What’s the REAL reason you started your business?
Some may look at small business owners and just see capitalists or a renegades who don’t want to work for someone else.
But when you come to know small business owners (SBOs) like I have through coaching and training, you see that almost without exception, they all want to make a difference in the world. They want to influence the future in some way.
All you have to do to understand the truth in this is to look at the development of industries like technology, from typewriters to smart phones, how we work and live has changed because of them. The influence of industries are not just felt in products, but in services as well. Services that free up our time or accomplish tasks for seniors include lawn care, laundry, home cleaning and even dog grooming. With the aging of the U.S. population I think we are going to see more home health care and home aids popping up.
And the reason for those businesses often comes down to helping people make a better life. SBOs want to have a positive influence on the world. According to Mark Sanborn, author of The Fred Factor, there are three Difference-Making Strategies that SBOs can use to do just that:
Strategy 1: Identify when you’ll make a difference. According to Sanborn, the answer is all the time. That might seem like a lot, but when the desire is authentic and part of the SBO’s persona, it is never an oppressive duty destined to make the SBO fail.
Strategy 2: Target the people on whom you’ll make a difference. It is impossible to go the extra mile for every single person you encounter. Sanborn suggests that you first target those people who are most important to you. Bear in mind that your circle of influence intersects with the circles of others so, hopefully, every person will be important to someone even if they don’t fall in your primary circles of influence.
So who might this be?
- Family,
- Customers,
- Boss,
- Teammates, and
- Friends and (some) strangers
Take the actions that will have a positive influence on these people. Grow relationships, teams and even encourage personal growth in those you touch with transformational interactions.
Strategy 3: Be the Difference. We have to take the time to figure out how to personify the change we want to see through our influence and live it. We need to change ordinary interactions into extraordinary and meaningful moments.
Sanborn says, (and I can’t put it better)
“Once we know the difference we can make, our challenge is to be the difference maker. True difference making can’t be delegated. It’s up to us to take action.”
SBOs are a special breed that have passion for what they do and why they do it. We don’t have to get all mushy about it, we should all take the time, however, to appreciate it and support each other in it.
To Your Success!
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