What do you think of when you hear "business"? If you're like most, you think of money, suits, maybe even corruption and cheating. Some see modern business as big corporate gorillas walking all over the little guy, taking advantage of the masses to feed their greed. After all the Volkswagen emissions scandal came out only a few months ago, and who could forget the Enron scandal of 2001? Business is the vehicle by which a few malicious people who care only for the bottom line take advantage of customers, employees, and stockholders — or so it might seem.
When I think of business I think of possibility, of people who want to change their lives or even the world for the better. I think of the people who see a system and say, "Can we do that better?" or who see a problem and wonder "how can I help?" I think of innovators and self-starters, people who can't let a problem go unsolved or an opportunity go wasted. Those that don't expect someone else to solve all their problems, but rather people who want to learn how to solve it themselves, and sometimes then help others do the same. There are those that cheat the system, that take advantage of others for the sake of money, but that is not the heart of business at all.
To me business is tied directly into the promises that makes America what it is. How many of us were sold the American dream from a young age? The American dream is defined as "the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative."
I have noticed many in my generation scoffing at this. Equal opportunity? As if! After all isn't there so much working against the average college student? What, with tuition rates skyrocketing and forcing us into debt before we even really begin. Don't forget there are also those that have the odds stacked against them even more than others - minorities, those who have lived in poverty, and so many more. These are important issues, and they need to be addressed. The American government should be working around the clock to make the American dream a reality, the promise of equal opportunity if you work hard and take initiative of your own life.
Here's where things seem to get unclear. How do we make equal opportunity possible? Is business the enemy, with men in suits exploiting the 99 percent?
What if we realigned how we think of business with this idea of opportunity in mind? Is there a line we can walk along compassion and generosity, but without crossing over to always simply solving another's problems for them?
What if business was seen as teaching anyone, no matter their background, that they could do anything if they set their mind to it and then backed it up with action? What if our government kept this promise by safe guarding against discrimination and helping citizens find the resources to pursue their initiatives? Business can teach us how to help ourselves, and nurture a spirit of generosity so we can help our communities.
Big business is not the bad guy, it is the opportunity.
