The ONE thing social entrepreneurs need to scale their business
Do you ever stop to wonder why after 5 years in business, some social enterprises make 5 million or more in annual revenue, while others struggle to exceed $50k?
What is it about them that is 100X more effective than what most small business owners so readily accept And more importantly (and impactfully), where's the bridge crossing that 100x gap?
This is the most impactful question you'll ever ask
If you guessed “a professional Wordpress site with a glossy online shop attached”, you’d be wrong.
If you guessed “how much cash you dropped on your Facebook ads”, you’d still be wrong.
And if you guessed ...
... how many celebrity endorsements you’ve secured...
... how many Instagram followers double-tap your pictures...
... how early you start your day so you can squeeze in a few dozen cold calls before breakfast...
... or how many Mailchimp contacts, Twitter followers or blog comments you can count...
You’d still be terribly wrong.
Because yes, all these things have their place. But they’re only part of the equation.
You may be looking for the answer in all the wrong places
Unless all those uncountable, important little everyday actions spring from the right headspace, the income you’re working tirelessly to create for your mission will at best pay your bills at the expense of your stress levels.
At worst, they'll leave you and your cause empty-handed and disillusioned as you constantly flirt with an unrelenting sense of guilt and burnout.
Most social entrepreneurs that come to me for mentoring are far too caught up in their everyday task lists to scale their impact. They're still hustling like startup founders — instead of leading their company into a successful future.
Leadership and impact require time to think strategically. And the right mindset. I call it "the right headspace".
When you're a pioneer, it's easy to get stuck in a startup routine. (And let's be honest, all social entrepreneurs are pioneers in business!)
Finding the self-discipline to get into the right headspace is hard. There's always something urgent to do. Work is never finished. New ideas and worries bubble up all the time.
That's where mentoring can make a huge difference.
We all need someone to keep us accountable for taking a step back and work ON our business — instead of IN it. For meeting with peers and more experienced leaders to exchange thoughts and ideas. And to feed our brains with new information that energises us.
This is the one thing that all successful business leaders do
Being a social entrepreneur can feel lonely, because we set ourselves apart from the traditional ways of doing things. Therefore it's even more important that we get together and allow ourselves the headspace we need, in a supportive community. Don't just take my word for it: the Guardian and Forbes — among others — agree.
After mentoring social entrepreneurs for the last 6 years, I've poured all my experience and expertise into a new small-group mentoring programme that creates this headspace for you: Scale Your Social Impact.
I invite you to walk with me across that bridge towards social enterprise success and fulfilling your mission.
Will you join me?
Click here for more information and to join the programme.
Let’s to continue this discussion on Facebook, with me or everyone in the community! If you are just starting out, or this article has inspired you to start your own Social Enterprise, I have plenty of material on the blog for you to read.
Wishing you growth and happiness,
Nyasha
