Summary

This section began with the idea that we have assumptions about "business." The best businesses provide valuable, important, needed services that make people's lives better. Businesses that know what people's needs are also seem to fare better in the market. They make customers feel valued and understood, a critical part of getting us to grab our credit card. If these businesses also seem to make our whole "community" better—happier, healthier, cleaner, prettier, more efficient, richer—we not only pay happily, we convince our friends and neighbors to shop there too. The column exercise shows that businesses may actually have shared values with the typical public health organization. Doing business planning will help you run like a good business.