There is a common misconception among businesses today that being ethical means limiting profits.  This doesn’t have to be the case, however, and at Comtek we have endeavoured to prove this assumption wrong.

All businesses are part of a wider network, part of their local community, the local and national economy, as well as having an impact on the environment.  It’s whether they recognise this responsibility and take ownership, that’s up for debate.

In my opinion, businesses should be an accountable part of their wider community, not only to be ethical, but also to be prosperous.

The case for community ethics

By taking an interest in your local business area you will no doubt improve conditions for businesses.  We have campaigned with other local Deeside businesses for better broadband and transport links; two infrastructure changes that would transform the working environment and attract many more businesses to the area. With more businesses, comes more expenditure, ultimately laying the groundwork for economic growth in the area.

An increase in the number of businesses also brings an increase in jobs. With more of the community in work, there is a further instalment of wealth that will generate even more economic growth.  What’s more, if your business takes an interest in educating its local workforce, you can limit any potential skills gap and ensure that the workforce available is as valuable as possible.

"Preserving these valuable resources doesn’t have to cost businesses more money"

There are many ways businesses can invest in their local workforce. From apprenticeship schemes which ensure the workforce is well trained and perfectly fitted to your business, to more tangible entrepreneurship programmes within the local community to stimulate new businesses and grow revenue streams into the community.

Comtek, for example, has a well-established apprenticeship scheme and many who began as apprentices are still engineers at the company. I also take a leading role in our local ‘Dragons’ Den’ style events, which have led to the start of many great new businesses.

In fact, the Welsh Government has since recognised how crucial new businesses are to guaranteeing the economic stability of an area like Deeside and, given my past as a young struggling entrepreneur, appointed me Entrepreneurship Champion to help push this along.

Environmental ethics that can’t be ignored

Let’s not forget having an ethical approach to the environment either. On a very basic level, we only have so many raw materials available and, as such, we need to get the most out of these. Think of Rare Earth Metals, for example, which are quickly being used up thanks to our insatiable demand for electronic goods. A situation that is only set to worsen once smart cities and the internet of things takes hold.

Preserving these valuable resources doesn’t have to cost businesses more money or leave them with an unreliable IT infrastructure. In fact, Comtek extends the life of these precious resources by repairing the telecoms equipment which contains them.

Cycling to work isn't the only way you can help the environment

Equipment we have repaired has lasted four times the manufacturer’s stated life span, proving that most telecoms equipment can remain operational, even if it’s been deemed ‘outdated’ by the manufacturer. By repairing this equipment, firms are not only saved the time and money of installing new equipment, but they are also ensuring scarce resources are used in the most ethical way possible.

The IT industry is riddled with overproduction and there is a staggering amount of perfectly usable equipment which has no support contracts in place from the existing manufacturer (at least for any reasonable price).  For some, the situation had threatened to be even worse, when manufacturers went into bankruptcy.

There are thousands of telecoms infrastructures in place with Nortel and Sorrento Networks equipment, for example, and until companies  stepped up to offer a repair and support contract, customers could have been facing the prospect of tearing down an entire network infrastructure due to one faulty, irreplaceable part.

Indeed, in 2014, we acquired telecoms manufacturer, Sorrento Networks’ trademarks and IPR, to continue the manufacture and support of Sorento's trusted and reliable networking equipment.

Comtek began with one person, me, all alone in my garden shed, repairing simple IT equipment. During the last twenty years it has grown beyond all recognition. We have a strong foothold in the European market, with multiple offices and, with the acquisition of Sorrento Networks IPR and trademarks, we’re now establishing a solid US base in Silicon Valley too.

I’m proud to say that we have not only remained ethical throughout the growth, but this has actually positively contributed to our success.

We have a flourishing business community in Deeside, North Wales which positively impacts the wider national economy, and the amount of equipment we’ve saved from the landfill will now amount to thousands of tons; in a nutshell, that proves why an ethical business makes such good business sense.