Purpose

What’s your purpose? This is usually challenging to articulate, especially when starting a business. You have to focus on the ability to make it work and be profitable. We have to prioritise paying for the essentials and cash flow can feel like everything. Bringing in an income feels great but guess what feels even better? Bringing in an income while feeling connected to others and making a positive impact.

I recently completed a training course delivered by Scotland CAN B, called the Impact Economy Advisors Training.  Scotland CAN B is an initiative launched in partnership between the Scottish Government and B Lab (the non profit organisation behind B Corp certification) to explore what happens when you combine the entrepreneurial, innovative and business for good ambitions of one country. Throughout the course I kept thinking about how difficult it was for start ups to feel part of a global system. Paying rent or your mortgage or investing in marketing or consultants is hard enough to juggle without the pressure of how your business is contributing to the wellbeing economy of the world.

Building a wellbeing economy in Scotland is far from an easy task. Many of our systems and institutions are designed in a way that depend on economic growth. I also believe that we have a way to go to disincentivize bad practices and reward good practice. To me, any system that helps lessen the gap between the very rich and the very poor is worth supporting.

Like many complicated systems, finding a common language is key.

To achieve the national outcomes, the National Performance Framework aims to get everyone in Scotland to work together, nationally and locally. As a business, voluntary organisation and individual, you have the opportunity to align the way you do business with the NPFs. It looks a bit complicated and often overwhelming as a small start up or SME, however, it is important for us to find a common language for things we care about. The values are simple; treat all our people with kindness, dignity and compassion, respect the rule of law and act in an open and transparent way.

If you struggle with articulating your businesses purpose, check out how the NPFs purpose feel to you.

Scotland aims to;

create a more successful country
give opportunities to all people living in Scotland
increase the wellbeing of people living in Scotland
create sustainable and inclusive growth
reduce inequalities and give equal importance to economic, environmental and social progress.

If you want to learn more or have a chat about this, please feel free to get in touch.

Dani Trudeau

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