Helping socially conscious shoppers in Australia

In 2021, Nandeeta Maharaj founded Goods 4 Good with a mission to empower consumers to drive positive change through their purchases. Built on the belief that commerce can catalyse social impact, the platform now features over 60 Social Enterprises offering hundreds of impact-driven products.

Nandeeta is striving towards Goods 4 Good becoming a hub for socially conscious shoppers in Australia, providing access to products that contribute to environmental sustainability, poverty alleviation, mental health support, and animal welfare. Her vision is to make Goods 4 Good the go-to marketplace for Social Enterprise products, creating a lasting impact on people and the planet.

Nandeeta’s entrepreneurial journey is fueled by her unwavering commitment to ethical business practices and her dream of a world where every purchase has the power to make a difference. Read on for our interview with Nandeeta!

Describe your career trajectory and how you got to your current position?

I have had a rewarding 20-year marketing career, working with corporates in New Zealand and Australia. Yet, throughout my journey, I often felt a gap—a sense that something was missing. The constant barrage of news highlighting global challenges left me searching for ways to align my professional life with making a meaningful impact.

That clarity came when I discovered the social enterprise business model. It felt like the answer to my questions about earning a living while creating positive change. I was fortunate to secure a role as CSR Marketing Manager for a restaurant chain with a “Buy One, Give One” model. This experience changed the trajectory of my career as a marketing professional, showing me firsthand how a determined social enterprise could make a lasting difference in the world.

When that role ended, I found myself wanting to continue supporting social enterprises as a consumer. However, with over 12,000 social enterprises in Australia, each operating independently, finding and purchasing from them required extensive research—and often came with multiple shipping costs.

That’s when the idea for Goods 4 Good was born. I wanted to simplify the process for people like me, who wanted to shop consciously without the hassle. Today, Goods 4 Good is a platform that curates and sells products exclusively from Australian social enterprises. I do the legwork so my customers don’t have to, connecting them to hundreds of products that create a positive impact.

At its heart, Goods 4 Good is about helping the helpers—those using their businesses to tackle some of today’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. It’s my way of contributing to a movement that proves business can indeed be a force for good.

Take us through a typical day of work for you.

I balance Goods 4 Good with being a full time mum which provides me with the unique opportunity to have a business such as Goods 4 Good. The typical day starts with packing any orders for the day ready for pick up that happens after 8am. We have a beautiful girl Coco, a Maltese Shin Tzu, who features heavily in Goods 4 Good social media! Once she is fed, I get on to driving my children and husband wherever they need to be dropped off. I have a lovely walking track near my home and try to get a walk in with Coco, followed by catching up with any housework, emails, meetings, looking for more Social Enterprise products, uploading new products and maintaining the website. And before I know it, it is time to organise dinner for the family.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve encountered in your career, and how did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge in my three years as the founder of Goods 4 Good has been navigating the steep learning curve of running a bootstrapped business while realising that not everyone is familiar with the social enterprise model. I initially assumed that most people understood the concept, given the popularity of brands like Thank You and Who Gives a Crap in Australia. However, I quickly learned this was not the case, which was frustrating at first.

To overcome this, I’ve adjusted my expectations and embraced the journey of growing at the same pace as awareness around social enterprises expands. Organisations like Social Enterprise Australia and other peak bodies are doing incredible work in educating the public about the sector, and I’ve leaned into their resources and networks.

By immersing myself in their efforts and continuously learning, I’ve positioned Goods 4 Good to be part of this unfolding story. Instead of seeing the lack of awareness as a barrier, I now view it as an opportunity to contribute to a broader movement, helping more people understand how their purchases can create meaningful impact.

If you could go back in time, what piece of advice would you give yourself as you first embarked on your career?

I think it is important to do well before you can do good. Focus on your chosen career, build yourself a solid foundation, build your network and knowledge. I feel very grateful that I finally landed on a path that brings me great joy! And everything I have learnt on the way has helped me get here.

How do you unwind after work?