Do Millennials Really Need Companies that Care About Money and Mission?
The answer to this is really easy — yes they do, at least according to the data.
A recent survey done by American Express, Redefining the C-Suite: Business the Millennial Way, found that for Millennials, it is a priority for businesses to have a double bottom line, meaning profit and impact.
As for the Millennials they interviewed:
- 68% said they want to make a difference in the world
- 81% said that a successful business needs to have a genuine purpose
- 78% employer should match their own values
This isn’t news to us at Change Creator as we have seen plenty of data from our own market research that suggests these numbers are much higher? In today’s political and economic environment, it only makes sense that companies and businesses are doing more than just making a profit.
But what if your company does not align with your values?
But what if the company you work for does not align with your values and you, like so many others decide that this is vital? There are many ways you can begin to implement a social impact model in your company or better yet, why not start your own purpose-driven business?
Before you tell your boss to take your job and shove it, evaluate your situation. That starts with you. I can’t tell you how many people have reached out to us for our mentorship program with a lot of really passionate ideas, but no clear direction on how their values align with their business idea. Before you commit to anything, you are going to have to do the hard work of looking inward and evaluating your values.
What do I need to do before I start my own purpose-driven business?
This is not a question I can answer in one blog, but let’s dig in anyway, shall we? There are a lot of things you can before you take that big leap. We all love a good side hustle, don’t we?
If you are working for a soul-sucking company that does not align with your values, don’t quit (just yet). Take this time to do prepare yourself and your life to take that giant leap. You don’t want to go into any business unprepared.
There are many things you could be doing to get started.
Do a self-inventory.
- Write down your goals — think big, long-term, and short-term goals.
- Make a list of all your financials and assets.
- Make a list of all your resources — think friends, family, time, skills. It all counts.
- Brainstorm some ideas. What are you passionate about? What do you read about? Start with what drives you, the mission will come.
- Tell everyone you know what you are doing. Now is really the time to test and validate your idea in the real world, and by that I mean anywhere that isn’t inside your own head.
That’s not a huge list, right? But these things take time. The most important thing to do before you start is to plan. Plan where you want to go, how you want to get there and figure out the resources you’ll need to do it.
If you are struggling with the transition from employee to boss, or just want some help clarifying your social impact business idea, we can help. If you want to talk just stop by here and set something up.
