Do The Right Thing An investigation of the new athnically enlightened age when self-interest and public interest go hand in hand

Because we believe the subject matter is so important,Entrepreneur Media is running the following article, examining thequestion of ethics for small business, in three of ourpublications: Entrepreneur's HomeOffice, Entrepreneurand Business Start-Ups.

Charlie Wilson is trying to run an ethical business. He'smade social responsibility part of the mission statement at his$1.6 million Houston-based salvage company, SeaRail InternationalInc. And he's made "self-actualization"--notwealth--his ultimate goal as an entrepreneur.

But don't mistake Wilson for some born-again hippie ormoralistic stick-in-the-mud. For him, it's all about success."Ethics is what's spearheading our growth," saysWilson. "It creates an element of trust, familiarity andpredictability in the business. We're in an industry where alot of people cut corners. It's easy to misrepresent productsand be less than upfront with customers about the condition ofgoods. I just don't think that's good for business. Youdon't get a good reputation doing things that way. Andeventually, customers won't want to do business withyou."