Overview Our Mission Our Programs Our Community FAQ

Project EBO (Ethical Business Owner)

Project EBO (Ethical Business Owner): The new symbol of ethics and etiquette for entrepreneurs committed to growing triple bottom line businesses.

Triple bottom line business: One that makes business decisions by taking into consideration the impact they may have on the community, the planet as well as their own profitability.

As part of our commitment to the triple bottom line and integrity in business, we have created Project EBO. EBO stands for Ethical Business Owner, and all Hatch Network participants are required to complete the short quiz to become EBO Certified.

By passing the quiz and agreeing to a simple set of rules, our students, Mentors and Boosters show their willingness to work toward the Hatch Network mission of certifying as many business owners as possible in the effort to rebuild the American economy on trust and integrity. Once certified, you may use the EBO Certified badge on your website or printed materials to show customers and vendors that you are a trustworthy partner.

Read the EBO Promise (click to expand)

EBO certified business owners value transparency, integrity, authenticity, and humility. The EBO promise applies to all aspects of business including customers, employees, financials, leadership, marketing, pricing, products, services and vendor relations.

Communication

I will represent myself honestly in all oral and written transactions.
I will not falsify my credentials or level of experience.
I will disclose any known obstacles to a business arrangement to my potential partner, client or employee prior to their making a decision.

Behavior

I will honor my payment agreements.
I will never sell, distribute or trade confidential information (contact, financial, business, or personal) to any parties outside of my own business.
I will not speculate or comment on other person’s business or financial situation with the intent of tarnishing their reputation.
I will not participate in any business dealings where others misrepresent themselves.
I will reject negativity, not make excuses and will own up to my mistakes.
I will only use corporate finances for legitimate business reasons.
I will provide top quality products and services for all clients.

People

I will not take advantage of other people’s time, money or resources.
I will listen, respect and honor the feedback of my clients, employees and vendors.
I will honor my family and personal relationships in addition to my business relationships.
I will create a healthy work environment for all of my employees, not requiring them to sacrifice their personal time without compensation.
I will take time to balance my stress levels so they do not have a negative impact on my business.
I will not discriminate based on race, sex, relationship or social status, religion, or appearance.
I will work with fair trade businesses.
I will look for ways to incorporate a non-profit organization.

Planet

I will always reduce, reuse and recycle.
I will use recycled materials whenever possible. attempt to source the most ecologically sound materials as they apply to my business.
I will look for ways to help rebuild the planet through my business offerings.
I will source local when possible so as to cut down on the environmental impact caused by shipping.
I will use other businesses that also follow these planet rebuilding practices.

About the EBO Quiz (click to expand)

The EBO Certification Quiz is based on real-life situations many entrepreneurs have experienced over the course of their business.

The problem: Entrepreneurs are not given a rulebook when starting their own business. Yet, they have numerous opportunities to make reputation-damaging mistakes that can impede their success. Without a trusted source to check them they have nowhere to turn.

The solution: An interactive guide book, in the form of this quiz, will help demonstrate how to act in the best possible way to ensure stronger relationships and greater business success.

The quiz: In this multiple-choice quiz you will answer 15 questions. Some of the questions represent interactions that have legal ramifications, while the other questions focus on business etiquette. This quiz allows you to stop and think about how you would conduct yourself in an every day business situation.

We are not here to preach to you, we are here to say – hey, we’ve made mistakes, and every time we paused to remind ourselves that by following the Golden Rule (do unto others as you would have done unto you) the more conscious we became and we felt better about our business decisions.

Scoring

As in life, not all answers are black and white. We respect that there are shades of gray so each answer is awarded a possible 0-4 points. Of 15 questions, there are 60 points total.

Pass/Fail

Passing requires a score of 80% – if you do not pass, you will be allowed to take it again. If you do not pass again (and you are not trying to fail) contact the quiz creator: . You and she will have a sit down and talk it out.

Annual Re-certification

EBO certification occurs annually. This quiz will be updated regularly to reflect new trends in business. Re-certification ensures that everyone is on the same page with each passing year.

Your Experiences Matter To Us

If you have experienced a questionable ethical situation, and you’d like to submit it for possible inclusion in the next version of this quiz, we’d love to hear from you! Let us know

Did you spot an EBO Badge? Congratulations! You have found a conscientious business owner who has taken extra steps to show their commitment to providing the highest standards of interaction with you, the community and the planet.