BAU is killing Life on Earth… but there is a better way

In a world where companies sacrifice values for value, we've become so detached from the natural world that ‘business as usual’ (BAU) is killing Life on Earth. Is this to be our fate? My professional life has been dedicated to reversing this deadly slide but I’m losing. We all are.

Hi, I'm Simon, Founder and CEO of Krystal –?premium web hosting and cloud that’s fair to you and the planet. We're proving that business can be a force for good and that people don’t need to choose between outstanding service, quality, or the planet. It really is possible to have it all, without compromise.

Growing up I thought that sales and marketing were dirty words so I shied away from any sort of promotional activity (Krystal don't even have a sales team!). I have deliberately avoided building a “personal brand”, instead preferring my company, Krystal, to take centre stage.

But the world is facing many unprecedented existential crises simultaneously and coupled with a dearth in leadership I feel obligated the stakes are too high for everyday people like you and me not to speak up and take a stand. So, after two decades in business I’ve decided that I will talk, but I'm just the messenger. The focus should be on the topic.

In my first article, I’ll introduce you to Krystal, try my best to convince you that there’s a better way to do business and finish by asking you for your support. Thanks for giving up your time to read this post, I’ll try my best to make it worthwhile.

Redefining the corporate playbook: Krystal’s journey from vision to reality

Krystal’s journey began back in 2002, sparked by a conversation on a trampoline and fuelled by my determination to leave the world a better place than I found it. Even two decades ago, I intended for Krystal to be more than a business; I envisioned a beacon that would stand the test of time and demonstrate there was an alternative to maximising profit at any cost.

Since day dot, we’ve been running Krystal with a fundamental yet powerful conviction: that making money and operating ethically aren't mutually exclusive. This belief has since turned into Our Creed –?nine tenets that we live by to make sure we're uncompromisingly good for our customers, and uncompromisingly good for the planet. We are the world’s first B Corp? certified web host and public cloud provider.

We’re a family-owned business united by a shared purpose: We believe in transparency (hence the name!) and being open and honest. Unlike many in the market we design, build, own, run and operate our infrastructure and cloud, Katapult.io. GoDaddy, for example, just piggyback off AWS. To help people upgrade to us and combat vendor lock in, we offer Switch Credits, taking the hit on your existing hosting contract so you can leave early.?

We're showing the world that there's a better way to do business – a way that values people and the planet as much as profit. The proof? Last year we hit ￡10M turnover and 35,000 active clients, crucially without compromising on our quality of the service, how we treat staff or our environmental initiatives.

If we can do it, why isn’t this better way of doing business the standard?

At the crossroads of forty: embracing a new chapter

With my 40th birthday on the horizon (the mid-way point?) I find myself taking stock of where I am and what I’ve achieved. My 17 year old self is very disappointed that I’ve been unable to single-handedly reverse the neoliberal capitalist machine!

This year feels pivotal – not just for me personally but for the world. 64 countries will go to the polls this year and there's growing support for nationalist and far right parties. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is also grappling with big geopolitical shifts and rising challenges, namely the risks and consequences of wars, climate change, and biodiversity collapse. The time for action-oriented dialogue has never been more critical.

This article is a declaration of intent to start using my voice to achieve a better world. And I hope I encourage others to speak up too.

In the coming weeks and months, I'll be sharing more of my thoughts here on LinkedIn. Expect a different kind of conversation about business –?one that explores the intersection of business and ethics, the role of responsible companies in shaping our future, and the urgent need for a sustainable approach in all aspects of our lives.

I hope you’ll join me and lend your voice and support.

Some people will argue that politics has no place on a “business platform” like LinkedIn. But everything is politics! Shit in your water? Politics. Potholes? Politics. HMRC chasing SMEs for pennies but not effectively taxing multinationals? Politics!...

The sooner we stop avoiding difficult conversations, the faster we can make meaningful progress together.

Building Krystopia: a call to businesses for collective action

Together, we have ENORMOUS collective power and cannot be ignored – no matter what size business you are. In 2022, SMEs in the UK represented 99.9% of all businesses, employing around 16.4 million people and generating ￡2.12 trillion in turnover. We are the backbone of the economy.

Those with vested interests in preserving the status quo will try and persuade you that your input is insignificant, ignore them, they are demonstrably wrong!

Every major civil resistance movement has succeeded with just 3.5% of the population taking part (BBC Article).

It reminds me of one of my favourite quotes:

Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead

If YOU change nothing, nothing will ever change.

I appreciate that I’m going to act as a lightning rod for all the conspiracy theorists, climate change deniers, keyboard warriors and those who benefit from the way things are now. But with your support it’ll be worthwhile.

Please get involved at whatever level you feel able, even if it’s just a like or a share. We MUST succeed in changing the future, for the generations that follow.

Thanks for reading. I’m excited to see where we can go together.

Simon Blackler