The main concern of boards and management is to protect continuity. This applies everywhere, for both profit and non-profit organizations and institutions. Doing business with or providing services to customers with integrity and sufficient income is key. Your profitability and profitability are indicators of how you and your employees can achieve this. Isn’t that what it’s really about for you as board and management, or do you mean something else?
The report of the Club of Rome already warned us in 1972 of the situation we are in now. A tidal wave of trouble is coming our way. And a lot is already happening in the field of climate, sustainability, biodiversity, you name it. What is certain is that all these changes have a huge impact on your business or providing services.
After all, your customers, your environment, the government, Europe, etc. are all people and their behavior is influenced by a number of things. They come up with new requirements, wishes, rules and laws.
Doing business and providing services is in transition. That is already visible. There are countless examples, where the following two go to the heart of your business or providing services.
For example, sustainable shopping appears to be important for people. A 2022 survey by a renowned consulting firm shows that more than 50% of those surveyed find this important. That is a significant behavioral change. This has a huge impact on your business and your services.
Various agencies have set up models to help organizations choose what to do to deal with the problems. examples are: the UN Sustainability Scheme or the scheme of the Limburg Employers’ Association. Only, what do you choose now? For example, the question is whether your choice for green energy also leads to real green energy. A certificate does not say much. It could be a form of greenwashing. People no longer accept that greenwashing. And those people are the people you work with, and also the people who are your customers.
Action is needed to protect your continuity. What are you doing! To deny? Wait? Follow the competitor docilely. Reactively let others determine your agenda? You can also pick up the glove!
That glove is that you really want to contribute to improving life on this earth with your business or providing services. That is different from making a choice from the grab bag of choice models. It’s about really doing what you say you’re going to do, your INTEGRITY. Then is really different from making a choice from the grab bag of choice models.
With such an integrity question, the core of your business or your form of providing services is under discussion. That core is your business model. That business model is the only real basis for your choices to be viable and profitable in the future.
And is that possible with your current model? How do you want to do business and adapt your way of providing services to the new requirements and wishes of your customers, your employees, governments, industry associations, etc. What is your strategy, wait and see or actively roll up your sleeves? What information will you use to guide that strategy? Is your current business model prepared for the tidal wave of changes that are coming your way? What will you do then? And how to organize that? To achieve this, you need your people, your management, your shareholders. Consultation with your customers is often necessary. That affects your operational processes. Because that is where it has to be achieved, you will see that reflected in your profitability.
If you pick up on that and persevere, it can yield that result of 200% after a period of approximately 5 years. That is called BIG profit instead of your current thin profit. That requires an adjustment of your business model. Then our current economic thinking will fail us. Then a mind shift is needed. That’s what impact entrepreneurship is for.
What is “impact entrepreneurship”? That’s what the event on April 14 is about. To be discussed:
- what is impact entrepreneurship and
- what is changing in doing business and providing services.
- After the break, the business model is discussed.
o What does impact entrepreneurship do with the business model and
o how can you deal with that and
o what are you to do then?
These topics will be on the agenda in Venlo on Thursday 14 April from 17 – 21 p.m.
The network platform “Purpose Economy Venlo” organizes this event. Contact person is Roland Boukema (00 31 6 53 92 48 57)
We look forward to seeing you on April 14.
