How often have you heard the term “service-based” business? Pretty frequently, I’m sure. Usually when you hear people (perhaps yourself) talk about a service business, they are referring to a service rather than a product that is offered to their clients. For the sake of business it is important to consider all of your products and services in your marketing mix. However, one of the most important things to consider is a much higher definition of the word “service” and clarity on how your business serves the greatest good of all.
This concept of REAL service quickly surfaced as the unplanned theme for a recent tele-summit that I planned, and I’m not surprised at all. Everywhere I turn more entrepreneurs are stepping up to claim that business is a VEHICLE to help in the positive transformation of our world. You see, the service your business offers goes FAR beyond the specific services you provide in exchange for money.
The true service of your business is not the offering you make to one particular individual; rather it is the service that your business (as a whole) offers to the world. When I interviewed Anita Pathik-Law for the tele-summit, she spoke of a collective urgency for entrepreneurs to serve. We got into an engaging conversation about the shifts going on in our world right now, and the rising energy of conscious entrepreneurs everywhere to do what they can to be of service in the highest way possible.
So, how does this (concept of serving the highest good for all) relate to your specific business? There are two strategies I recommend to help you connect this to your entrepreneurial endeavors:
1) Shift Your Perspective: Often in business it’s easy to get wrapped up in the details of your day-to-day operations. You’ve got a new webpage to post, a new product to develop, client calls, an article to write, email to manage and phone calls to return… just to name a few things that are probably on your daily task list. And, when you’re stuck in this kind of detail, it is easy to lose your perspective. All you can see is the task at hand and getting it done.
When this happens, I invite you to take a “time out” (for me, it’s typically a day at the Chocolate Spa in Hershey PA…or quiet time in the hammock on my deck). This intention of your “time out” is to step away from the details of your business and reconnect with your higher vision. Chances are you didn’t start your business to deal with details all day. You started it to make a difference in the lives of others, and to have a positive impact on the world. Too often, this gets lost in the mix of things to do. So, when you give yourself a break, take time to dream of the ultimate service your business (and YOU) wants to offer to the world. There is SOMETHING that YOU are here to do. There is a higher purpose you are here to serve. Allow yourself the time and space to connect with THAT level of service. It will be the driving force for all of your business and personal success.
2) Let the Universe Work Its Magic: I love this strategy. It’s been one of the most effective strategies I’ve implemented this year. And, that is, to not try to plan everything. Too often, as a business owner, you feel driven to plan for every last project that you’ve got slated for the year. This can be a big mistake. Because, in planning out every last project, you don’t leave much room for the Universe to work it’s magic and SHOW YOU what the next steps are for you and your business. I see so many entrepreneur struggling to figure out what to do next, when all they need to do is release their struggle and ALLOW “what’s next” to reveal itself!
I know from my own personal experience, that when I allowed the space in my life (and my calendar) for the Universe to reveal my next steps, I was shown something that would never have surfaced if I had TRIED to plan it. And, what revealed itself was my service to the world through being a voice for conscious entrepreneurs.
So, on your journey of experiencing the REAL meaning of service-based business, I invite you to implement these two strategies (shift your perspective and let the Universe work its magic) so you discover exactly how you and your business are ultimately meant to serve the world.
By: Christine M. Kloser
Posts Tagged ‘Transformation’
Conscious Business – The Real Meaning of a "Service-Based" Business
March 6th, 2010Small Business Success – 3 Ways Gratitude Can Grow Your Business
March 2nd, 2010
I love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday. Family, food, friends and football thrown in for good measure. But I digress.
What I REALLY like about Thanksgiving is it’s about giving thanks. And I think gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions out there. Why is it so powerful? Because it has the capacity to change your life.
My business and life are going great right now, better than I had planned, but it hasn’t always been that way. There were plenty of times where things were looking pretty bleak. During one particularly bleak time, a friend told me to just start listing everything I had in my life to be grateful for. Now, when things are looking pretty bad, it can be easy to say “everything sucks, I have nothing to be grateful for.” But, if we’re honest, we know that isn’t true. There’s always something, no matter how small, that is in your life you can be grateful for, and sometimes you just need to take a step back to see it.
What’s so amazing about gratitude is it’s so simple yet it has so much power – in fact, it’s so powerful it can start turning things around for you. Now, granted, being grateful all by itself will probably not turn a sinking business into a profitable one. But, it CAN be the catalyst to a transformation.
Why does this work? Well, if you’re a fan of the Secret and law of attraction, you’ve heard the phrase “what you focus on expands.” So if you focus on all the things you’re grateful for instead of all the things that aren’t working, the universe will bring you more things to be grateful for and less of the things that aren’t working.
Now, while I do think this is true, I also know a lot of people do not believe this or don’t think it’s true for them. So, might I suggest another, more practical reason, for why gratitude works — because it makes you feel better.
Yes, if you start to think about all the wonderful things that are in your life and that you have to be grateful for, things don’t look quite so bleak. You’re able to break, even for just a few moments, the funk you might have sunk into. And, with that improved mindset, you most likely can see your situation a bit more clearer and start coming up with some solutions (and maybe even take some actions) to get yourself out of it.
But gratitude isn’t just about when things are going wrong, it’s also powerful when things are going right. When you’re on top of the world, it’s still an amazing practice to give thanks. If nothing else, it gives you a moment to fully appreciate how wonderful things are right now. (And isn’t that a nice feeling to enjoy?)
So, how do you start adding a practice of gratitude to your life? Here are 3 tips to get you started:
1. Feelings are important. It’s not enough to just think about being grateful, you have to feel grateful as well. When you think about all the things you’re grateful for, really feel that gratitude throughout your body. Focus on it, and feel it radiate everywhere, from your fingers to your toes. Another tip is to imagine you have a dial in front of you, and when you turn up that dial you’re amplifying that emotion. It only takes a few moments to do, but the results are amazing. Try it and see if you don’t feel so much better afterwards.
2. Write it down. My coach, Melanie Benson Strick, Success Connections, has a great daily journal which includes a space to write 5 things you’re grateful for each day. Writing is a physical activity, so again you’re anchoring that gratitude feeling in your body. If you’re really struggling right now, I would suggest taking a few minutes and writing down everything you’re grateful for each day.
3. Put out a reminder. My grandfather gave me a stuffed bear. But not just any stuffed bear, this bear has a little button on it and a story. The story is a bit longer than what I want to get into now, but the gist of it is this — the bear comes from a magical land and represents an emotion. When you push the button and give it a hug, the emotion is released. My particular bear is about love. I’ve put the bear out so I can see it every day, and when I see it, it reminds me to be grateful. (And yes, sometimes I push the button and give it a hug as well.)
I agree, it’s a little silly. But it works. And if there’s something you can put out that reminds you to be grateful, then it’s an easy way to make being grateful a daily part of your routine.
It only takes a few minutes, but the results can be amazing. I challenge all of you to try it for 30 days and see if your business and your life start to improve.
By: Michele Pariza Wacek
