If the success of a company was traditionally measured by its turnover volume, other factors linked to the major trends of the moment are currently coming into play. And society is immersed in a change of model in which sustainability permeates everything in its triple aspect: economic, environmental and social. It is precisely the combination of these parameters that determines the real scope of companies through the prism of the new paradigm.
The origin of this transition is not unique, but the international crises of the last two decades – financial, health, war, climate and migration – motivate a reconversion of the way the world functions. So, is capitalism in crisis? Ángel Bonet, founder and president of the consulting firm ImpactCo, believes no, but that it is changing: “This system works and has shown that it advances society by generating well-being. You just need to adjust the template. As? Measure the social and environmental impact of companies to give it the same importance that sales or profits have always had.
But if a company is economically successful, why would it care about these other elements? “Given that change is unstoppable, in the coming decades all businesses and investments will have this social and environmental DNA. Adopting this mentality means acquiring a clear competitive advantage,” underlines the expert. It is not in vain that Bonet’s thesis – detailed in his book Companies that grow with soul— is that organizations “must have dual accounting, economic and social, and both must be linked to elements of value generation for the shareholder and society,” he explains.
On paper this sounds good, but changes of this magnitude usually arouse suspicion. On this question, the boss of ImpactCo recognizes that “the biggest challenge is to gain the trust of managers, because not everyone is ready to adopt this disruptive innovation model”. According to him, “our main task is to re-educate them to this new vision of the company. Later, they will discover that creativity flourishes when you are brave, come up with ideas and try them. All of this makes businesses more resilient,” he says.
Bonet himself admits that his view is “very optimistic” because, until now, “our clients are investors, businessmen and shareholders who, beyond wanting to lead the markets, are good and bright people at heart. This makes it easier to take the plunge. In addition to this initial predisposition, “when they realize the value they can generate by improving society and regenerating the environment, interest in tackling these global challenges grows and they provide innovative and sustainable solutions. Technology and digitalization contribute to this. The benefit of helping far outweighs the risk of not trying,” he says.
What can we do with the “unconvinced”?
For managers not yet attracted by the new economy, ImpactCo offers a reasoning: “Without a balanced society, with a fair redistribution of income – based on meritocracy – and a healthy planet, the market cannot exist. It goes without saying that without a market, there will be no businesses,” recalls its founder. Likewise, he puts more cards on the table to reconvert the undecided: “It has been shown that corporate investments in social justice and environmental regeneration allow, in the short term, better access to capital, but also to the best talents, since “They are looking for commitment and organizations with a purpose,” he specifies.
In his case, Bonet is clear: “my dream, even if it may seem paradoxical, is that our consulting firm will not be relevant in the long term because, if we end up being truly useless, we will have achieved our objective”. To achieve this, ImpactCo works on two axes. On the one hand, put pressure on the main European and American business associations so that they promote the benefits of the new economy of meaning. At the same time, the consultancy works with the media and social networks, documenting data, statistics and business success stories.
“Our model is based on being a consulting firm shop providing an excellent service, with committed and offshore teams, which allow us to establish alliances with experts in all social, environmental and technological areas,” explains Ángel Bonet. These links are created between businessmen, philanthropists and third sector organizations “to help vulnerable groups together, in a sort of model”. philanthrocapitalist“, he emphasizes.
To succeed, ImpactCo has restrictive confidentiality agreements with its clients and investors: “We do it this way because all our projects have a strong impact on value and innovation,” specifies its president, who concludes his analysis of the new reality of business by giving advice that can prevent companies from falling back into the errors of the past: “The strategies of retrained experts are no longer valid, those who until recently advocated the opposite of the economy of reason be. Users, consumers and clients are fed up with old advice,” he concludes.
