What’s your cause?

Posted on April 3, 2007 at 10:24 pm in General
Popularity: 11%

Why did ya start your business, why do ya blog, what difference are ya trying to make? Do ya know why you’re in business. If ya give me some punk ass answer like, to make a profit, or maximize share holder value, I’m gonna bet against ya, cause ya ain’t gonna make it. Being in business for the money, doesn’t cut it. Ya gotta stand for something. Ya gotta have a cause, ya gotta be about making a difference, about makin an impact.

It goes like this; makin your business fly, is about having a passion or mission about changin something. It’s about recognizing how you can make impact, make a difference. Yo dawg, think about it. Ya gotta have a passion for what ya do, if ya can channel that passion for makin a difference into a solid business model it’ll take you a long way.

My G’s, William Taylor and Polly LaBarre wrote a slammin book, Mavericks at Work, that spells this out. With the price of starting a business, creating brand, distributing goods, or creating goods and services gettin cheaper and cheaper, differentiation becomes even more critical. Being another, “me too” company could bury you. Ya need original ideas, and original ideas come from your cause.

What’s your cause, do ya even have a cause. Here, take the cause test, see if you have one.

1) Do you know who or what your business/blog/service is helping, do you know what you are delivering your clients from, are you saving them from something?
2) Can you and all of your staff name what it is you stand for? Do you stand for anything?
3) Are you willing to walk away from a customer or client if working with them deviates from your cause?
4) If you or your business disappeared what does the market lose?
5) Does the reason your in business invoke emotion?
6) Did you start with a cause in mind?

Go on, answer the questions. You’ll know if ya got a cause and if it is a good one.

Cre8Buzz has one! Ours is to get the little guy noticed. We believe there are too many hurdles, playa hata’s who keep the little guy down. We wanna make people famous, get their slammin ideas on the map, give them a chance to make millions with their ideas, cause the deserve it. Everything we do, from the “Shout Out” to the construction of the site is about getting the little guy exposure. That is our cause, the little guy!

What about you? Whadda you about? What’s your cause?

Comments

Hey, Antman!
Practice, practice, practice! Put it out there my man. Even though others may be withholding, the messages need to get out. You seem to be hitting some tender areas of late. Jolly good, ol’ man! Most of us don’t want to hear about things that make us uncomfortable, make us squirm or challenge our apathy and rub us the wrong way.
My Uncle John said “If you don’t stand for Something, you will fall for Anything!” Keep standing, Antman. I’m proud of you and thankful to know you and see you taking on difficult topics. I can well imagine that your “ant colony” benefits from your willingness to expect them to “practice” and to “stand for something”. Taking the easy road in life is superficially appealing, but it usually leads to less fulfillment than you deserve, thus you end up with that hollow feeling inside, that gnawing sense that you’re not really filled up and excited about yourself and your life. A person can never successfully lie to him/herself. Inside, in the rqaging quiet of a sleepless night, we KNOW we have compromised ourself. I’ve been there, and it ain’t pretty. I’ve had to face things, truths about myself and have come back to the “difficult road” and I can testify to the fact that re-building integrity is much more difficult than holding onto it in the first place! I think you know of what I speak.
It am happy for you that you are not just about currying favor with others, or winning approval from others, or discouraged when the percentages of popularity take a nose dive.
Maybe an older Ant has a better vantage point this time ’round and kudos from him can help take the sting out. Best to you. Be responsible for “Creating a great day for yourself and others” by being just who you are!!!

Comment from Matthew on April 5, 2007, 11:37 am

Hi. I dont have a business, but I sure have determination, dedication and passion!!

For the past two years, I have championed Internet Safety education and awareness not only be developing and implementing a personailzed online safety curiculum for 2nd and 3rd graders at my elementary school, but have spear-heading this issue in my entire region!! A position was created for me, Regional Office of Educations Internet Safety Coordinator!! I assembled a team of community leaders to brainstorm said issues, of which I am Chairperson, I give presentations to parents and teachers, write a regular newspaper column and just put together a online safety educational resource blog for parents and educators.

Internet Safety is not just a job for me, it is my passion and has been for the past two years. I live and breathe it(in other words, I have NO Life!!)..

I also have a unique perspective, working with over 500 children every week, in a computer lab environment. I see and hear things many do not. I am a mother of two ornery teenagers and former police dispatcher.

My “pet project” is to implement an anti-cyber bullying campaign in my district, and I just got finished writing a proposal. Hopefully, this will be approved. I would like to push this further–if I had my way, Internet Safety curriculum’s would be required in ALL schools as well as a cyber bullying policy.

All of us, no matter who we are, must work together, as the Internet is rapidly changing. Teachers, parents, children, law enforcement—must work in a combined effort in order to keep children safer online.

Thanks so much for letting me talk about why I am here. I hope to educate as many people as I possibly can, whoever will listen.

Happy Easter..

Comment from Jace Galloway on April 6, 2007, 6:22 pm

Hi.

I dont have a business, but I sure have determination, dedication and passion!!

For the past two years, I have championed Internet Safety education and awareness not only be developing and implementing a personailzed online safety curiculum for 2nd and 3rd graders at my elementary school, but have spear-heading this issue in my entire region!! A position was created for me, Regional Office of Educations Internet Safety Coordinator!! I assembled a team of community leaders to brainstorm said issues, of which I am Chairperson, I give presentations to parents and teachers, write a regular newspaper column and just put together a online safety educational resource blog for parents and educators.

Internet Safety is not just a job for me, it is my passion and has been for the past two years. I live and breathe it(in other words, I have NO Life!!)..

I also have a unique perspective, working with over 500 children every week, in a computer lab environment. I see and hear things many do not. I am a mother of two ornery teenagers and former police dispatcher.

My “pet project” is to implement an anti-cyber bullying campaign in my district, and I just got finished writing a proposal. Hopefully, this will be approved. I would like to push this further–if I had my way, Internet Safety curriculum’s would be required in ALL schools as well as a cyber bullying policy.

All of us, no matter who we are, must work together, as the Internet is rapidly changing. Teachers, parents, children, law enforcement—must work in a combined effort in order to keep children safer online.

Thanks so much for letting me talk about why I am here. I hope to educate as many people as I possibly can, whoever will listen.

Happy Easter..

Comment from Jace Galloway on April 6, 2007, 6:24 pm

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