We try to help people create abundance by both possible methods: by conserving existing resources and by propagating new resources. In other words, the two basic tools at our disposal are conservation and innovation. We try to promote uncomplicated sources of pleasure that give our audiences tips for a fulfilling life created from relatively simple things. And we support new technology that generates energy – that most fundamental of all assets – from more ubiquitous and renewable sources.
You might even say that the creation of abundance – or a sense of abundance – is right at the core of our mission. We advocate the creation of abundant food from our gardens, abundant pleasure from simple projects like the construction of a bench or the renovation of an old tractor, a sense of abundance in the realization that we are born on a planet rich in resources and diversity, both human and biological.
The question of creating abundance, in the global sense, is more relevant for us than it might be for most businesses because the issue is woven into our subject matter. But every business is dedicated to the creation of abundance – ideally for its owners, its employees and its customers.
In business, just as in the rest of the world, abundance is created both through conservation and through innovation.
Most business managers seem to be more reliant either on conservation or innovation. Many entrepreneurs build careers on their ability to invent and innovate, but never master the techniques of cost control. They find it difficult to run a stable, profitable business. Other businesspeople are overly reliant on frugality and fail to innovate. They may watch their highly efficient businesses decline and fail because, when the environment changed, they were unable or unwilling to gamble on new sources of revenue.
Like businesspeople everywhere, we try to find a balance between these two approaches. We try to invest wisely and manage our money frugally while remaining alert for new opportunities. We balance our efforts between conservation and innovation.
Bryan Welchis the Publisher and Editorial Director of Ogden Publications, the parent company of MOTHER EARTH NEWS. Connect with him onGoogle+.
For further optimistic discussion about our future, read Beautiful and Abundantby Bryan Welch and connect with Beautiful and Abundant on Facebook.
