Business
Looking for positive and inspiring business stories? From green operations to employee rights, from innovative corporate structures to diversity and inclusion, the Business section at The Optimist Daily has got the latest innovative solutions from the corporate sector.
How the blockchain could change corporate structure
Up until now, a centralized company has been the best way to create a network that solves a large need: Uber connected riders with drivers, banks connected savers with borrowers, and Twitter 1.63 % connected content writers with content consumers. But thanks to the invention of the blockchain, we Read More...
Airbnb users can now get a $1,000 discount on solar panels
Have you used Airbnb before? Then you can get a discount on solar panels. The short-term home rental company is partnering with SolarCity to give Airbnb users a $1,000 rebate on any purchase of solar panels. The rebate is available to any Airbnb user — guest or host — with a home in one of Read More...
Despite boycott threats, Ben & Jerry’s voices support for black lives matter
Ben & Jerry’s has taken on so many social and environmental issues that it is easy to forget the quirky brand has been making ice cream for almost four decades. The Vermont-based company is not shy about its activism. And Ben & Jerry’s parent company, Unilever, has long stayed Read More...
Levi’s 'well-being' programs to reach 300,000 workers by 2025
Levi Strauss & Co. announced last week that it would aggressively expand its worker well-being initiatives. The expansion is set to reach factories across Levi’s entire supply chain, as well as other brands within the global garment industry. According to the San Francisco-based Read More...
How do you hail a tractor in India? All it takes is a few taps on your phone
Hailing a ride with your smartphone? That’s old news — ask any Uber, Lyft or Careem customer. But how about hailing a tractor? Just as urbanites may find it impractical to own a car but still need a ride once in a while, so, too, in the Indian countryside: To get the most from their land, Read More...
How Zipcar is reducing car congestion on college campuses
"Car sharing" sounds like it should reduce the number of cars of the road, but until recently that claim was more conjecture than fact. Without hard data, we didn't know what impact car sharing is having. Now the data is starting to appear. Recently, we saw how the service car2Go was enabling Read More...
TripAdvisor ends bookings to attractions with captured, endangered animals
Here’s one business doing what’s right: TripAdvisor and its booking agency Viator will no longer sell tickets or generate booking revenue from tourism experiences where travelers come into physical contact with captive wild animals or endangered species. This includes activities such Read More...
New Patagonia short film: Fair trade is better for people and business
The way you shop can change lives. There’s probably no better and more effective contribution that you can make to a better and more fair world than making better choices as a consumer. Fair trade can help improve the lives individuals and families around the globe. Outdoor clothing company and Read More...
The Uber economy looks a lot like the pre-industrial economy
Maybe Uber isn’t that innovative after all. A new study from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), finds that the “gig” economy model popularized by Uber has a lot in common with the economies of poor countries today, as well as the US and Europe before the Industrial Revolution. Uber and Read More...
The eight technologies every entrepreneur should know about
Entrepreneurs need little convincing that technology is important, rapidly evolving, and likely to have a profound impact on their businesses. But keeping track of developments, and knowing where to focus one’s attention, is anything but straightforward. Analysts at PricewaterhouseCoopers Read More...