As companies and businesses actively try to gain more visibility with their actions of positive impact, the term CSR is a recurring one. Althoug a very broad subject touching a wide scope of areas, just scratching the surface of Corporate Social Responsibility is food for thought.

The development of Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR also known as corporate conscience or sustainable responsible business in businesses, corporations and organizations are put in effect to foster sustainable development in growth. Seeking to draw business and society closer together, the goal of these self-established, self-regulating actions integrated into a business model is for company actions to be followed through with responsibility at all stages while seeking positive impact on the different areas it could affect such as environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and others involved.

CSR within a corporation can be practiced several ways with the most common approach being corporate philanthropy including donations to nonprofits, community or global charities and/or to arts, education, health projects. Although an important part to CSR policy, corporate philanthropy is ideally not the only component to reaching the final goal of creating a positive impact in and out of the company.

When CSR is planned for on a broader scope approaching it as a creating shared value model, the influence on areas of value creation, risk management and corporate philanthropy in the hands of a skilled workforce can have noticeable, measurable effects in the company and society.

Within the company and with the right tools building a genuine culture of doing the right thing for the team and the clients all the while fomenting social awareness can prove to be powerful tools to setting yourself apart from your competition, creating a healthy workforce and obtaining true brand differentiation.

Networking consists in making yourself known to others, in person, to broaden your network of contacts usually at events or meet ups. Growing your network of contacts will ensure that in the future and in case it's needed, you can rely on someone to help you find a job, obtain financing for a project or specific help of some kind.

Entrepreneurs and freelancers need not fight for the only plug in sight at the local café anymore - a new kind of workplace is here and in the form of a bonding global movement.

Do you want to win a free ticket to Barcelona's biggest event on how to find investment and grow a business?

In this guest blog, BcnIn member Edward Hamilton of Green Bean Financial & Business Coaching services looks at business books and how to get the most out of them in Barcelona.

In our first editorial, dedicated to Dr. Pearson, the American engineer who transformed Barcelona's economy one hundred years ago, I concluded by saying: "BcnIn wants to help its members to identify good and profitable business opportunities".

But how can one find business opportunities through BcnIn? I will summarize some real stories and try to identify some potential factors.

Business networking: Peter, an English engineer has decided to live in Barcelona and came to meet us to contact a possible local partner and some local providers. After some meetings we helped him with preparing a business plan and now he is negotiating with some potential partners. Join us at our monthly Mixer & Networking breakfast at 8:30am on the last Thursday of every month and make valuable connections of your own!

BcnIn's fixer, 'Mr. Wolf': Nancy, an American dentist has had many problems getting her qualifications accepted in Spain. After guidance from our fixer she has made some contacts in public administration and she is now preparing an official application to get permission to work.

Recruitment: Daniela, an Italian marketing expert, recently moved from London and is looking for a job in Barcelona. BcnIn has identified different contacts for her to present her CV and negotiate a professional contract.

Investing in Barcelona: Denise, an expert in Chinese finance, is looking for Catalan companies with high grow potential that need investment. BcnIn has defined some Business Blind profiles to start identifying possible candidates.

And many others.......

Which are the common factors of these and other cases? Professional skills, difficulties with knowing how to move in Barcelona and the intermediation function of BcnIn.

Our provisional conclusion, to be developed during the coming months, is that BcnIn is the professional community within which to build new business opportunities in Barcelona. Its full development will depend only on our imagination and your initiative.

Miquel Barceló

President, BcnIn

BcnIn has been featured in a two-page special report in La Vanguardia newspaper about Barcelona's international business community. 

Taka a look inside this year's Mobile World Congress with top journalist Rupert Cocke in this exclusive BcnIn report.

This guest blog by Graham Hunt examines current problems with employment and entrepreneurialism in Spain and looks at some ideas to address them.

Networking in Barcelona used to be a straightforward affair. If you were a local you forged business relationships with people you knew or with people who knew people you knew: old schoolmates, neighbours, friends or acquaintances from the tennis club.