I think that the purpose of a business should primarily be to help people and do good, and secondarily charge only what they reasonably need to ensure their continued operation in the long term. (I guess that is "make what people want" and "create wealth" in pglese.)
Conversely, it seems to me currently that businesses are here primarily to make money, and then secondarily help people and do good only up to the extent that reasonably ensures their right to continue charging -- often more and more -- money.
Note: I don't mean the business owner shouldn't prosper nor should pay as low salaries as he can. Quite to the contrary, actually. But making money is the wrong baseline reason to run a business. If people, including the business owner, can afford to not have everything, to not rip as much as to themselves that they possibly can, there will be plenty for everyone.
If the business is just to make money, it doesn't give out more to the community than merely what it takes back from them. The business will run in an endless fear of not making enough money and not having enough, and that will inevitably govern all its activities. That is missing the creation part of creating wealth.
Conversely, it seems to me currently that businesses are here primarily to make money
A corporation is a machine for making money. The corporation doesn't "own" the money - the owners of the company do. Similarly the corporation doesn't "want" to do anything with the money - the owners (who may also be the employees) of the company have wants, as they're not machines, they're people!
Unix philosophy says "a tool should do one thing well". Well a corporation is a tool that takes raw materials on STDIN and emits money on STDOUT and you pipe that to whatever you want, be that a roof over your own head, or vaccinating the entire population of a third world country.
Conversely, it seems to me currently that businesses are here primarily to make money, and then secondarily help people and do good only up to the extent that reasonably ensures their right to continue charging -- often more and more -- money.
Note: I don't mean the business owner shouldn't prosper nor should pay as low salaries as he can. Quite to the contrary, actually. But making money is the wrong baseline reason to run a business. If people, including the business owner, can afford to not have everything, to not rip as much as to themselves that they possibly can, there will be plenty for everyone.
If the business is just to make money, it doesn't give out more to the community than merely what it takes back from them. The business will run in an endless fear of not making enough money and not having enough, and that will inevitably govern all its activities. That is missing the creation part of creating wealth.