Small Business Owners On How They Create Purpose At Work

Establishing your company’s core purpose can help you achieve incredible things. It can resonate with clients and customers, create meaning for you and your staff, and motivate your team to accomplish your business goals. Most of all, a core purpose can support the causes and nonprofits that mean a whole lot to you.

So how are small business owners creating their core purpose? We asked small business owners to share the ways they’ve been creating meaning and purpose at their company. Here are some of the advice you shared with us.

Find Work That Reflects Your Mission

If you’re able to pick and choose your work, select projects or clients that speak to your values. As this owner suggests, that’s when your business can find ultimate meaning and purpose:

“Since my staff is less than 3 people, I work to ensure that when I receive new clients, the work is in alignment with my company’s mission and vision, and I work to empower those working with me through affirmations, gratitude, and capitalizing on their best assets to get the work completed.”

— Naimah Abdullah, owner

Purpose Starts with Values

Pinpointing your company values can make it easier for you to develop a core purpose that you and your team can connect to. Take this owner, for example, who suggested founders create value statements with their team. That way, you can discover a shared mission among your staff:

“Pouring everything one has into the business can feel depleting without meaning and purpose. One way to create this is to stay connected to your values. What values led you to become an entrepreneur? What is it about service that brings you joy? And why did you choose this path above any other? Creating value statements as a mantra everyone can connect to through a printed plaque or a team building exercise where each person can contribute their personal value on an ongoing basis can create an organic and deep connection to the organization, its goals, and larger mission.”

— Bina Jhaveri, founder

Donate to a Cause You Care About

Donations may sound like a simple act, but it can truly drive meaning to your business. This owner has found that donating to organizations that aligned with their mission helped them be more motivated in their business:

“This quarter, I began a “Nonprofit of the Quarter” pledge, donating a percentage of my quarterly sales to a nonprofit aligned with my mission. For 4Q 2020, that organization is Running Start, which educates young women about ‘leadership, campaign strategy, and teamwork, without a partisan lens.’ It helps keep me focused and moving forward knowing that my work is not just about paying my mortgage, it’s about making a difference.”

— Elaine Bennett, founder of Bennett Ink

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