The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur

November 5Service Driven

If I can stop one heart from breaking, / I shall not live in vain; / If I can ease one life the aching, / Or cool one pain, / Or help one fainting robin / Unto his nest again, / I shall not live in vain.

Emily Dickinson—“Life,” The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson (1855)

Some entrepreneurs start their venture based purely on serving those in need. Others, like Toms Shoes, start a business to fill a need and create an aspect, giving away shoes, that also serves those in need.

For these businesses, one of the primary measures of success is service to others. This success metric helps tell the story of their business and engage those who would become a part of that story.

Here's the thing, though: while service is an overt characteristic of these businesses, it is the eventual purpose of every business. Every business consistently provides value to someone—or it doesn't stick around very long.

You may never “help one fainting robin unto his nest again,” but there's a mission in your work. Whose life is made even moderately better? What problem is lessened? How many businesses benefit from your work? Answer these questions, set goals around these objectives, and create your own service-driven metric.

You may be just starting out and your value to others and the market may be unclear, but start to measure the little ways your business is making a difference. Make that part of your story, and you might be surprised how empowering this new focus can become. ...