Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. It takes a special kind of person to endure the torture along with the excitement.
If you’re not the type of person to take on a problem, if you’re not a visionary, or it is just too much of a risk for you – there is NO shame in that.
Our society has begun to put entrepreneurs up on pedestals. The media portrays them as superheroes, or rockstars.
And maybe you feel like you COULD be an entrepreneur and take on a big problem, but now is just not the right time. No worries. Do what makes you happy.
But, you still want to make an impact, right?
Here’s what you can do.
If you have an idea or social, cultural, or environmental problem that you think needs solving, go out and seek someone who is already solving that problem and help.
There are countless good leaders, with missions that are extremely meaningful. Stop settling for mediocre.
It might mean finding a job, it might be volunteering, or it might be just supporting them. You can be a change-maker without being an entrepreneur.
Even if you don’t have a problem that you’re already fixated on, that’s okay. Find someone that inspires you with their work, whatever it is, and offer to help.
You’d be surprised at how these people are open to building new relationships (particularly with people like you who genuinely want to help them succeed).
The Middle Option
And then there’s a middle ground. Which is the Vancouver community that my friend Maxine Bulloch and I started, called the Good Work Society. It’s a group of service professionals and small businesses that are dedicated to helping social entrepreneurs and nonprofits succeed.
Maybe running a startup isn’t one of your skills, maybe it’s accounting, or photography. Not everyone is a big time entrepreneur set out to create a new social network that will change the world of philanthropy. Providing a service to impact companies is just as needed, and that’s largely what I’m doing at the moment too by offering marketing and consulting to social enterprises. You can use your skills, be your own boss, and support those who have innovative approaches to business.
That’s not to say you wouldn’t sometime later start up a new type of organization. The work you do might inspire some new problem solving and innovation in you. Or you could find a way to make your work unique in how it operates as well to create a better impact.
It’s an undeniable fact that innovators and social entrepreneurs need help. Big change takes a lot of people, and you could simply be a freelancer and run your business in support of those creating innovative change.
So don’t dismay if you don’t have a “big idea” or a grand mission for saving the world through a new business or app. If you’re drawn to this work, start your journey in the right direction wherever you are right now.
And if you’re in Vancouver, join us at the next Good Work Society event to meet with other people doing the same.
