trendpreneur

Today marks Blog Action Day 2008, when thousands of blogs change the conversation of the world for a day.

The adage ‘make do and mend’ was a wartime anthem, and our grandparents and parents grew up with a thrifty outlook, making the most of what they had. Today, we overconsume, overspend and own far too much stuff — most of which we never even use. If we buy second-hand clothes, we’re being ‘vintage’; if we reuse items, we’re being ‘eco-friendly’. Yet it was all common sense to our grandparents.

How does this relate to businesses, and poverty around the world? Some of the principles of thrift that we’re so painstakingly re-learning are very relevant in the business world, especially if you’re starting on a shoestring. For example, you can source furniture, fittings and even computers from Freecycle; you’d be amazed at what people give away these days. Similarly, instead of sending old items to landfill, consider donating them — someone out there might need it. There are plenty of initiatives that, for example, recycle old mobile phones and send them to developing countries.

From the technology side of things, don’t neglect the power of open source, open communities and open beta. You can get a lot of things — from software nuts-and-bolts to honest feedback and thorough testing — without spending a penny. 

As mentioned in a previous post, you can look for ethical suppliers and buy ethically sourced and fair trade products, ensuring that your morning coffee actually benefits the people who grew it; plus there’s always Gift Aid, and similar ways of giving to charity through business that benefit both you and the charity.

Or you can get direct. Initiatives that let you donate to entrepreneurs in the developing world, who often don’t have anywhere near the help and support we are lucky enough to benefit from, are a great way of making a very personal difference. You can also use the power of the Internet to directly find and mentor people making their own way in the world.

Plus, there are plenty of business concepts you could develop that either fight poverty directly or help encourage this greener, pro-thrift attitude that’s on the rise. Set up clothing swap parties, start a local Freecycle branch, establish a mentoring network for businesses in developing countries, make an online swap shop where people exchange or donate unused licenses and beta keys, etc. 

It’s easy to get involved and easy to start making a change to poverty, even if it’s reducing your own overconsumption and shopping more ethically. If you’re interested in learning more, BlogActionDay has a great list of further reading on the subject.