Good Business in a Krab Shell
I don’t know about you, but I was never interested in the television show Spongebob Squarepants when I was a kid. Now, during quarantine, I figured why not watch a few Spongebob episodes to slowly catch up with everyone else’s childhood favorite.
Out of all of the characters, Mr. Krabs stands out to me the most, mainly because all he speaks of is money. Apart from his Krusty Krab business, he will do whatever it takes to receive more cash, and when he sees an opportunity (like selling Spongebob’s soul for sixty-two cents) he grabs it and nothing else matters. From what I see, underneath his bright appearance, he is a greedy monster.
How I describe Mr. Krabs can also be inferred towards the landowners and banks in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. In the eyes of the men who have the power to lower wages and take back land, they simply see the desperate migrant farmers as something that will boost their farming profit. They gave migrant farmers the opportunity to earn wages in which they had to give up in order to buy food from the same people that gave them their paycheck. There is no ethical principle behind manipulating or taking advantage of others in order to benefit yourself. Even so, this type of action still occurs today.
Fortunately, I stumbled upon a TedxBend, “How to Value People Over Profit” presented by Dale Partridge, that gave me hope for this problem. Out of all points he brought up, two stood out to me the most.
1) Most companies that end up greedy and deceptive never intend to be that way; instead, they confuse “bigger with better” when good results flow in. If this is the case, I am sure that it is possible for companies to get rid of Mr. Krab’s money-hungry mindset before they take a wrong turn.
2) In order for companies to dodge greed, they should engrave the motto “People Over Profit” into the core of their companies. Its meaning is simple: to focus more on the customers/employees than the money the company makes. Now, I will be honest and admit that I do not know much about the world of business and their tactics to stay relevant in our economy. But, as a consumer and a future employee, the one thing that makes a company the greatest of all times comes down to their ways of treating their customers and employees.
To dive deeper into a different perspective, just because the Chum Bucket (Plankton’s business) opens for 23 hours, that does not mean Mr. Krabs should open the Krusty Krab for 24 hours simply to make more profit than Plankton. Consider how Spongebob and Squidward, his employees, would feel eating and breathing Krabby Patties all day long. If the employees are drained, then imagine how they would treat the customers. I would expect the customer service to end with wrath.
Partridge’s idea of placing people over profit can be achieved “with the skills that we have all learned in kindergarten”: to share, to not lie, and to love. No one likes to be told that they are assured to get one thing, but receives something totally different in the end. Or, gets denied access to basic necessities, like food, because of your status, how you look, your origin, or what you stand for.
I want to explore further into this topic, so I have proposed a question: Can the government help prevent unfair activities by limiting companies’ profits in order to provide better food access and prices?
I do not think limiting companies’ profits is necessary to solve this problem because this money can be used to invest, to conduct research, and to essentially better their business. Besides, taking away other people’s hard work might cause more harm, anger, and fear than good.
As an alternative, what is more necessary is for the government to fund more companies that provide better food access, healthy food options, and affordable prices. It is a win-win situation. This funding will prioritize the health of the people instead of putting the money into other companies that are less relevant to the needs of the people. Furthermore, other companies will be able to continue their business without interruptions.
In 1995, Will Allen, who was the creator of an impactful urban farming organization called Growing Power, provided his local community with a fair food security system and agricultural training. With a passion, he demanded the government to reform food policies to make sure “all citizens have access to the same fresh, safe, and affordable good food regardless of their cultural, social, or economic situation.” I believe that the accessibility for healthy food should be a right and not a privilege. Allen initiated an organization with good intentions as I can see how his organization puts his community first, unlike the businesses from the Grapes of Wrath.
If you are reading this and, like me, has the privilege to have healthy food waiting on the table everyday, then there are ways to support those who are less fortunate than us.
For Example
- Give away any extra food that you do not touch to anyone who needs them. Make sure the food is edible (not expired, bruised, contaminated, etc.)
- Volunteer at organizations that provide food for those in need.
- Donate money or food to those organizations or a community in need.
- Start a fundraiser to help non-profit companies that support fair practices in the food industry. If you recognize any organization/company that takes advantage of their customers, lie, or is manipulative, then-
- Spread the word.
In the end, valuing people over profit earns you more profit.
