How to Make a Huge Impact in Your Business and in Your Life

Kiss & Tell: Kiss Your Excuses Goodbye and Cozy Up to a Life You Love
by Christina Waschko

“My business isn’t that special, all I do is sell t-shirts (or my talent as web designer or guitar player etc).”

Regardless of who we are, where we live or what our job description is, we all want to make a (positive) impact in the world we live in, don’t we? We all want to feel valued and appreciated for who we are and what we do! Right?

For most of us budding, or future entrepreneurs, this rings true! There comes a time in our life as entrepreneurs where we lose steam or when we start doubting ourselves. We realize, it’s not so easy to make a splash in the business world after all. So,how exactly can we make an impact in our corner of Entrepreneurialville?

Stand for something!

We sell more than ‘just stuff’! We sell more than a service!

We sell a life style! A feeling! A longing! A desire fulfilled. We sell fun! We sell entertainment!

I used to own my own coffee shop, Strawberry Lounge, a family friendly, swanky little coffee shop in the heart of The Netherlands. I sold coffee, the second most common commodity in the world (after crude oil).

Strawberry Lounge was in a B location (aka, off the beaten track). I had coffee bars, bistros, restaurants and coffee shops all around me.

Even as a virgin entrepreneur I knew I needed to stand for something in order to thrive! So I created a safe haven for mothers with their children. I created a fun, safe place for parents to meet and mingle with other parents! My little visitors where allowed to be seen and heard! We offered lots of toys. Great music to sing along to! I only hired young, pretty girls (purely accidentally of course) who were amazing in customer service!

I sold a life style: This included easy going manners of me, the owner, and my staff. We made everybody feel welcome! Our guests showed up as “real people”. Nobody ever had to worry about their make-up, their bad hair day or runs in the pantyhose. Life on planet Strawberry Lounge was great! Every single day! 

I sold Freedom: I, as the owner had the freedom to sell what I wanted! I set my own working hours, employed whom I wanted to, went on holidays whenever I wanted, set my own prices, decided on my opening hours and had a blast running my own business!

I was opinionated and defended my way, e.g. nobody was allowed to smoke inside Strawberry Lounge (hard for you folks in America to imagine otherwise. It was unheard of in Holland at the time I started in 2006).

Decide on what you and your business stand for- and it’s easy to create a huge impact in your corner of Entrepreneurialville!

What do you stand for?