Where Do Ethics End and Profits Begin?

Last week, the UK parliament’s House of Commons Science and Technology Committee heard evidence from supporters and critics of homeopathy to discuss its effectiveness and whether it should continue to be funded under the National Health Service. Now, I am friends with a professional aromatherapist, and also have a personal interest in herbal medicine. Nevertheless, I do consider homeopathy as not much more than woo and magical thinking. Still, nobody is trying to force sugar pills or highly diluted tinctures down my throat, and if it makes other people happy, so be it. What troubled me most through, was the admission from the professional standards director of Boots, the largest chain of chemists in the UK, that his company continues to sell homeopathic remedies despite there being no evidence that they work, because that’s where the money is.

Now, this post isn’t an denunciation of homeopathy, as that has been done with far more wit and skill elsewhere. If you want to discuss the evidence or otherwise for magical water, there’s all manner of blogs and websites, both pro and anti, for you to do so. What I’m more concerned with is whether there is a moral obligation for businesses to refuse to stock products or provide services that are essentially separating fools from their money with the minimum of fuss, like the 419 scammer I’ve used to illustrate this post. Now, 419 scams are fraud, hence illegal. But there are hundreds of other products and services that can legally be bought and sold which promise much but offer little in the way of results. Should businesses restrict themselves in offering these, or does caveat emptor trump ethical considerations? Is the profit motive the only thing that a business should care about?

My two biggest vices are alcohol and tobacco, which have been proven to do harm but remain legal. However, restrictions on their sale mean that retailers who value their licences will not sell either to children. Would they be within their rights though, to refuse to sell to an adult with an alcohol abuse problem? What about a pregnant woman who asked for a bottle of wine and a pack of cigarettes? On the one hand, you could argue that refusing to sell to either individual is doing them a service; on the other, if one shop doesn’t sell to them, they could probably get served elsewhere, or even get somebody else to do the buying for them. Is it OK to overlook ethical considerations to prevent a lost sale?

In the case of Boots and the homeopathic remedies, if you asked one of the trained pharmacists in their shops about the efficacy of homeopathic remedies, they would be obliged to tell you that there is no scientific evidence that homeopathic remedies work better than a placebo, but they would still happily sell them to you. Now, if I were a pharmacist, I would feel uncomfortable doing this. Yes, a customer may go away with a product that they believe will work for them, but I would be conflicted about sending them off with something that didn’t really address their problem. I’m sure that there are probably pharmacists working at Boots who try to steer customers to proven allopathic remedies, but as long as Boots as a company continues to stock and promote homeopathic remedies, consumers are receiving mixed signals: “No, it doesn’t really work, there’s no evidence for it, but hey! We’ve got a three for two promotion on magic woo this week!”

There is still a boycott effort for Nestlé products because of that company’s behaviour in promoting its infant formula products in developing countries. While this hasn’t stopped Nestlé from being one of the largest food companies in the world, the fact that the boycott is still ongoing does illustrate the extent of consumer anger at the company’s actions. Now, Nestlé is primarily concerned with earning money for its shareholders, and if there are profits to be had in morally dubious but legal behaviour, one can’t really be surprised if it pursues that particular course of action. It would be nice to imagine that the Nestlé board are touchy-feely hippies who care about the impact their activities have around the world, but that is not how they ended up heading a major company. It’s unrealistic to expect anything different.

There are however, companies that do put people before profits. The Fair Trade companies, or those that choose to keep production in their home countries despite the costs of production being far lower overseas, who pay their employees a living wage; all could probably make more money if they emulated their purely profit-driven competitors, but they have chosen not to. While this may lead to lower profits in the short term, they are banking on the fact that their ethics can serve as a valuable marketing tool when describing their ethos to consumers, and that this will translate into longer-term profitability, especially if consumers are willing to pay a premium for guilt-free products and services.

It’s probably fair to say that Boots doesn’t particularly care whether homeopathic remedies work or not, so long as they continue to sell. I doubt that any managers agonise over the patina of respectability they give to homeopathy by stocking products for which there is no evidence. Then again, the company is a chain of chemists, not a moral arbiter for consumer’s buying habits. If Boots didn’t stock homeopathic pills, customers looking for them would go elsewhere. Instead, while their head of  professional standards is willing to admit that the magic woo probably doesn’t work in front of a parliamentary committee, the profit motive dictates that the company will continue to give shelf space to products that are merely another means of getting consumers to shell out for something they don’t need. For other companies, though, this could be a step too far in the search for profit.

[Image by AMRosario]

Bringing Together Your Different Career Personalities

A few days ago, desperate to address a number of topics that would not fit in with this blog or on Kenya Imagine, I put together a couple of drafts for posts and decided to start a new blog, along with a linked Twitter account. Now, this could be ill-advised, as I’ve already got multiple Twitter accounts to deal with, plus my obligations here and elsewhere, and I’m not sure how much time I’ll be able to dedicate to each project without sacrificing either quality or my social life. Not only that, but should I ever want to cite on my CV, they could look rather haphazard, as there’s no real link between the topics they cover, and I have different levels of output and engagement in each.

Thinking back to the post I did on portfolio careers, I realised that even as I have eased more into adding writer/blogger to my list of skills, it would be difficult for a potential employer to pull my various contributions together into a coherent space. Not only that, but the diverse topics I cover mean that pinning down my “voice” could also have its own problems. On the one hand, for the projects that I consider as possible career opportunities, I want to project an image that is professional and knowledgeable; those that I am doing for myself don’t need to be quite so focused on emphasising my competencies.

If you have diverse skills and have worked in a variety of areas, you probably tailor your CV to fit each particular job you apply for. You don’t need to mention your stint as an environmental officer when applying for the event management position, but you might very well mention the stage management job you did a couple of years ago. Sending your credentials off to a family-run firm means that you won’t necessarily expound on your stint as a corporate drone in a huge conglomerate as much as you do your ability to work in small autonomous teams. This can all work well if you are given enough leeway to pick and choose the details you divulge. If you are asked for a complete work history, however, the overall impression can seem… messy.

One solution, therefore, might be to keep everything separate in practice, with one point of reference for an overview of everything you’ve accomplished. If you have worked for a couple of political thinktanks, have also volunteered for a charity and are now retraining as a international development worker, it can seem difficult to tie all of these together, particularly if you don’t wan to favour one over the other. Nevertheless, you can take a couple of steps to make your career seem more coherent.

First, recognise that each of your accomplishments and skill sets has value. Even my part-time job in a call centre is something I am grateful for, though I wasn’t at the time. Next, come up with a narrative for each of the major areas of your career, explaining how you got to where you are now. Finally, bring together the different narratives to reach an overarching conclusion. For instance, I started out as a translator, progressed to giving additional business advice, branched out into writing business plans, and as a result of blogging about tech and business, landed a gig at Kenya Imagine, where I am now picking up additional skills as a writer and editor, along with some management skillls to boot.

I do still keep my various projects apart from each other, and intend to keep doing so. Where I will pull them together to give an overview of everything I do is on a separate blog, yet to be set up, where I will explain my various projects, what I hope to achieve from them, and how they related to each other. Yes, it’s a bit more work than plonking everything down in one place, but when somebody comes to look at what I have been up to, they will be able to see everything I have done so far, without it seeming like I have flitted between various interests and areas without being able to make my mind up. Were I to pull together everything into one blog, or on to one CV, I wouldn’t make any sense.

I believe that in future it is going to become increasingly common for people to have varied CVs, as they work in a number of different sectors rather than having a specific career progression, and as the business environment changes to embrace all-rounders rather than single-skilled toilers. Nevertheless, employers will still want to be able to see how a prospective employee’s career up until the present will fulfil their job requirements, and as such it’s important that no matter how eclectic your job history is, you are able to demonstrate that you fit the part. Each part of your career may be a story in itself, but you need to marshall them to reach an overall theme.

[Image by Amanda Azzi]

Freeware of the Week! [Stylizer Basic]

If you want to dabble in web design, there are all sorts of options available to you. You can splash out on Dreamweaver, though the price sticks in the craw, especially if you only build the occasional website. You could put together a collection of various free tools and programs, that I’ve mentioned in the past, but while they are useful, they might not be quite what you were looking for. Or you could submerge yourself in hand-coding, which is very zen, but also a little crazy-making if the site is large and complex. Having said, that, I have stayed true to my earliest experiences and will generally have multiple tabs open in my text editor and only open up my WYSIWYG programs to check that everything works visually.

One area where I have always struggled when coding is with CSS, as I think I learned it in one bourbon-fuelled weekend while chafing at the restrictions placed on me by free templates. I’ve gotten over that, but CSS has always been the weakest of my web skills. Riding to my rescue and saving me from jabbing frustratedly at code is Skybound’s Stylizer. This is a CSS editor on steroids. Even better? It’s visual, using a grid interface which makes any coding mistakes almost impossible to make. With the ability to make adjustments on the fly, you can see how any changes you make will look in real-time, thanks to embedded Firefox and IE, saving the palaver of having to do multiple saves and previews to keep an eye on your progress.

Along with the grid and real-time changes, there is also a cleanser to clean up bad syntax from any stylesheets that you import or download, and browser filters that enhance compatibility with older browser versions without the need for streams of specially written code. The standout feature for me, though, is the code grid, which is simply a joy to use once you’re used to it. It takes so much time and hassle out of coding stylesheets, while still allowing full control over the design. I truly wish I had known about this program when eight months ago when I was languishing in development hell for one of my other projects.

I’ll admit, Stylizer’s slick interface threw me a bit when I first installed and used it. I am used to far more understated offerings. But if you have any web design experience at all, it’s quick and easy to get to grips with, and you’ll soon find yourself wondering why it has taken so long for anyone to come up with this program. Now, I’ve emphasised that this is Stylizer Basic, but only because the premium model costs £49. If you look at the number of features that you’re missing out on, it may seem like an overly restricted free version, but in my view, some of those seem like too much hand-holding for a coder, even a dilettante like me.

At present, Stylizer is Windows-only, though there does appear to be a Mac version in the works, so register for that if you want to be informed when it’s ready. The 10MB download is a free trial of Stylizer Ultimate, which will revert to the free Basic version after 14 days, so you might want to deal with your most complicated projects. You’ll need a 1.0 GHz processor and 512MB of RAM to run, and it is compatible with XP and the 64-bit versions of Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008. No word on compatibility for Windows 7, but I’m sure Skybound is working on it. If you’ve been tearing you hair out over buggy CSS, this program really is a lifesaver. Download it today to spend more time designing rather than debugging.

Careful with your Corporate Gifts

As the end of the year approaches, many business will be sending out tokens of their appreciation to their most valued clients and suppliers. These serve as a tangible “thank you” for doing business with for the past year, and can range from a day out driving a Ferrari, or a batch of branded diaries. My local Chinese takeaway hands out wall calendars to regular customers. One marketing company that I know of spends a fortune on handmade chocolates. If you are planning on sending out gifts on behalf of your business this year, it’s important that you send out the right sort of gifts.

First, there’s no point sending out a gift if the recipient will have to reject it or will end up in trouble with the taxman. Check to see if they have a policy for corporate gifts or hospitality. They may be limited to gifts that don’t exceed a certain value, or may say that gifts can only go to a named individual. Your gift is meant to be a gesture of thanks; don’t mess things up by putting the recipient in an awkward situation at their place of work. True, you may know that Jeff at your ad agency is a Metallica obsessive, but flying him across the world for one of their gigs could land him in hot water if his company says that employees can’t accept gifts with a value of more than £20.

Second, it may seem convenient to order multiples of the same gift, but that can seem impersonal, and will smack of disinterest if you are sending gifts to different people at the same company. Try to make your gifts as suited to the people receiving them as possible. Think about the personalities involved and their office culture, if you’ve had the chance to observe it. Also think about how important this business relationship is to you. While you might be able to fob off the office pool with a few cupcakes, once they are eaten, they will be gone and forgotten. A gift crafted to the personality of the person receiving it will reflect the thought you have put into it and will be more appreciated. As a result, you will be remembered.

Third, even if you are not delivering the gifts in person, do try to make your presence felt. Make sure that any message accompanying the gift is from you personally, rather than a standard statement, and make the notes handwritten if possible. This adds to the impression that you have taken time and care over choosing the gift and will again reflect well on you. To be certain that  your gift is received, splash out and send it special delivery. Even if the recipient isn’t polite enough to send a thank-you note, you will at least be sure that it was received.

So, who will you be sending gifts to? It would be financially crippling to send high value gifts to each and every employee at every company you deal with, and impossible to come up with a bespoke gift for each, so you will need to draw up some sort of list. Generally, you’ll be sending gifts out to your most valuable clients and suppliers, so choose those businesses without whom your own would collapse. One gift for the head of the company, and you can probably get away with something fairly generic for that. More effort should go into choosing the gift for the person you deal with most often, if that’s a different person; after all, your business relationship is with them. So while you can probably plump for a box of chocolates for the CEO of your marketing company, something a bit more imaginative for your account manager there would go down well. At the same time, don’t get too personal; these are business relationships, not necessarily friends. Clothing and lingerie is most definitely a no-no.

Gifts that I do feel are a bad idea tend to be things along the lines of diaries and calendars bearing your company logo. Yes, they’ll be a reminder of your businesss, but will they be appreciated? They can seem like the sort of thing you send out after ordering too many for yourself, and are now fobbing off on other businesses who have no real need for them. That also goes for gifts within your own company; people already know who they work for, they don’t need to be reminded. Rule of thumb: if it could make up part of a goodie bag at a trade show, it’s not a gift.

Remember, these are supposed to be corporate gifts, not bribes. Don’t go over the top, especially as times are still tough; you don’t want to make people feel embarrassed or compromised by your extravagance. Your corporate gifts are supposed to remind the recipients of you and to show that you have appreciated your business relationship with them. Get it right and you can probably count on a happy relationship continuing into next year. Get it wrong, and you could find yourself falling to the bottom of their list of priorities.

[Image by Hjwllms]

In Praise of Quality Stationery

The notebooks that I use for scribbling down my thoughts when I’m away from a computer are nearly full, so I’m going to have to go shopping for new ones. This will entail a trip to four or five different shops before I find what I’m looking for. I’m not bothered about the price so much as the the quality of the paper. The paper needs to be compatible with the pens I use.

I’m left-handed, and bad ink-paper interfaces for me mean smudged and streaked handwriting, which doesn’t matter for scribbling notes, but can make writing a handwritten letter tortuous. Because of this, I’ve always been incredibly fussy about the stationery I use. What’s the weight of the paper, how quickly does it absorb ink? Will this pen smudge if I’m writing quickly? When the ink is absorbed into the paper, does my writing distort like a bad blotting paper effect?

I tell myself that I’m OK, and that I’m not obsessed, because I’m happy using whatever brand works, and I don’t pitch a fit when my favourite pen goes missing. But the fact that it can take me up to two hours to choose a notebook is probably some sort of warning sign. I feel the pages of a notebook for their quality, run my finger over them to see how smooth they are, flick between them to see how easily they turn. And I mentally weigh up which of my pens would be best for writing on that type of paper. All for something that will live either in my handbag or on my sofa until I’ve filled up the pristine pages with my messy scribbles.

It’s not just notebooks and pens, though. I am also terrible for judging people by the quality of their business cards. Quick basic job from Vistaprint or a machine in the train station? You don’t take your business seriously. Mini-resumé that includes your picture? You might be trying a little too hard. What I am most likely to go for are clean and simple designs, on heavy card, that are not likely to fall apart after sitting in a wallet for a couple of months or be used as roach material for roll-up cigarettes.

The right stationery can help make a good impression. I’m always impressed when I receive a letter that’s been printed on better-quality paper than run-of-the-mill printer fodder, just as I appreciate being handed a business card that has had some thought put into it. I am still without a formal business card because I am forever fretting over the design. I have had about five possible templates for one now, but I keep changing my mind between fonts, text arrangement, colours and the like. I want it to be perfect, so that when I hand it out it presents a professional image of myself and the work I do. Fussy as I am over stationery, it’s taking forever to do.

I won’t be taking a shopping buddy with me when I go hunting for new notebooks tomorrow; it seems unfair to subject a friend to my stationery fixation. I will though, be taking my trusty pens: one biro, one fountain pen, one liquid gel ballpoint. Once I have made my decision, I will  use them to scribble all over my new purchases, as I have some thoughts I haven’t been able to write down just yet, for want of space in my current notebooks. Happiness is non-scratchy scrawling.

[Image by Sarah Parrott]