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INSIGHTS2 MIN READ

Am I being unethical?

Avecita

Published on January 21, 2018

Published on Wealthy Affiliate — a platform for building real online businesses with modern training and AI.

Hi All, this might seem like a strange question, but ethics are really important to me:

I am wanting to only promote products from some very specific kinds of businesses, because of their ethos. In some cases I want to promote businesses that have a greater social mission, where their actual business model is based on it, some are traditional businesses who are just really vocal about how much they care about things, (and I love them so I want to support them) and others I think, are social enterprises. Some of them have affiliate programs,and some of them don't but in many cases for those that don't have their own affiliate programs, I have found their products are sold wholesale to other people who DO have affiliate links for their own sites. (So they'd happily sell them to me to sell on IF I could carry inventory, which I can't). Do you think it's at all unethical to try to get income from promoting ethical companies, where I am circumventing their lack of affiliate program? I was kinda hoping eventually I can show them sales figures enough to persuade them it's worth it for them to create one.

Also, should I just do this in order to generate money for them and for other causes I care about, or is it okay for me to make decent cash for myself? I mean, If I made mega bucks I would regularly donate a portion to charities myself, but if I don't make much, then it would just be income for me. I know we are supposed to be business-focused, (and I have other ideas so I'm okay) but does anyone find any of this even slightly unethical in any way?

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