A business does not exist all on its own — it exists inside a whole world of customers, other businesses, and the environment around it. How a business treats all of these things matters just as much as what it sells.
Being honest and fair
A good business always tells the truth about what it sells, and charges a fair price. It does not trick customers, hide problems with its products, or cheat people out of their money. Many good business traditions, including Islamic teaching, have long taught that sellers should use fair weights and measures and never cheat a customer — honesty in trade is not a new idea, and it is still the right way to run a business today.
Being kind to the planet
Businesses use materials, energy and packaging — and a caring business tries not to waste these. Simple things make a big difference: using less plastic packaging, reusing boxes, recycling paper, and not throwing away food that could still be used.
Friendly competition
Often, more than one business sells similar things nearby — like two bakeries on the same street. This is called competition. Friendly competition is healthy: each bakery tries to bake the best bread, offer the friendliest service, or keep fair prices, and customers benefit from having a good choice. Unfriendly competition — like telling lies about another shop, or trying to trick their customers — is unfair and not how a good business behaves.
Sort each action into 'Good business choice' or 'Not a good business choice':
- Telling customers the truth about a product
- Reusing boxes and recycling packaging
- Trying to bake better bread than a nearby bakery, fairly
- Hiding a problem with a product from customers
- Throwing away lots of useful packaging needlessly
- Telling lies about a nearby shop to steal its customers
A business has three neighbours
| Who | What a good business owes them |
|---|---|
| Its customers | The truth about what it sells, a fair price, and no hidden problems |
| Other businesses | To compete fairly, and be a good neighbour |
| The planet | Care with the materials, energy and packaging it uses |
The best businesses are not simply the ones that make the most money. They are the ones people can trust.
Is this fair trading, or not?
- Telling a customer the truth about what they are buying
- Using correct weights and measures
- Charging a fair price
- Hiding a problem with the product
- Tricking a customer to make more money
- Using weights that are not correct