Entrepreneurship Part 2: Purpose and Passion

A year ago I wrote about people being amazingly adaptive and responsive to change. Entrepreneurs are still responding to the new reality and are putting out the best services and products they possibly can. The future has to be about courage and we are proud to be working with amazing beneficiaries.

In our Branding Workshop last week, we heard how important purpose and passion are and how SME’s owners need to understand what drives them. That’s not just money. Entrepreneurship is difficult. It is constant work, and the rewards usually come far down the road.

Understanding the ‘why’ will help maintain energy, focus and positivity throughout your journey.  You might understand the need that your product is serving, but if your purpose is not connected to the business, it is easy to burn out or lose passion. Keep the fire in your belly! 

According to McKinsey, businesses work better when they have a thought-out purpose. Working with a coach to guide you toward identifying your purpose can help you tap into your inner “why.” This allows you to lead and grow your business with more confidence and energy. The BGP team are here to help, success as an entrepreneur is not a one-size-fits-all formula, but leading with purpose and intention can help you get there.

Walk the talk

Business owners embody their brand and the brand’s values. Your values attract staff and customers, they will look at your actions for signs of authenticity and trust. This is becoming very clear as companies demonstrate their role in sustainability and how they intend to save our planet.  Business owners can more naturally embrace the organisational values having lived and breathed them but your employees need to embody and support this too. Your actions also impact how your customers and potential customers view you and the company. If you don’t uphold the company values, no one else will see the importance of doing so either.

Positive energy

The first day of our Sustainability Bootcamp this week oozed with energy, there was purpose and passion from all, not only as business owners but as individuals. Although bringing positive energy into our daily lives has been harder during 2020 there is a step change being seen where more of us are bringing more energy to our meetings and interactions. This is the intangible energy that can truly elevate your business, and it does not cost you anything! If I’m feeling happy about my work, then this energy is infused into my clients, the support I provide and my communications. Even smiling on a phone call. It helps everyone build excitement for progress and success. Not only will the work environment be more fun, but positive work cultures are also known to be more productive.

Positive impact

Where did your inspiration come from?  Many of our businesses have been set up following personal experiences and many during 2020 have been inspired by how they can make a positive impact on people’s lives. Focusing on the positive impact of your work can help give you the energy to persevere in the face of challenges. I have shed a tear over the stories I’ve heard from business owners and how their work is impacting other people. This positive impact and sense of purpose has shown businesses are more likely to grow and bring their best offer to the table.

We never loose, we win or learn. (Good for business and also on the tennis court in my case)!

It’s okay for you and your employee’s to make mistakes, going after big deals you are bound to learn and improve your pitch, that’s business. You might even fail.  However, setting a work environment in which failure is a teacher can set your team up for long-term success. Turn failures into learning opportunities from which knowledge and growth can be gleaned!   

Learn the signs of dysfunction

Researchers find that Emotional Regulation enhances the ability to learn from failure. Successful business owners have a sixth sense and an understanding when something is not quite right. Becoming mindful of the signs of failure can help you manage problems before they grow and get out of hand. Business owners have noticed signs of burnout especially in the last year, mentions of “Zoom fatigue” have popped up in many conversations but this burnout has been addressed before this impacts the business or an individual’s performance. 

This ability to look at yourself as the business owner and also familiarise yourself with the signs of employee disengagement will help nip problems in the bud.  Learning how to recognise the signs of dysfunction, whether physically or organisationally, is one of the most important tools to have in your wellness toolbox.  We all want to notice negative changes so we can address them before they impact the company culture or individual performance.

On the 7th April 2020 I wrote at the end of my blog - When life give you lemons, make lemonade.   Which is still cool but I want to say today, if life gives you grapes, don’t crush them yourself just call the BGP Team and we can guide you!

Heather Carroll
Business Development Manager