What’s ‘conscious business’ concept about?

A new business concept is spreading around the world. You might know it under the labels “conscious,” “mission-driven,” “values-based,” “socially conscious,” or “benefit corporation.”

But it’s really not that new. In some ways, it’s a return to the days when businesses were an integral part of the community — not just treating them as consumers from whom money is to be extracted.

Milton Friedman captured our current philosophy of business pretty well back in 1970:

“There is one and only one social responsibility of business —  to use its resources and engage in activities designed…