Despite this, there is still much we can do that can have a hugely positive impact on others.

This is about choosing to make a conscious contribution. Our conscious contribution is what will ensure we don’t lose the charitable, caring and supporting community that our society needs in order to function healthily and successfully – even, and especially, in times of struggle.

As individuals and businesses, we have astonishing power. But we can often forget this.

It can be easy to focus on our own problems and get bogged down in the worry of anticipated hardship in our own lives. This can lead us to forget that we are part of a wider community of people.

On the other hand, sometimes the enormity of a problem can make us feel that there is nothing we can do as an individual or small enterprise that will help. So, we do nothing. But doing nothing also has an impact.

Conscious contribution is when we decide as individuals in business to do something bigger to help others. We lift our heads up from our own situation to see how we can use our business for good.

What we need to understand as we head into even more uncertain times is that business is not just about the bottom line.

We need to prioritise different things – our community and the people who live in it.

Being motivated purely by the financials just won’t cut it anymore.

When we stop focusing on protecting our own interests at all costs everything changes. We look outside of our business, connect with others, understand their trials and tribulations, and do acts of kindness to help. We start thinking bigger. We need to ask - How could my business help others?

I’ve recently experienced conscious contribution firsthand. I wrote my first novel during the pandemic when reports of domestic violence and abuse were skyrocketing. The story itself begins in 1960s Britain and deals with the “taboo” subject of abuse that is very rarely openly discussed.

While I was writing it, I met with Fisher King Publishing who generously agreed to publish it.

Domestic abuse is a serious issue in our society. It comes in many forms and affects one in three women and one in nine men directly and many more indirectly. I’ve been shocked to discover how prevalent it still is and how many people it effects because I’d never heard it being spoken about before until people started sharing their experiences with me after reading the book.

And that’s the point. Nobody talks about it.

I made a conscious decision to think bigger. How could my novel help others? I met with the Yorkshire based charity IDAS (Independent Domestic Abuse Services). We chatted. This led to us planning a conference called “Let’s Talk Domestic Abuse”. The objective is to encourage us to talk about domestic abuse and reduce the stigma that can be a barrier to people seeking support. Profits from the event will go to IDAS.

We must stop thinking that the world’s problems are so big that we can’t do anything except hunker down in survival mode. We are all capable of making a conscious contribution. This could be consciously investing, buying, donating, educating, helping, volunteering or just being kind.

You may think your contribution is small or trivial, but it will have a massive impact on someone. If we all did it, the ripple effect could be truly astounding.

The power of conscious contribution is needed more than ever right now, at whatever level.

Ros Jones is a Yorkshire-based business wellbeing and leadership trainer and author

Why businesses need the power of ‘conscious contribution’ more than ever - Ros Jones