There will be much debate on what make a successful company. Some say it is how much revenue you’re making or how much bottom line profit you earn. Some will even say the product or service makes the company. We at Everpillow at Infinitemoon believe these are important as well. But we ask another deeper question when it comes to our success. We want to challenge you to impact your community.
How can you help your business impact your community?
Take a moment to re-think, re-purpose and re-tool your company. A few short questions will help you get started in making a difference in your community.
What is your passion?
What gets you up in the morning? Is it to make millions? Or is it to leave a legacy? Is it providing for your family? Maybe its to use your gifts and abilities to make a difference. Somewhere deep in your heart and soul are your passions. What makes you tick. What gets your heart beating. When you start talking about it you can feel a sense of satisfaction. In order to make an impact your community we have to start with your passions.
Quickly you notice if your goal is just to make money, buy things, take more vacations you’ll be farther and farther from impacting those around you. Don’t take this the wrong way. We believe your business has to make money in order to have an impact on your community; no profits mean no more business in the long run. So we want you to be successful so you can have a long, lasting impact. You can tell quickly when you meet the top leaders in a business if they really believe about making an impact or if it is just a marketing strategy so show the world they appear they care about others.
Your passions as a leader of your company will be the starting point for your business to have a tremendous impact in helping others around you. For us at Infinitemoon we are passionate about helping people. We are passionate about seeing lives changed. We’re passionate about giving value to people. We’re passionate about starting businesses that transform a community. We believe we exist to bring comfort to you and our community. See our Philosophy.
Take 5-10 minutes and begin to jot down what legacy you want to make with your business and how that fuses with your passions.
What problems do you want to help solve?
There are so many problems that exist within 2-3 miles of your business or home? If you don’t have a problem to work on right away then take a walk or drive and look around? What needs help improving? Who needs help? Ask a schools leadership what their biggest need are. Visit some local non-profits and ask them how you can help? Read the newspaper and find out what problems exist. It won’t take long before you’re overwhelmed with the needs around you.
We believe the best place to start helping is with a problem that you have personally experienced. We believe your greatest wound will be your greatest give back to your community.
At Infinitemoon we want to give significance to others regardless of their past mistakes and choices. Our founder as a young teenager started a lawn service in his neighborhood. Yes, it was hard on Saturdays not to sleep in after a Friday night football game but it meant so much to him to have a job, to make his own income and provide for himself. We want that same feeling for those who can’t get jobs because of previous felonies, addictions or homelessness.
It is nearly impossible in your community for a felon, addict or homeless person acquire a job. We take those risks, help them make the right steps to good choices, gain the skills and hopefully enter the larger workplace with a renewed sense of value, vision and purpose.
What problem do you feel deeply called to help resolve? Take 5-10 minutes and brainstorm. What brings you to tears? Where in your community can you make a difference?
How does your product or service solve this problem?
This is where the community impact magic happens. Mix your passions and the local problem in your community and have your business step in. Sadly the most popular is the easiest….grow your business and give a ton of money away. Yes, that is a great step, but we believe it isn’t the first step or only step to impact your community.
Infinitemoon was very intentional with our product, service and community impact. We didn’t want to create a company where it was “buy a pillow to give a pillow away” philosophy. Or just write a check to those in need. We built deep into our DNA our community impact and give back. That is why every Everpillow from cut, sew, stuff, package and ship is produced by those with previous felonies, addictions and/or homelessness. This is why we are full partners with Mile High Workshop. They shared with us the problem for those who are unemployable. We wanted to help. We are Pillows with a Purpose. Take a look at the lives changed on our recent coverage on CBS Denver News and Aurora TV.
Can you fuse together your product or service with the problem in your community? Can you have your staff partner with you in solving your local community problems? What skills or gifts does your company uniquely have that will directly fix a local problem?
Your impact on your community is limitless. Your future as a social entrepreneur is right around the corner. We challenge you to take some time with your leadership and re-purpose your company to leave a lasting legacy in your community.
Share your stories, insights and adventures or how your company has made an impact in the comments below.