"Business" Is Not a Dirty Word

If you read newspapers or blogs lately, it feels that corporate culture is deeply connected to excess and fraud. This is in part due to the financial meltdown, schemes such as Madoff's fund, etc. And because we are in such a dire situation, it's particularly important to realize that, despite it all, business isn't a dirty word.

The essence of a company is to provide a service, something useful to people.
In my search for career paths, business was almost immediately crossed off from the list of possibilities because I naively imagined you have to be motivated by money in order to succeed. And yet, the more I look around, the business world holds the promise of engineering & bringing a useful product to people, impacting culture, and ultimately changing the world for the better. This is the aspect I find most appealing and, ultimately, it's the puzzle piece that gives meaning to a career in the corporate world.

Even if you are a non-profit/gov't entity, you still need business savvy.
I've seen many non-profits fail because they didn't use money efficiently and refused to understand some very basic business ideas. If you're interested in looking at facts, I highly recommend looking at the Charity Navigator and searching for your preferred charity/non-profit organization. I love the details they offer: from overall efficiency, to salary of CEOs, and administrative expenses. Be smart with your money and demand that the charity you support is equally smart. For example, based on these numbers, I don't think the American Cancer Society is doing so well...

The new economy is based on reputation, integrity, and real benefit to your consumer base.
Although "good guys finish last" has probably been true for ages, today's reality is starting to change. The increased transparency and social responsibility to which companies are subjected to requires a different approach. Since peer opinions are valued higher than marketing talk, it will be hard to get ahead if the general population doesn't like your brand/your business. This is no longer only the lone game of PR and marketing lions.

Somewhat related: Check out Friedman's view of the US economic situation and his call for rebooting America.