If you’re the owner of a small business online, it’s noteworthy that a Who’s Who of big tech companies just came out in support of gay rights.
This includes Amazon, Apple, eBay, Google, Microsoft…and many others.
Literally hundreds of pro-gay rights companies signed onto an amicus curiae (friend-of-the-court) legal brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to rule in favor of gay rights.
Some of these companies are headed by gays and lesbians. Many are not but have homosexual employees.
Yet if the same companies had signed a legal brief against gay rights, they would still be exposing their weakness.
What is this Achilles’ Heel?
They’ve lost sight of what made their companies great in the first place: creating products and services that clients will buy.
For example, here’s how Amazon describes itself in the amicus brief:
Amazon.com, Inc., based in Seattle, Washington, is one of the world’s largest and best known online retailers. Amazon seeks to be the Earth’s most client-centric company, where clients can discover anything they might want to buy online at the lowest possible prices.
Really? As an Internet lawyer, business owner, and client, I love Amazon. But how the heck does spending money to support (or oppose) gay rights or any other cause help Amazon accomplish its stated business goals?
Maybe you share the same beliefs about sexual orientation endorsed by these companies. Or not. Whether you support gay rights is irrelevant to building your online business (unless your target market is LGBT).
Let the big tech companies spend their time, effort, and money supporting causes.
Invest your resources growing your business, exploiting markets they’re missing. One day, your business may have the luxury of spending resources to save marijuana-smoking owls, legalize polygamy, or rent a politician or two.
Today, focus on growing your Internet business by delivering value to your clients and yourself as an equity owner.