Over the past couple of years, businesses have been trying to make things more inclusive. From updated stock photos, to banners supporting different organizations—people are trying to do their part.
There’s no question about it. Inclusive businesses help change the world in so many ways.
Not convinced? Here’s a few reasons why having an inclusive business is so important.
It contributes to social change.
Your business is a powerful platform. You can use it to influence and educate others! Being a business owner is an incredible opportunity to position yourself as a leader within your industry and own communities.
You don’t have to be out on the street with a megaphone to make a difference. There’s so many ways to help change the world. You could feature different perspectives to uplift the voices of marginalized folks or ask for donations to human rights organizations. There are endless possibilities!
Big changes start small! Even if you only influence one person, the effects can be huge. Because that one person can go on to educate someone else, who could educate someone else, and so on. You can single handedly create a ripple effect!
It shows people you care.
Your clients and customers aren’t mind readers! They want to know you’re a safe and welcoming space. But there’s no way for them to know that if you don’t show them.
For me, as a fat, black, queer woman, there’s a lot of businesses I glance over. Not because I think they’re bad businesses, but because they don’t stand out to me as a place where I belong. Instead, I choose to work with and buy things from folks who make me feel seen.
You could be a raging intersectional feminist, who cares deeply about human rights. But if you’re not making that clear to your audience, you might be lumped in with businesses that don’t care. Which means you could be missing out on working with a whole lot of amazing people.
It connects you with like-minded folks.
Running an inclusive business can lead to meeting people who share the same values as you. It opens the door to having meaningful conversations with new clients, customers, and other business owners.
You’ll be able to inspire and motivate each other, because let’s face it- changing the world is no easy feat! It can feel tiring, especially when you encounter folks who don’t seem to care.
Having a group of people to vent to, learn from, and grow with can make a huge difference in your journey as an inclusive business owner.
The list of reasons why you should have an inclusive business could go on forever. This just serves as a starting point to get some motivation pumping.
And if you’re looking to connect with a pretty rad group of business owners fighting for inclusivity, head on over to my Facebook group, Built to Be Inclusive. You can’t change the world by yourself! 🌎
Start Changing The World
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(Originally published on 7/13/2021 on rhodesiajdesigns.com)
