Even a tiny sticker shop changes things around it. It earns money, uses materials, and affects the people who buy, make and sell the stickers. An impact is an effect your business has on people or the world. Some impacts are positive and some are negative. Thinking about impacts early helps you build a business people trust, and it often gives you better ideas.
Four kinds of impact
- Social impact: how the business affects people's lives, health, feelings and communities. Example: students feel proud showing school-team designs.
- Economic impact: how the business affects money and jobs. Example: Priya and Sam earn money, and they pay a local print shop.
- Environmental impact: how the business affects nature, such as waste, energy and materials. Example: vinyl stickers are plastic, and packaging creates waste.
- Ethical impact: whether the business acts fairly and honestly. Example: only selling original designs, not copying someone else's art or a famous character.
Who are the stakeholders?
A stakeholder is anyone who affects or is affected by a business. Each stakeholder has a perspective: what they care about and want from the business. Their wants sometimes clash. Customers want low prices, but the owners need a profit. Thinking from each point of view helps you find a fair balance.
| Stakeholder | What they care about | How Stick With It affects them |
|---|---|---|
| Customers (students) | Fair price, stickers that last, cool designs | Easy-to-spot bottles; $3.00 per sticker |
| Family | Safety, homework time, not losing money | Time spent on the business; money saved for start-up |
| School | Rules, safety, school spirit | Selling at club fairs; school-colour designs |
| Supplier (local print shop) | Steady orders, paid on time | New regular customer |
| Community | Local businesses, less litter | Money spent locally; fewer lost bottles in the garbage |
| Environment | Less plastic and waste | Vinyl and packaging waste; more reusable bottles in use |
Building an impact table
An impact table lists each kind of impact, the good and bad effects, and an action to improve it. The goal is not to have zero negative impacts. Almost every business has some. The goal is to notice them and make a plan to reduce them.
| Impact type | Positive | Negative | Action to improve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social | Fewer lost bottles; students show their style | Some designs may not suit everyone | Offer high-contrast and multilingual name stickers |
| Economic | Owners earn money; local print shop gets orders | Owners could lose their $65 start-up money | Make a budget before ordering a big batch |
| Environmental | Encourages reusable bottles instead of single-use plastic | Vinyl is plastic; plastic sleeves become waste | Switch to paper sleeves; order only what will sell |
| Ethical | Original student art, credited to the artist | Risk of copying famous characters | Sell original designs only; pay and credit artists |