Y2Y - a better class of business

We live in a world of acronyms.

Some of them are completely alien to me (I think it's an old person thing).

There's a whole list of them here if you're keen to learn more, but you may then find

this piece TL;DR (you'll have to look it up!).

But our newsletter this week isn't really about acronyms.

It's about the systemic shift in the way we do business, and business classifications.

You will no doubt be familiar with Business to Business (B2B), Business to Customer (B2C) but how about Why to Why (Y2Y)?

I'm not sure if anybody has ever used the term Y2Y, but it came to me during a meeting I attended last week.

We are seeing lots of examples of clients, employees, businesses, and investors actively seeking out businesses which have a very clear purpose...otherwise know as their 'why?'

These businesses clearly understand why they exist.

Their purpose.

The North Star that shapes every decision they make and drives a culture on purpose.

As you know, I'm a big fan of purpose-led businesses.

As an organisation, we spend a lot of our time at UK for Good helping businesses better understand their purpose and improve their impact.

It matters.

The needs of people and planet are changing at a pace and as a result customers, clients, and suppliers are adapting quickly...or being left behind.

If I want to find a business to buy from or work with, my first port of call is always the B Corp directory I know the businesses listed there are purpose-led, and share my why. It makes my decisions so much easier.

Now here's the interesting bit for me.

About seven years ago, when I was CEO at the brilliant charity Cheshire Connect , I set up with my friend and Executive Coach Gary Palmer a forum to support CEOs of Cheshire charities.

We called it Connect, Lead, and Learn.

Through this forum I have been privileged to meet some of the best charity CEOs in Cheshire, and probably the UK.

Last week the group invited me back to join them at their regular meeting and tell them about UK for Good and B Lab UK . I hadn't seen them since stepping down from Cheshire Connect in order to develop UK for Good.

As we chatted, it became super-clear just how much the lines between business and charities are merging.

As usual, we discussed impact.

'Impact' used to be the domain of the charity sector.

'Profit' was the only driver for businesses.

What is becoming increasingly clear is that we need both in both sectors.

So increasingly we see great charities who are experts at measuring impact, AND underpinned by efficient financial outcomes...

...and businesses who are excellent at driving financial success, AND working hard to better understand and improve their impact on their people, communities, and on the planet.

This has to be a good thing for the world?

I think the opportunity for purpose-led organisations to work together has never been greater.

If you're a charity leader and looking for a business partner, or a business keen to find a charity which supports your community impact, just ask yourself the question:

Are they clear about their WHY?

Y2Y feels like the way to a more collaborative, cleaner, greener, fairer future for all.

And I absolutely love the card and gift the Connect, Lead, and Learn group gave me.

A thoughtful gift from a thought FULL group of special people.

They came from a B Corp business they told me!

Thank you.