You may have heard the term ‘heart-centered business‘ floating around lately. In 2022, most entrepreneurs are now millennials, a generation known for wanting to do good. As a result, more and more companies are creating missions to positively impact the world.
But is ‘heart-centered entrepreneur‘ just a buzzword that business owners use to look good? Or is it possible to do work that matters while earning good money for it?
Let’s discuss what it means to run a business from the heart and what it takes to be both a conscious entrepreneur and a high achiever.
What Is A Heart-Centered Business?
A heart-centered business involves operating in a way that gives back and positively impacts the world. For some, this means transitioning to sustainable products and operations. For others, it means fundraising or donating a small amount of profit to a good cause.
People who run their business from the heart put passion and purpose above making money. They rate their success more on the impact they are making rather than their income.
However, being a heart-centered entrepreneur doesn’t mean you have to work for free or donate all your profits to a good cause. It is simply about being motivated by passion rather than money.
The term heart-centeredness can be described as living in a state of peace and alignment. It’s about making choices that match your values.
So, when it comes to business, being heart-centered is about using your passion for doing good by taking purposeful action and making a profit from it.
How Can You Run A Business From The Heart?
While the idea of building an empire that makes the world a better place sounds idyllic, how do you go about making it happen?
Get Clear On The Difference You Want To Make
Firstly, let go of the idea of changing the world and instead focus on positively impacting a small part of it. The difference you can make will depend on what you are most passionate about and what you value strongly.
If you’re unsure how you can contribute to a better world, do some self-study. What is the one thing you wish you could change the most” What are the issues you lay in bed thinking about at night?
Whether it’s saving stray animals, helping orphaned children, or creating a more sustainable future, we all have a burning desire to change something for the better.
Know Who You Are Serving
Along with getting clear on the difference you want to make, you need to know who you serve. One of the most common mistakes among heart-centered entrepreneurs is to try to help everyone. However, the more people you try to satisfy, the fewer you will help.
So spend some time defining your target market. Who are the people you feel most passionate about helping? Whose lives are you most capable of making a difference given your unique set of skills, knowledge, and expertise?
Knowing who you are serving makes approaching and marketing easy. By narrowing it down, you can understand your target audience’s specific needs, fears, and desires and appeal to that.
Focus On Customer Relations
If you’re committed to running your business in a heart-centered way, you might have to redefine what success means to you. For example, suppose you previously focused on making money.
So, as a newly conscious entrepreneur, you’ll need to shift your focus to creating authentic relationships with your customers and clients.
As a thought leader, you’ll influence how others see and perceive things. Therefore, you need to become an authentic, trusted figure that people aspire to.
By creating solid relationships, you’ll become a pillar in the community and a business that people want to associate with.
So how do you build community and create high-quality customer relations? First, interact authentically and have meaningful conversations with them about your mission.
Secondly, overdeliver on value. There is no better way of showing someone you genuinely care than providing more value for no extra cost. You can go above and beyond without jeopardizing your profits simply by being more attentive to a client’s individual needs.
Remember You Are Still Running A Business
Don’t forget that although you are doing good, you are still running a for-profit business and not a charity. While there is nothing wrong with charity, there is a stark difference between running a non-for-profit and a money-making difference.
To become a successful heart-centered entrepreneur, you need to understand the difference between the two.
Put Yourself Out There
Your business is unique because it features something that no other company does, YOUR personality! What’s more, your passion and purpose come with your personal story, AKA your why.
So don’t be afraid to shine your light and take up space. The more you put yourself out there, the more good you can do.
Heart-Centered Business Examples
Seeing how other businesses operate in a heart-centered way can inspire you to do the same with your own brand. These five companies stand out for the good they are doing in the world.
Chewy
Chewy is an e-commerce business selling pet-related products. In 2021, they made a revenue of $7.1 billion and a net income of $92.5 million.
However, alongside selling a wide range of pet food, accessories, and equipment, the animal-loving company gives back to our furry friends, too.
Since 2012, Chewy has donated over $97 million in products to animal shelters in the USA. From working with 7,500 partners across 50 states, the company has funded a staggering 93 million means for shelter dogs and cats.
What’s more, Chewy understands how difficult it can be to get vet appointments. So they launched online pharmacy services, including the ability to chat to a licensed vet. You can get veterinary advice through instant chat or a video call using their service.
Freshly
Freshly is a heart-centered New York-based meal prep and delivery service. Their mission is to make healthy eating accessible and hassle-free to everyone, inspiring Americans to choose clean eating over fast food.
As Freshly chose to target busy city professionals, they have made an impressive profit, increasing their sales by 50% every year. At the same time, they are helping to create a healthier America and give back to those less fortunate.
For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Freshly donated $500,000 of prepared meals to Meals on Wheels.
Leon
Leon is a UK-based fast-food chain with a clear mission of making fast food healthy. They make healthier fast food using high-quality, clean ingredients, offering Brits the opportunity to grab nutritious food rather than junk while on the go.
Aside from having over 70 outlets across the country, they also launched Leon Foundation. This not-for-profit organization aims to make healthy food accessible to all.
The foundation has helped to create healthy school lunches in UK schools. Furthermore, they have supported Children’s hospitals in devising tasty and nutritious menus for kids with restricted diets due to health issues.
The Body Shop
The Body Shop is a British skincare company specializing in selling ethically-sourced and cruelty-free products made from natural ingredients. In 2020, they made $5.3 billion in revenue across their 3,000 stores and online site.
Social activism is a huge part of The Body Shop’s business practices, which is apparent in their Community Trade program and campaigning to end animal testing.
In addition, The Body Shop Foundation supports global projects in human and civil rights and environmental and animal protection.
The Honest Company
The Honest Company is an American company founded by actress Jessica Alba. The company is passionate about creating safe, eco-friendly products for babies and adults alike. Jessica Alba started the company with trust, transparency, and sustainability values.
They have an “Honestly Free Guarantee” and ban over 2500 questionable ingredients. Additionally, they have donated over 25 million products to people in need and actively help with disaster relief.
Challenges Heart-Centered Entrepreneurs Face
Although we may have a strong desire to help others, many self-limiting beliefs and challenges can stop us in our tracks.
Here are three of the most common challenges that heart-Centered entrepreneurs struggle with.
They Don’t Believe They Have The Potential To Make A Difference
If you operate your business independently or with a small team, know that you can still make a positive change. It’s not only giant corporations that can help create a better future. Everyone can play a part, even if you are a freelancer or a small start-up.
Heart-centered entrepreneurs don’t doubt that their business can do more than just generate an income. Their passion and purpose for their cause are so strong that they know they are here to make a difference.
If you’re lacking self-belief, spend some time meditating on and journaling about your deep passion. The more you think about your cause, the more you will strengthen your connection to it.
In addition, incorporate empowering practices like positive affirmations into your daily regime. As you work on building your confidence, you’ll start to believe that you are a thought leader who has the power to influence others.
They Feel Guilty About Making Money From Helping Others
A common misconception is that businesses that aspire to help others and do good should not charge a high price tag. Unfortunately, this is typical among healers, therapists, yoga instructors, and other wellbeing practitioners.
Suppose your career began out of your desire to help others improve their lives. In that case, it’s natural to feel indifferent about charging for your advice.
However, remember that it took years of studying and practice along with thousands of dollars to gain the expertise you now have. What’s more, that expertise has the power to transform others’ lives and thus, has exceptionally high value.
Another reason to avoid giving away your services for free or low cost is that the cheaper something is, the lower value consumers attach to it.
For example, if someone sells a course for $10 and another sells the same program for $100, who do you think people will value most?
Of course, people naturally think the more expensive something is, the better it will be. So setting low prices or giving things away for free will just backfire on you.
In addition, the more someone pays for something, the more committed they will be.
People feel no commitment to free or cheap things, but if they splash out over $100 on something, they are much more likely to show up and do the work that will lead to their transformation. So bottom line, don’t undervalue yourself!
They Worry They Will Come Across As Pushy And Salesy
Traditionally, selling has been associated with being ruthless and pushing people into paying for things they don’t want and need. However, this idea of sales is highly outdated, as is the notion that marketing is sleazy.
We live in an era where marketing is everywhere and something that every business, heart-centered or not, utilizes. There is nothing shady about telling people about your product or even boasting about how good it is.
For example, copywriters convince people to buy things all the time because they know how to write compelling copy.
Yes, you can find many examples of hyped-up sales copy or click baits online. But if you truly believe what you have to offer is valuable (which you should), you can authentically shout about your business without worrying about what others may think.
Whenever you feel fear towards selling and marketing, remember this. You cannot change someone’s life without them knowing about you.
So keep your focus on the truth that your business is doing good in the world. When you genuinely believe this, you won’t hold back.
Final Thoughts On Heart-Centered Entrepreneurs
I’m sure you will agree that true fulfillment comes from helping others. So, if you feel the urge to make a positive impact on the world, creating a heart-centered business will allow you to do just that.
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