Last updated:
Dec 23, 2022
We’re acutely aware of the fact that Harvey doesn’t exist in a vacuum. And even though we may be small, our operations and decisions can have a direct impact on our immediate (and extended) communities. So we strive, at all times, to enrich the community in which we operate.
This is a 6 part report looking back at the year that was.
We’re acutely aware of the fact that Harvey doesn’t exist in a vacuum. And even though we may be small, our operations and decisions can have a direct impact on our immediate (and extended) communities. So we strive, at all times, to enrich the community in which we operate.
We talk about our work a fair bit through our blog and on social media. We don’t do it to brag (we’re far from perfect, anyway!), but because if sharing our journey inspires just one other individual or company to walk a slightly more ethical path, then that’s a brilliant result. It’s also a great way to push our commitment to openness and transparency.
Articles
Documents and templates
Over the past year, we’ve reached 120,000 people with our content on business including 4,416 visitors to our website and our combined reach on LinkedIn and Facebook was 500,000. We’ve received direct feedback from four businesses – including WhyHive – who’ve taken inspiration from our content, and we like to think there are more who it’s helped in some way, big or small.
“Harvey’s process formed the foundation for our research into building an ethics framework of our own, which we started implementing and iterating in early 2021. ”
– Tess Guthrie, CEO/Founder of WhyHive
For us, community starts with our suppliers and partners. Wherever possible, we use local (to us!) service providers and do our best to work with businesses that are owned and run by under-represented groups in the business space.
We also do what we can to utilise and work with B Corps (and B Corp-aspirational) companies. We’re proud to bank with Bank Australia – Australia’s leading responsible bank – for our business (and personal) banking, and use Verve Super for our superannuation.
It’s quite amazing what you can find on Facebook Marketplace! It’s become our go-to search before buying new.
As we’ve already mentioned, we have a pretty rigorous process when it comes to choosing who we do and don’t work with. And these decisions have an impact even on our idea of community. By supporting other businesses that we know are also taking great strides to enrich and empower their communities – like One Roof and Bank Australia – we can amplify our impact through them (which we think is pretty cool).
As much as we love a day off, we choose not to celebrate Australia Day and the Melbourne Cup public holidays. As far as we’re concerned, neither of those days are cause for celebration. Instead we work, and we donate our wage for those days to causes that are helping move the needle on issues that are pertinent to both Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander justice, and animal welfare in Australia like Little Oaks Sanctuary.
Let’s take a look back at the year that was (before wrapping up with some of our goals and intention-setting for 2021).
This is a pretty long article, so we've created an executive summary version here, including a summary of each section.
To keep things simple, we’ve broken this report up into six parts, that speak to six areas that were particularly important to us this past year:
We spend a lot of time thinking about ways we can help create a sustainable future for our planet and the people on it. Businesses have the power to be a constructive or destructive force, which is the reason we’re selective about who we work with. By helping conscious businesses grow, we can help them increase their impact..
When taking on a client, we assess whether they contribute to one or more of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
If they’re destructive on any goal we won’t work with them. Simple. If they’re making real change for good we offer a low-bono rate, investing additional time into their business.
We acknowledge Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and pay respect to their cultures and Elders past and present.