreneurs.”

   - Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia Founder

   One Shot Immersive action: We have changed our Articles of Association to align with the triple bottom line (people, planet, profit). Whilst this comes at a cost, we believe this outweighs the risk of failing in our mission through a lack of governance.

3. People, Planet, Profit. The first two are harder to measure, but can deliver earlier results.

   B Corporation advice: Metrics and key performance indicators to track social and environmental objectives should occur once a year and consider key beneficiary outcomes

   Patagonia Action: 1% For The Planet was established by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard. Companies sign up to commit 1% of all profits to the planet. In 2016, Patagonia gave 100% of all sales from Black Friday away to grassroots environmental organisations.

   One Shot Immersive action: We have begun a schools outreach program to help educate children on humanitarian crisis, conflict and disaster. This is about a broader commitment to the causes we care about and requires the voluntary time and expertise of our dedicated team. We are also working closely with the David Nott Foundation to develop ways of using immersive technologies to train medical professionals in the world’s most dangerous and disadvantaged places on earth. (More on our visit to the Syrian border in the next blog).

   Whilst we are in our infancy, we have the inevitable frustration of having so many aspirations, but less tangible outcomes. However, it is about beginning somewhere. It’s time to step up.