Almost everyone has heard of TOMS shoes. If you haven't, TOMS is a business that sells shoes, sunglasses, bags and many other items. What makes them unique is that for every product sold, an equivalent is donated to someone in need. This means that a child will receive a new pair of shoes, someone will receive a much needed eye surgery or even better maternity care that can help save the lives of newborn children.

TOMS does this all with the thought that they wanted to not just temporarily impact lives but to have an impact in the long run as well. They have set up a factory in Haiti to help reach their goal of having 1/3 of their Giving shoes made locally. This means jobs for locals in a country that has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world.

Other businesses are now following suit as they realize that consumers will often prefer to buy products that will have a positive impact on the world and environment. Roma boots has followed this trend and used the same marketing idea-for every pair of boots sold, one pair of boots is given to a child living in a cold, wet climate that may not live a healthy life without them.

Not every business who immediately gives back uses the “One for One” concept. Others like Serengetee and The Elephant Pants give a portion of their proceeds to different causes. Serengetee buys fabric from countries around the world to be used as pocket tees, sweatshirts, hats and more. For each product sold, 5% of the profits will be donated to one of their 32 grassroots causes or fabric makers. At The Elephants Pants, pants are produced at a factory in Thailand where the workers are paid twice the minimum wage and for every pair of pants, necklace, bracelet, or tapestry sold, $1-$2 will be donated to the African Wildlife Foundation. This money goes to help stop the poaching of elephants and rhinos in Africa whose numbers are rapidly decreasing.

Thanks to these businesses and many others, consumers are becoming more aware of what they buy and who they buy from. It is helping to make a positive and hopefully long-lasting effect on people around the world who aren’t as fortunate. It is opening our eyes to the bigger things going on in the world and how we can help have an impact.

Some other companies that donate to help others:

• Ivory Ella
• Bangs Shoes
• Krochet Kids Intl.
• Headbands of Hope

*For those who are looking to make an impact through entrepreneurship, I highly suggest reading the book “Start Something That Matters” by Blake Mycoskie. It is about his journey of starting TOMS and creating a brand new business model.