Welcome to our next method profile on Bestowed Essentials! Our previous entry focused on using impact priority in social enterprise. In operating any venture, everything flows from your approach, and identifying a proper method helps you effectively fulfill your team’s initiative.
Together, we’ll be profiling interesting social enterprises to discuss an anchor method in their strive for social good. The term “anchor method” is to express the intentional and grounded nature of the approaches propelling a social enterprise forward.
This post is an outside observation of a company for inspiration in social enterprise initiative improvements.
In today’s post, we’ll look into socially committed manufacturer Bestowed Essentials leveraging unwavering integration. The company manufacturers eco-friendly cleaning & personal care products while integrating social good projects into their business.
Knowing the Company: Bestowed Essentials
During humble beginnings, Bestowed Essentials started as an Etsy soap shop. That was back in January 2017. Now, the company’s products are available in stores across the United States and Canada. This South Dakota based business has a core team of four people, and all four happen to be women. Not only female-owned and sustainable but also veteran-owned. The founder, Callee Auckland, is a US Navy veteran.
Bestowed Essentials is committed in their mission “to maximize the accessibility of a sustainable lifestyle through our affordable products, educational resources & social impact initiatives”. Easily, the group of powerful women keep this mission through the various project extensions of Bestowed Essentials. The business establishes their mission through the following projects:
Another project, called Zero Waste Business Alliance, is in the launching process.
Hippie Haven’s YouTube channel and Podcast have their own dedicated content. The two projects serve their own purpose while further promoting the social causes supported by Bestowed Essentials. You’ll find content around “how-to” and informative expertise on the YouTube channel, where the podcast drives discussion through interviews with trusted sources.
Black Hills VegFest is a free annual event to introduce the wonders of a plant-based lifestyle.
The Main Player of Integration
The core team of four built an amazingly connected village of businesses and projects. The group of women seem to value squeezing every corner of their efforts for more social good. The result is multiple additions to their service that embellish the overall value both received and given.
Among all the ventures, there is a central point holding the impact together: Hippie Haven. Hippie Haven is the official store selling a variety of sustainable products, including their original soap from Bestowed Essentials.
Bestowed Essentials was founded in 2017, but Hippie Haven was established in December 2019. Both companies began relatively recently, with the latter coming right before the inevitable need to pivot in response to the pandemic. For example, their project Black Hills VegFest was completely canceled due to COVID-19, and they are waiting until the following year.
Why would Hippie Haven’s pivot be more complicated to execute? Despite the shop having an online platform, there are many connections created by the unwavering integrations.
The Approach
Hippie Haven boasts eco-friendly products, a lending library, a veggie garden, recycling drop-off, and free community events. The physical Hippie Haven shop is also a community space. Making their supporters aware of these integrations is a major move for the business. All the projects contribute to one or more of the following: community loyalty, revenue, social impact.
Usually, companies put their best deals on the homepage, but the first thing you see on the Hippie Haven homepage are selling points for the business. In this case, the selling points, or attraction magnets, are the social impact factors related to using Hippie Haven Products:
- 70% of the products on Hippie Haven are from American Female-owned businesses
- Carbon-neutral shipping
- For every purchase made, Hippie Haven removes 1lb of waste from American waterways through a partnership with Ocean Blue Project
The site continues to boldly promote selling points throughout the site. You’ll see the terms vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic, and plastic-free thrown into a spotlight. You can find these easily in each product category.
These are part of the unwavering integrations of social good created by the team that continues to thrive.
Communicating Initiative Commitment
While reading web copy for the business or any of the related projects, you’ll come across the punchy, conversational, straightforward tone attached to the brand. The unapologetic tone leaves no room for questioning the values of Bestowed Essentials. Almost with celebratory intention, the business proudly highlights all the social good they commit to integrate within their operations.
Founder Callee was able to build an entire world of business connections around social good values she cherished.
The following quote could be the explanation for why Bestowed Essentials is set on integrating positive change and lifestyle into their brand identity:
“We’ve done the work for you so that you can shop in good conscience, even if you have a tight budget.”
Applicable Takeaway
An anchor based on unwavering integration can help develop your capacity to create impact. One beneficial experiment is to write how your initiative is currently showing up for the social cause you advocate, imagine two or three more factors that can extend impact, and examine how seamless your supporters can be part of that extension.
Bestowed Essentials’ unwavering integration completes this profile.
People Helping People Podcast is seeking methods clearly supporting an effective impact. Observations and discussions on happenings in the social enterprise community is a significant part of our contribution to social good. Continue to check-in for more conversation-starting content.
