The state of entrepreneurship is at a very exciting stage in history in terms of having significant impact around the world. More people than ever are pursuing social enterprises or business as mission ventures as a way to fulfill their desire to transform communities, change lives, and leave a positive multi-generational legacy, among many other admirable reasons.

​The problem, though, is when people of great compassion lack some non-negotiable essentials to run a profitable business that has a major social impact. Compassion is necessary to run a mission driven business, but it can't make up for lack of a business plan, ineffective business practices, or flawed execution.

​So let's take a look at six issues that prevent mission driven businesses from having a major social impact in local communities:

1. Lack of Competencies. ​Every profitable business - no matter the type - must master certain business practices that are non-negotiable, such as marketing, sales, customer service, financial management, and more. If your business isn't competent in these areas then it won't be around for very long, which means you can't help anybody.
2. Lack of a Compelling Product or Service. Sometimes social entrepreneurs forget that the number one aspect of the business has to be offering something that people want to buy. People are not buying your product because you're connected to social cause, they're buying your product because it solves a problem for them. The social cause is just icing on the cake not the cake itself. So if you decide to go the route of having a mission driven business make sure your business deals with solving real problems and producing real solutions that people want to pay you market value for.
3. Lack of a Core Business Model. Without a proven business model, which means that you have a business operation that can consistently turn your product/service into revenues. For example, many entrepreneurs come up with great ideas, but they haven't identified the right target audience, or they don't have an efficient, convenient, and inexpensive model to deliver it to their customers. Your business model must be working before you can have the real long-term impact you're capable of.
4. ​Lack of a Concentrated Effort in One Direction. Another way to say this is a lack of focus. It can be very easy for mission driven entrepreneur to get caught up in caring for the needs of the community and not lock in on what is necessary to build a sustainable enterprise. And sometimes the needs in the community are so great and so diverse that the attention of the business owner is now spread out and the lack of focus causes them to not be effective at anything or very few things. Every successful business requires a business owner who can lock in and perform necessary business functions and activities at a high level over a sustained period of time. Without a sustained and concentrated effort, the business may be busy but it won't be productive or profitable.​
5. ​Lack of Consistency. Mission driven entrepreneurship is a marathon not a sprint. One of the critical things about having a comprehensive core business model is sticking to the execution of the model overtime, and not changing that model on a whim or at every point of adversity. Consistency over time with your business model and serving the community are required for you to have sustained impact. It's better to do one thing well for a long time than trying many things with good intentions and flailing all over the place.
6. Lack of a Connection to the Community. It's one thing to want to do something "for" a community of people, but it's a totally different thing to do something "with" a community of people. Again, compassion is a wonderful thing but not if it comes off as paternalistic. And just because you generate lot of profits and then donate a lot of money to a community doesn't mean you are having a deep social impact. So get into the habit of developing strong ties to the community of people you desire to serve through your business. The relationships will prove themselves more valuable than money over time.

If I'm honest it takes a while to master all of these areas. And some of these old habits have a tendency to try to creep back into my daily routines. But I realize as I continually get better in these areas I see our business improving and our impact increasing.

Did you identify any of these areas where you can make some improvements? If yes, I would love to assist you where you need some help. Check out my online business course, 7 Week Startup, which will help you launch a new mission driven business or restart your current one in 60 days or less. We will cover all the issues identified above to ensure you are equipped to run a profitable business and deeply impact the community God called you to reach.

Don't let any of these issues slow you down or stop you from fulfilling your dreams and reaching your destiny. I'll see you in class!

What I call the "Lone Ranger" syndrome is very prevalent among many entrepreneurs. It's somewhat understandable, because often times they have been burned by flaky people or those with alterior motives. And to be honest sometimes it's easier to get things done that you can do yourself. However, the long-term implications are that if you never build strategic relationships and partnerships, your business will struggle to build capacity that will allow you to serve more customers, thereby limiting your growth.

We all need people to help our businesses grow to their full potential. We just have to make sure we are recruiting and connecting with the right kind of people that will help to propel our vision forward.

In my previous post, You're Fired! 3 Types of People You Need to Keep Off Your Dream Team, I discussed who you need to keep away from your Dream Team. In this video I discuss the three types of people you need to keep close to your team.

So where you ask are the coaching videos for these critical topics? To view them all you have to do is download my free mobile app and go to the Coaching Videos section. You will also be able to watch all the other exclusive coaching videos that are inside the app.

"You're fired!" has long been an unwelcome phrase in the workplace way before our current President-elect Donald Trump made it even more infamous on his previous TV show, The Apprentice. And I'm sure for anyone who has ever had that directed at them, it was not a pleasant experience.

Nevertheless, this is a statement or a concept that you need to be able to practice as a relates to the vision, dream, or business that God has given you. The truth is there are some people that have gotten closer to your vision than they should be. Sometimes you must make some hard decisions when you determine that some people should not continue the journey with you to your destiny.

​Too much is at stake for you to be messing around with the wrong people or for the wrong people to be messing around with you!

I created a coaching video that describes three types of people that you need to fire from your Dream Team. In order to watch the video all you have to do is download my free mobile app and go to the Coaching Videos section. You also be able to watch all the other coaching videos that are inside the app.

After you download the app and open it you'll see that we have some great free resources and a 50% OFF deal that you don't want to miss out on!

​So download the app, watch this video, and I look forward to your feedback. Enjoy!

Are you you ready to have the best year of your life?!?! And it really doesn't matter how great or not so great your year was just in 2016. You should always be looking to be better, grow more, learn more, make a more significant impact in the world, etc. Don't ever rest on what you have previously accomplished. Anyone who has a relationship with Jesus should always be looking for opportunities to become a better version of yourself.

So just as you're identifying ways to be a better you this year, entrepreneurs should also consider ways you can hit the reset button in your business in order to have your best year yet...

1) RENEW Your Mind. Stress and frustrations can clog up your creativity and clarity. You need to take some time to declutter your mind so that you can see clearly what you need to do in your business as you move forward. The more clarity you have, the more confident and accurate decision-maker you will be. Spending time with God in His word will allow to let go of thoughts and don't belong and embrace the ones that need to stay.

2) REFOCUS Your Goals. If you haven't already done so, you must first clarify specific, concrete goals. Next, define the difference between a real opportunity and a distraction. Often times we get delayed from reaching our goals because we don't have a way to differentiate between the two. If the "opportunity" isn't pushing you towards your goal, most likely what you're dealing with is a distraction. Leave those alone - no matter how good it might look - so you can keep moving forward in doing the things that will give you legitimate momentum.
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3) REPOSITION Your Relationships. In 2016 people showed you who they really are to you if you were paying attention. Either they were for you or against you. You need to keep strategic people around you as vision partners, advisors, supporters, etc. And for those that are not, you must create some distance between them and your vision. You may not (or you might) have to cut them off completely, but you don't want to allow them any closer to your business and ideas than is absolutely necessary.

​4) REFRESH Your Brand. If your business did not accomplish what you expected or desired it to accomplish last year it could be because you lack a branding strategy, don't have a clear message, you're not connecting with the right audience, you're not relevant to the market you are pursuing, or all of the above. Sometimes the truth is a bitter pill to swallow. If you're not good at branding, marketing, sales, or advertising, please get some help and don't try to go at it alone. There are enough legitimate branding experts out there that you can leverage their gifting while allowing you to function in your gifting with excellence. Just be diligent in finding the right ones with which to partner.

So don't be afraid to hit the reset button and start something over, so you can move forward the right way. Hitting the reset button means admitting that you may have made a bad decision or a mistake as a result of thinking you were doing something right. Avoid repeating the mistakes of last year. But you also can't rest on last year's success.  
If you're willing to become a "brand new creation" you are guaranteed to have a year that exceeds your expectations! Have a blessed 2017!

Listen to these inspiring words from Steve Harvey as he encourages his guest how important it is to take a leap of faith into her dream business.

​For those of you who are contemplating whether to make the jump into entrepreneurship, I want to encourage you that this leap of faith shouldn't be taken lightly or without preparation. I have a free e-course that can help you decide when and how you should make the jump from employee to entrepreneur. Just click the link below to find out more...

I like to say that this book will take you on an internal treasure hunt to connect your career path with your purpose. Click here to start your journey...