A huge part of my coaching practice (and of my overall business philosophy) is the concept that small business sustainability—meaning you’re not just starting a business, you’re growing a business—comes from being mission-driven and metric-minded. Metrics give you direction, and the mission provides the fuel. I’m not so interested in what you do, I want to know why you do it. (And seriously, who really enjoys going to a networking event & answering that question 100 times?)
So let’s talk some more about mission. While every potential customer might be initially impressed by amazing products and smart marketing campaigns, savvy customers want to get behind brands that are doing something good in the world.
Check out these stats from a study by Nike comparing Generation X consumers to Generation Y—it’s kind of fascinating:
-61 percent of 13 to 25 year-olds feel personally responsible for making a difference in the world.
-81 percent have volunteered in the past year.
-69 percent of Gen Y consumers consider a company’s social and environmental commitment when deciding where to shop.
-83 percent will trust a company more if it is socially/environmentally responsible.
Not only is “mission” important to drive your business, it’s clearly important to drive your buyers. This is not to say that you need to make thousands of dollars in donations to non-profits or start the next Tom’s Shoes. But you do need to root your business in a mission & live it authentically every day. It could be as simple as partnering with a local charity for an event or simpler still be a mantra you spread every day through your marketing efforts & interactions with customers, or even within the products you create.
So I’m going to put a little challenge to you if you have yet to discover the mission that roots your indie business. Four questions. Journal it, ponder it, blog it, create from it. Just do it. Get those roots dug in & get growing.
1. Why do you do what you do?
2. How do you want your indie business to change the world (even a little bit)?
3. What are some big initiatives you can work on with your tribe to further this mission?
4. Now let’s simplify. Can you think of 3 uber-easy ways you can live, breathe, and
communicate this mission every day?
I’d love to hear your answer to #1 in the comments!
This is a timely post (and a great series of questions!).
I’ve recently tweaked the direction of my blog a bit to reflect my mission and to better attract my ideal clients. I did just the kind of “pondering” you suggest to get clear about this mission, and it made all the difference. Allowing myself the time and space to sit down for an hour or two and really brainstorm was one of the best possible ways I could have used my time. And now that I’m much clearer about my mission, everything — blog content, product creation, email campaign content and all the rest of it, is flowing much more smoothly! Oh yeah, in answer to #1, why I do what I do: I want to help creative small business owners share their gifts with the world. I realized that the people I love working with best are those that are brilliant at their craft or art or whatever it is they create — but just need some guidance with marketing themselves and their businesses, especially online, and I want to help them do that! : )