Entrepreneurs Make a Difference: Celebrate and Thank Them

I am always amazed at the contribution entrepreneurs make to our society. Stop for a moment and try this exercise.

Take a look out the window, what do you see? Businesses, buildings, homes, or cars? A delivery truck? All right, now think about what type of businesses created and built what you are looking at. What did they have to do? What was their vision? Can you imagine a time when those things never existed? How does that make you feel?

Whenever I do this exercise I am always in awe of the ability of entrepreneurs to manifest and build something from nothing. It makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Perhaps it's because as a third generation entrepreneur I have seen the multi-generational impact that a business can have on their loved ones, community, and employees. They have a knack for bringing their visions and dreams to life and in the process adding significant value to everything they touch.

Value Added

Creating and adding value is the one constant obsession in my consciousness. It drives everything I do and yet in many ways remains a mystery and what I call my magnificent obsession. When I look out my window and see all the homes, offices, and businesses that have been brought to life - I feel invigorated, renewed, and refocused.

The entrepreneurs that created all these structures and businesses were simply focused on doing what they were good at and doing it profitably. Over the years they gradually grew wealthy because they paid attention to the customer and constantly adjusted, improved and developed innovations within their business. They are the new pioneers and slowly became an economic engine to their community by making small incremental improvements.

Small Incremental Improvements

The Japanese call this Kaizen, a Japanese word for constant and never ending improvement. The entrepreneurial version of “never ending learning, change, and professional development”. The biggest mistake I have made more times than I care to admit is making massive changes and adjustments.

I need to remind myself to slow down, be patient and take small baby steps. We take these baby steps when we make slight adjustments to improve one of your products or services. These small, incremental changes happen quietly without fanfare - when combined over a long period the result is often quite innovative.

Incremental Improvement IS Innovation

In our time starved, distracted, and formulaic culture big, ground shaking breakthroughs are what we yearn for, even demand, yet with limited resources, time, and consistency any company, anybody can innovate - plus it is simpler.

Real, true innovations that result in products or services that transform the workplace, industry, and the lives of many people are very rare. Because it is hard, challenging, and difficult to achieve. Yet, each and everyone of us can make small, incremental changes and improvements - because they are easy, simple, and achievable.

They are the tiny incremental, improvements that improve the quality of our lives, solve our problems, and creates value. It is not a bolt of lightening where you suddenly see how to create a brand new invention for a new product. It is how the product or service incrementally evolves over time that transforms and become a game changer.

Incremental Growth Translates Into Economic Growth

Businesses adding value by making small incremental improvement to their business, products, and services is what drives our economy. It allows entrepreneurs to take a risk, make investments, hire people, buy real estate, but a new home for their family, and support local vendors in the community.

Good jobs keep the youth in the community without having to leave to find a good paying job. It provides them with practical work experience while helping them to take a risk, make investments, hire people, buy real estate, but a new home for their family, and support local vendors in the community. Also known as economic growth.

The social conscience of the entrepreneur often gets expressed through philanthropy, benevolence, and generosity in the communities in which they live and work. Certainly, entrepreneurs like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates continue the tradition of the rich and transform themselves into philanthropists.

For the small business owner they make just as important an impact when they invest in teaching, training, and supporting the personal and professional growth of their staff. Many take up teaching
at a college, some become mentors, and all of them deserve our gratitude for making our communities better places to live and work.

Celebrate Your Local Entrepreneur

Next time you notice an entrepreneur in your community making a difference, no matter how small, make a point of thanking them for all they do and wish them well. It will make a difference, touch their heart, and encourage them to take one more step knowing they are valued and appreciated.

Live Large! Nurture, not nature is the basis for success.

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Greg Balanko-Dickson is Living Large in Edmonton, Alberta pursuing his magnificent obsession of adding and creating value in the lives of the entrepreneurs and businesses he has the opportunity to mentor and coach.

Comments

[Rosa Say]

“My magnificent obsession” is such a great phrase Greg! A new update for the way that I can describe ho‘ohana!

When I first read your post yesterday evening, it caused me to make myself a night-time espresso and keep my laptop fired up for a few more hours into the night. With your words about Kaizen and incremental improvements in mind, I decided to review a list of goals I have for myself, that I have structured in the GTD manner of @Runway, @10,000 ft etc. up to the dizzying heights @50,0000 ft in the belief that I can change the world.

There truly is this balance we need to achieve in determining if and when we need to Go Big! (and Live Large!) and when we need to be more resolute, self-determined, and just plain stubborn, allowing those small incremental improvements to give us their great gift of renewed energy. You helped me look at some goals that are very important to me in another light. Thank you.

P.S. I agree that entrepreneurs rock.

[Greg Balanko-Dickson]

I appreciate your comments Rosa, I also have some news since writing the post.

I got confirmation today on a deal to license some of my content, provide training, and support to a B2B organization.

It was such a rush because 10 years ago I had envisioned licensing my knowledge and content. It only took me 10 years and it came from an unexpected place via a referral.

I still had to earn the business, develop the relationship, and get creative in coming up with a solution.

What is cool is that I will be working with a group of web entrepreneurs that is expected to grow to 250 in the first year. That is 250 closer to my March to Impact a Million.

Plus I am also going to be able to connect other business coaches with entrepreneurs that need a local coach.

Now all I need to do is put my head down and work! Yippee!

[Rosa Say]

Wow Greg, congratulations! How thrilling - that is fantastic news! September is turning out to be a charmed month for you :) What will you set your sights on next, when this work is done, hmmm?

[Greg Balanko-Dickson]

It was so affirming as I held that vision for 10 years and to see it fulfilled is such a hoot, toot, toot!

I have been holding a vision for what I call "The September Surge".

Great question, I plan on implementing a online application (if I have the time) in this project, I am going to publish a manifesto building on the 10 posts I did on the topic of Relationship 2.0 on my blog.

I started networking at Marzar.com which exposes me to more of a European audience. It is in Beta but I decided to give it a go and help build the community early and thereby being one of the leaders to follow.

[Dwayne Melancon]

That is awesome, Greg - and great to see your hard work pay off!

[Yvonne DiVita]

This post was just what I needed to get me back into the Rosa Say groove. As ever, you and your writers are populating the Internet with astonishingly excellent and useful information. I miss visiting... I miss joining the conversation. But, life has other duties for me so... I must move on -- knowing you are always here and that I may come back again and again, to drink in the fountain of learning that is JJL.

[Rosa Say]

I have been away for the past 3 days to present at a conference Yvonne, and what a delight to return to JJL and find you have left your mark, Aloha! Your words remind me of this; one of "Eleven Things" written in my very first posting here about our Ho‘ohana Community:

"We can individually seem to disappear for weeks at a time, but slipping back in is amazingly easy. We’re all in it together, so everyone understands."
The other 10 things are here:
http://www.joyfuljubilantlearning.com/joyful_jubilant_learning/2006/10/eleven_things.html

Bring your dipper and drink whenever you wish, and whenever you can Yvonne! You know you are always welcome as part of the 'ohana.