I recently read an article on the Huffington Post by Alec Baldwin, and I was made to reflect upon our surf school and its business operations. In the article’s last paragraph, Baldwin makes this statement:
Business is about cold numbers, strict adherence to bottom lines and the ascent of those with the greatest skills and advantages. Governing requires a humanism that we find largely absent in the business world of today. It calls for skills that the business world often overlooks or shuns.
In his article Baldwin is making a political statement and explaining his reasoning for favoring a certain political candidate in California. But regardless of political views, what it really got me thinking about was, how a business is traditionally run. The truth is that Baldwin is right, today’s businesses are overly concerned with hard numbers and net income.
Is There Nothing Else To Business
This led me to ask myself, “Is there nothing else to consider when doing business?” But of course there is: people! Without people, without human interaction, there is no business. And if you involve humans, then things get much more complex than just spreadsheets and numbers. So why does it seem that all of this has been forgotten?
Having studied business administration in college, I don’t remember ever having read a textbook, listened to a lecture, or even overheard the idea of involving a humanistic element to “doing business”. And that is very sad.
Surf School Business Goals
I will be upfront and say that a surf school is not going to make us rich with money, our bottom line will never hit astronomical figures because our business goals have little to do with achieving personal financial wealth and more to do with contributing to positive change.
If you were to ask us about the expectations for our business, I’m sure they would not be much different to that of any other business: we want to generate business, we want to turn a profit, and we want to grow. However, the driving force and end goal behind these business aspirations lie far beyond the numbers. For example:
- We want to give many surf lessons so that we may provide for our families and continue to work together.
- We hope to continue to have many visitors in Costa Rica so that we may continue to meet more wonderful people who enjoy experiencing the world and sharing their own story.
- We strive to grow our business so we may provide employment to others and contribute to the improvement of our community through sustainable projects.
To many this may sound idealistic, like we’re trying to save the world, when what we’re really doing is taking action and contributing through the activities we enjoy. Traditional business may be solely about the numbers, but that doesn’t equal positive change.