How can small businesses change the world without being evil?

If you want to change the world, here are three big reasons why starting your own small business is a great way to do it.

1. Following your heart keeps your heart healthy and happy.

Summer Lovin' by Caro Wallis

If you spend your weekdays at a job that’s somewhere between “meh” and horrible, that’s not nourishing your soul. How much passion will you have left for changing the world on nights and weekends? How much more passion would you have if you were doing entirely soul-nourishing work instead of soul-sucking work?

If you free your heart from pointless toil, it will blossom in ways you never imagined.

2. Side projects lose momentum.

If you want to change the world on evenings and weekends, that’s super. But how much more good you could you do if you could spend your weekdays on it, too?

What if you put your money where your mouth is?

What if you put your time where your mouth is?

What if you put your commitment where your mouth is?

What if your life’s work and your living were the same thing?

It’s a powerful commitment. If your business doesn’t make money, you don’t pay your bills. If you don’t help people, your business doesn’t make money. That’s a powerful incentive to help people!

And just like not buying junk food or not going to the cheese factory, you’re much more likely to accomplish a big goal if you make one big decision than if you try to make a bunch of little decisions.

3. If you postpone until later, you might as well give up.

If your plan is “I’ll do what I love later” or “I’ll change the world as soon as ______” for whatever you fill in the blank, here’s something to chew on. Po Bronson, in his book What Should I Do With My Life, interviewed 50 people about their passions, career choices, and struggles. Many of them tried the “I’ll do what I love as soon as _______” plan. Guess what the success rate was?

0%. Goose-egg. Zilch. Nada.

Don’t wait. You don’t have to do everything now, but if you want to reach your goal, you do have to do something now.

But capitalism is bad!

Bullshit. Yes, there are a lot of greedy people out there. Yes, there are a lot of unethical companies out there. No, there aren’t a lot of role models for conscious capitalism and ethical entrepreneurship.

So why don’t you become one?

Help others, and accept a fair exchange of value for your help. If you’re worried about manipulating or taking advantage of others, offer a guarantee to ensure you don’t profit unless you actually help your customers.

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. If you think that lots of businesses are evil, and that makes you not want to start a business… how about you just don’t be evil?

What path resonates with both your heart and your good sense?

Feel what moves you. Discover what you’re good at. Experiment with what you could be paid to do.

What’s in the intersection of all three?

Do that.

Feel clear and confident about your direction in life!

HeartCompass

Do you wish you could follow your heart, but it seems impossible? I can help you find the clarity and courage you need.

In other words, I can help you find your path.