Make a Difference with a Business that Matters

In today’s dynamic and interconnected world, the notion of starting a business extends far beyond mere profitability. Establishing a business that matters encapsulates a profound ethos of creating value, not just for oneself but for society at large.

Such enterprises are driven by a vision to address pressing challenges, improve lives, and contribute meaningfully to the greater good. Crafting a coaching business that matters is about aligning passion with purpose, fostering innovation, and embodying a commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. It’s an opportunity to make a tangible difference while forging a legacy that transcends traditional notions of success.

As a coach with a coaching business, you have probably considered the transformative impact of cultivating a business that not only thrives but also leaves a lasting, positive imprint on the world.

The best way to build a business that matters is to plan it. Here’s how:

Start with the end in mind—and by ‘end’, I don’t just mean “Where you want to end up, five years from now”. I mean more like, “What you want members of your community to say, think, and feel about you, years from now”.

To determine this, ask yourself what one major takeaway you want to leave them with, one significant skill or goal you want to help them achieve.

Ask yourself: ?“What will the world miss when your business no longer exists?”

One of the best ways to make sure that your business truly matters is to spend time with your community. Hang out there. Listen, using those great listening skills we just talked about. Visit daily. Take part in the conversations. Initiate conversations. Respond.

In other words, be there.

Really there.

Think about your community members. What are their real needs? Their deepest needs? Are these needs that they express…or have you figured out what it is they aren’t saying (perhaps because they don’t know themselves.)

This only happens when you live and breathe your community…when you care about them and think about their problems and goals.

Businesses that achieve this goal operate out of conviction. They live their core values, value their clients and members, and have a plan to make the world a better place.

Ask yourself what your community needs. Know that the really important discoveries—the ones that fast-track companies from relative obscurity to seven-figure incomes—are the solutions coaches come up with? that their community members don’t even realize are a problem. (That’s how giants like Amazon and Facebook got started—and became runaway successes!)

Like Amazon and Facebook did, look for that extra tweak your people need. For example, Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin created the Google search engine. It wasn’t the only search engine—but it was the only search engine that examined the relevancy of links as well as keywords.

One thing you might notice about companies that go supernova in reach and income: They’re often started by Ph.D. students. Why? One reason could be because top university students are actively taught critical thinking.

Here’s how Google defines critical thinking: “A way of thinking in which you don’t simply accept all arguments and conclusions you are exposed to, but rather have an attitude involving questioning such arguments and conclusions.”

Ask the questions that perhaps no one has thought of. And ask them on behalf of your community, with your community members firmly in mind.

Do that, and you’ve taken your first leap toward creating a business that matters—to you and to your community.

You also want to plan for longevity. You don’t want a business that you grow bored with in a year, ?probably because you have a business model that is based on the wrong thing. For example, you start up a business, totally excited. You grow bored in six months… and you realize that what you cared about was not that specific business—what you really enjoyed was the process of brainstorming business ideas and planning start-ups.

Whoops. You just got yourself in the wrong business!

All this can be eliminated if you take the time, right from the planning stage, first to identify and then follow your true passion. When you think you’ve hit on a viable business model—one that has a paying market—take it those extra steps further that leaders allow for. Ask yourself, “What is it about this particular business idea that really excites me? Will it sustain me in the long run? Will it excite and help my community members for years down the line?”

But you don’t have to go to University to learn the most effective ways to practice critical thinking. There are easier paths, such as taking a critical thinking course online at Lynda.com .

https://www.lynda.com/Business-Skills-tutorials/Critical-Thinking/424116-2.html

So, dig deep. Take your time in the planning stage. Make sure it’s an idea you are passionate about: One you want to spend your life with…with a community that you really care about helping.

In conclusion, embarking on the journey of building a business that matters is a transformative pursuit that goes beyond financial gain. It is about embracing a sense of purpose, leveraging creativity, and embracing the power of entrepreneurship to effect positive change.

By championing meaningful endeavors, entrepreneurs can inspire others, catalyze innovation, and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future.

Whether it’s addressing environmental challenges, advocating for social justice, or pioneering new technologies for the betterment of humanity, a business that matters serves as a beacon of hope and progress in an ever-evolving landscape.

As you embark on your entrepreneurial path, consider the profound impact your business can have and the legacy you can leave behind by focusing on what truly matters.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jeannette Koczela, a certified Entrepreneur and Business Coach, is the Founder/ President of the International Association of Professional Life Coaches?, an online life coach directory and professional organization supporting life coaches with monthly marketing training and online promotion. She helps new life coaches save hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars, by providing curated business training for starting and running a profitable coaching business, for just $47 a month. Find out more at: https://iaplifecoaches.org/membership

Download the free "Coaching Business Blueprint: The 7 Essential Components To Create a Profitable Coaching Business", and get weekly tips, strategies, and guidance on how to create a thriving coaching business, at https://iaplifecoaches.org/blueprint

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