Social Business: Clarify your Idea - From Vague to Focused and Actionable

I was recently working with someone on this issue. It is common among numerous entrepreneurial thinkers. They have big and great idea. However, in their head it was too great and too overwhelming. Clarity is needed in your social entrepreneurship pursuit, or any business idea. Make it simple. Otherwise it will be too big and too hazy and you won't be able to make it actionable.

Now grab a notebook and pen, computer, or iPad, and get ready to work through these points. Make sure to write it out. This is very important. If you do not write it out it will keep on wedged in your head spinning around the same un-actionable cycles over and over.


Here are two frameworks to help you clarify your idea:

   
1. Hedgehog Concept (from Jim Collins Good to Great)
   
2. Tony Robbins OPA

Hedgehog Concept:

What are you most passionate about in the world? (What social issue are you trying to solve?) Do not limit it to your social business idea. Just list all things out that that you are considering. This is a key portion for a social entrepreneur, what social aspects are you most passionate about solving? What makes you most angry when you hear about it?
List them out.

Now rate them. What are your top two? Once you do this it will give you more clarity into what the social business should really be focusing on.

What are you best at in the world? Or another way to say it, what do you love working on most  in the globe? This will shape the way the social business is run. It may even adjust the overall direction of the your business idea. Are you best at speaking, networking, writing, selling, talking, connecting with people, administration?

What drives your economic engine? (Or if you are a non-profit, in his book Good to Great in the Social Sector, Collins says this circle can be changed to - How can we develop a sustainable resource engine to deliver superior performance relative to our mission). What is your business model? How are you going to make money from this social business. you've clarified the one biggest passion or social dilemma you want to take care of. You have shown out what you are best at in the world (how you are going to personally solve the social problem). And additionally, how you can make money, in the best way, through your socially impacting idea.

In some cases there are aspects of our ideas that we hold incredibly tightly to for no reason.
Which items in your social enterprise idea are non-negotiables? What unquestionably makes the business? What really HAS to be there?

If you believe it really is important then WHY? Does it line up with what you are most passionate about, what your best at, or your business model? If not, then maybe it shouldn't be there.

OPA Model - Tony Robbins

Now that you've done that you should have quite a bit more clarity already. Nevertheless let's take it one step further. By the end of this, hopefully you would have a specific set of action items to take away and do.

OPA - Outcome / Result, Purpose, Actions

Outcome: Write out the final outcome. Try to be very specific. Do not just say, I want to help feed orphans. Say:

I am going to clothe orphans globally; commencing with india. I will do this through selling my own distinct designed t-shirts and donating one shirt for everyone purchased. These shirts will be sold in boutique clothing retailers starting in Georgia, and broadening from there.

This is merely a quick example off the top of my head. It should overlap what you came up with in the Hedgehog principle above.

Purpose: List out 10-15 reasons WHY you are doing this.

Actions: Brainstorm as many action items you can think of that you need to do. From the biggest to the smallest. Many of them will be big projects in themselves with their own set of action items. For example, you might have:

   
• Call John to see about the price of buying product x from him.
   
• Create a business plan
   
• Create a website
   
• Start blogging regularly
   
• Meet with x about possible partnership

Clearly calling John is a one step process. However, writing a business plan is a substantial project within itself. Likewise, developing a website is a venture with a number of action items to finish. Don’t worry about this for now. Later on, after you have completed this entire exercise. You should go through each of these, pick out the projects and do another OPA framework for that.

Rate each item on its importance.

Go through each item, pick out the bigger projects and create another OPA for it.

There you have it. Hopefully you've clarified your business idea; boiled it down to one area to focus on. You should also have a clear set of action items ordered in priority to get you going.

Write out the outcome and purpose on your computer, possibly add some relevant uplifting pictures and quotes, and hang it on the wall to look at everyday. This is very important. There'll be days when you don't want to do it, when you don't want to get out of bed, and do not want to write that next article. Days when you don't want to make that next sales call, or book that next meeting. Look at it, let it re-encourage you!


Download your FREE eBook on social business to learn how to change the world through business - Click Here

Why social entrepreneurs can be the most successful people the world has ever seen

I have frequented training courses, have been learning and studying, and spoken to numerous successful people. Most, if not all, point to one of the same variables in their high accomplishment: Purpose. The reason behind what you do. If you do not have it you probably won't succeed; but if you do, the skies the limit. In this article I want to explain why social entrepreneurs who are working to build social businesses should be the most successful in the globe.

Gary Keller, founder of Keller Williams Realty, says it perfectly:

" ... A Big Why brings big focus and big energy, and a little why brings little focus and little energy. HIGH ACHIEVERS ALWAYS HAVE A BIG WHY" (p. 73).

The superb book, E-Myth, by small business guru Michael Gerber says it like this,

"Your Primary Aim is your innermost driving force. It gives you a sense of direction and purpose. It motivates you to your highest levels of energy, and puts you at your best" (Chpt. 12).


With that said ...

Don't social entrepreneurs have the primary target of all? Don't they have the most  worthy motivation behind what they are doing? Then doesn't it stand to reason that social entrepreneurs, as they are giving their lives to solve the world's complications, should be the most enthusiastic, avaricious, energetic, devoted and efficient people on the face of the globe?

One lesson I learned early in my social entrepreneurship activities was that money is not a good inducement. Since establishing my firm Ethic Travel, which focuses on using a percentage of our profits to help construct homes for those in need, and now launching Impact Through Business, I have NEVER had this much liveliness and obsession. I'm up at 4:30 a.m most mornings, and work till late into the evening many nights; all to do it again the next day. And what's more, I am thoroughly loving it. I can see the repercussions that our business can have on individuals lives. I put a picture of a boy in atrocious poverty up on my wall. When I do get down or feeling lethargic, as we all do at times, I take a long look and let it refocus my purpose. It's an utter impossibility to stare at this, let it sink it, and not have burst of motivation surge through me. This is what I am working for in Ethic Travel. To see quality homes built for people like this, to give them a healthy stable environment so that, in turn, they can begin to build their lives.


What moves you?

If you want to arrive at your potential think about the big picture. What do you want your life to be about? What do you want the history of your life to be? I truly believe that pursuing social entrepreneurship should be the most triumphant in the world; they have the biggest why.

Not only will a big why propel you to success, it will sustain you once you get there. If all you are pursuing is money alone, you will be sadly saddened and unfulfilled once you get some. True success is being fulfilled, and that cannot come by pursuing money alone.

Move forward in your journey to true fulfilment and utter success download your FREE e book, Changing the World Through Business: the what and why of social entrepreneurship. - Click Here

Is your chocolate someone's chains? - Two steps you can take to be the change

Let’s just start out by saying, I am absolutely in love with chocolate. It is not as much a love as coffee, but put them together and I am transported into another realm. Out of this worlds day to day grind and into a moment of ecstasy. It’s like heaven. A dreamy smooth piece of chocolate followed by the espresso’s contrasting yet complimentary flavor, mmm.
All that to say I am utterly shocked at what I have just learned. Until I heard about this I really had no idea what went on behind the scenes of my silky smooth chocolate treats. Over a third of the world’s cocoa comes from Cote D’Ivoire, West Africa where cocoa production uses child and forced labour (The Department of Labour 2009). In a investigation, “the BBC found evidence of human trafficking and child slave labour.” (BBC Panorama) Kids are literally being taken prisoner, not paid, and forced to work long cruel hours farming the delicious chocolate we enjoy.

There has been some legislation in the past trying to make its way in to put labels on chocolate saying ‘made slave free’, this has come to a halt with no real progress. I think legislation is a part of all of this. However, I think the most powerful force to stop these injustices is if all the consumers stopped demanding normal products, and only demand fair trade or traffic free chocolate, along with other products that cause injustice. The market is completely driven by supply and demand. Companies can only sell their product to the extent that it is demanded. Therefore, if we as consumers began demanding fair trade products businesses, in order to keep selling, would have to adapt to what the market market demand.

Steps you can personally take to stop this:

1. First of all, start buying fair-trade (www.fairtrade.co.uk) and www.transfairusa.org. I will definitely be looking for these symbols whenever I buy chocolate from now on. Though not a perfect system, fairtrade is a great step in the right direction. I literally will not be buying chocolate unless it’s marked fairtrade.

*I will post a follow up blog in the next few weeks with the best places and best chocolate to buy.


2. Learn More about it:
BBC did an entire documentary on this topic. It is incredibly informative.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_8583000/8583499.stm


Thanks for taking the time to read this blog,

Justin
See how our company is doing out part to make a difference. - Our Cause

Photos:
Macro Photography - Cadbury Dark Chocolate

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License.http://www.ethictravel.com

Social entrepreneurs can rise to the top - The Entrepreneurial X-Factor - E-Myth Worldwide

This is an amazing article that I hope will ignite passion into any potential social entrepreneurs out there. I truly believe that social businesses could be the most successful enterprises in the world. A large part of success is keeping motivated and passionate. There is no better way to do that than to have a purpose. The business or organization is simply the means to accomplish an end. Read this. Get inspired. Think big. Create a vision. Do this in a creative way thinking how you can make an impact in society through it all! Not only that, do this and you will find yourself more fulfilled personally than you could have ever imagined.

Click the link below to read this great article from E-Myth.

The Entrepreneurial X-Factor - E-Myth Worldwide

Welcome video blog: A blog focused on businesses making a difference

Welcome to the Ethic ! Business blog. This isn't a place for me to spew my thoughts, but instead I hope it becomes a place where people gather, read, comment, and connect with other social businesses and people passionate about making a difference. A place where we as consumers can learn how, why, and where we can buy socially impact-ful products and services.

Calling all entrepreneurs, world changers, and history makers

“Potential entrepreneurs are outsiders. They are people who imagine things as they might be, not as they are, and have the drive to change the world around them.” - Anita Rodick

Entrepreneurs have always been innovators, changers, and an influential force throughout history. From them have come a vast array of life changing inventions and ideas, some turn into reality while some stay ideas! We have reached a day and age where a generation of social entrepreneurs need to rise up. Now more than ever, as the world is becoming globalized we have a responsibility. In the recent years many injustices have been brought into the open; human trafficking, child soldiers, poverty, AIDS, extreme poverty, and that’s just to name a small few. 

What if an incredible generation of social entrepreneurs would rise up passionately pursuing solutions to todays social problems? What if potential entrepreneurs realized that it really isn’t money that satisfies the souls longing, but instead giving and helping others fills it. What if every business and consumer began purchasing on ethical grounds! What if throughout our lifetime we could use what we have to truly make a difference in someone's life? If you are going to spend your life doing something, spend it helping others and you will be amazing at how fulfilled you will be. It’s a new age of doing well, by doing good.

 

Videos that wrecked me for good and moved me to action #1

Over the next few months I am going to post some of the videos that have absolutely wrecked me for good after watching them. Videos that shifted something inside of me. There is no doubt about it, there are some major injustices in the world. It can seem overwhelming, but the fact is if we work together great things can happen. These experiences and videos are all a part of why my wife and I decided to go into social business. Coming up with a crazy idea that by offering vacation rentals that build homes for the poor we could build a sustainable business that has a lasting impact.
         I can imagine many thousands of other social businesses rising up creating a new capitalism that brings homes to the homeless, clothes to the naked, food to the hungry. Entrepreneurs are by definition problem solvers. It is a fact that the worlds biggest problem is injustice. I am believing for a generation of social entrepreneurs to rise up and solve these problems!

This first video is a clip of a documentary that I watched a few years ago about the devastation in Uganda called Invisible Children. There are children that have been abducted and forced into being in a militia that goes around killing thousands of innocent people. The clip you are seeing is of children commuting into the city center every night to sleep because they are afraid that if they stay in their homes for fear of being taken in the middle of the night by the rebel army. 

I know it is not fun or exciting viewing. But I hope you let it wreck you for good and move you to action. I believe someone watching this to burst forth with innovative and creative sustainable ideas. Though I highly beleive in creating social businesses giving to charity is also something very important. The organization who created this is doing excellent work in Uganda. Check out what they are doing- http://www.invisiblechildren.com. You can also go to You Tube and watch the full documentary. They have it broken up into 6 or 7 parts, just type in - Invisible Children Pt 1.

If this moves you spread the word. Change starts in our lives and gives us a BIG WHY to doing what we do. Spread this video and blog to more people so they may get inspired, creative, and passionate!