Redefining "Healthy Profit"

I was thinking about our company, shopOrganic.com, this afternoon (as I do most mornings, noons and nights) and I thought about the phrase "healthy profit".

Before I go any further, let me stake a claim here - I am hereby redefining the phrase "healthy profit" to mean that the profit must be generated in a sustainable manner. Gone are the days when toxic profits garnered from shady operations are lauded as good, desirable and worthwhile. In the new economy, a profit will be deemed healthy only if it is sustainable. So, the new equation is this: intelligent investing = sustainable profitability. OK, now that I've marked your consciousness with that tidbit, let's talk about how that works.

The sub-prime mortgage mess was not a sustainable model. It was stealthy, it was crafty and certainly a handful of people made a huge pile of money - but at what cost? I'm all for profitabiity, indeed, small businesses MUST be profitable to continue to exist, so profit is typically good.

As the economy recovers, more and more people will begin to feel financially stable again - and they'll begin to look for places to invest. So, we can create another bubble by over-hyping some other market sector, but let me suggest an alternative for small and large investors alike.

Look for companies that create real value by doing something real. Look for companies that play well with others - by being good neighbors, community citizens and valued partners. Look for companies that make every effort to run a profitable company in a sustainable manner. Look for companies that want to, and appear to be able to, make a difference in the world.

If you find companies that meet those criteria, they might be good candidates for your hard earned investment dollars. If they don't meet those criteria, think long and hard about whether or not you want to part with your money for something that is probably part of an old, dying economic model.

Just my 2 cents (hopefully well invested).

Love hearing from you - post your comments and insights and let's get this economy started (to poorly paraphrase recording artist Pink).

Now, go out there and enjoy your day -

[Here's the pitch - looking for a responsible, sustainable investment? Are you a qualified investor? Head to shopOrganic.com for more information.