Guest post by Go Go Mama Go contributor Shelby Riley.
As mothers, many of us try to teach our children the benefits of giving to others. We want to instill character traits of generosity and compassion in our kids and so we talk to them about children in other countries who do not live with the luxuries we do, we have them pick out canned goods for a school food drive and we have them choose toys to donate to local charities. Some families tithe a portion of their income for inspired giving and encourage their children to do the same with their allowance or paycheck.
How can we, as business owners, live out these values of generosity, compassion and planned giving in our professional lives? I encourage you to start from a place of abundance.
Too many times I have seen professionals giving away products or services from a place of fear. “They can’t pay the full fee, and half the fee is better than no fee—this might be my only new client for a while.” “If my friend hosts a show for me, she probably expects lots of free stuff. Even though it means I’ll probably lose money on the show, I don’t want people to think I’m greedy or selfish.”
Starting from a place of abundance means you believe there is enough in the world. Enough money. Enough clients or customers. Enough of all things to go around for all people. It seems counter-intuitive after the above mention of children in countries that don’t have our luxuries, and even necessities. It seems counter-intuitive during this recession when many businesses are seeing reduced profits. And yet, if you hold this truth close, and use it to calm your fears, it can open up a wonderfully rich way to run a business (and live a life).
If there is enough—then you also have enough to give. Think about how you’d like to run your business and what portion of your services, products, and profits you’d like to give away freely. For my practice, I save three slots of a week for pro-bono clients. These clients pay anywhere from nothing to 2/3 of my fee. In my business plan, I have accounted for these slots, and know that my business is set up in a way to sustain a good profit, even if these three slots are always full and I receive no fee at all for them.
Being able to offer these pro-bono slots serves quite a few purposes. First, it allows me to practice in a way that supports my values, and reflects my main reason for doing what I do: I want to help people. Many of us started our businesses with the idea of serving others—this allows me to do it in a pure, and practical, way. Secondly, it allows people who could not ordinarily afford my services to get the help they need. Thirdly, it allows me to diversify my caseload. I get to work with many different types of clients, and I find that incredibly satisfying. Lastly, it helps me run a more profitable business. If I hold tight to the idea that I have plenty, which means I have plenty to give, then I run my business from a place of abundance. I make decisions from a place of abundance. And I’ll tell you—those decisions always reap much better outcomes than the decisions I’ve made from a place of fear.
When you have giving as a part of your business plan, it also helps you create better boundaries. I have three slots for pro-bono clients. When those are full, there is a waiting list, or I can refer out to other therapists. If I start taking on more and more pro-bono cases, I am not running a healthy business. In addition to these three slots, ten percent of my profits go toward planned giving. Each month, I know how much I have to give—so that helps me make informed decisions about where and how I want to use that money.
I encourage each of you to take a little time to determine if you have been making business decisions from a place of abundance or a place of fear. And I encourage each of you to look at how you’d like to incorporate the values of compassion and generosity into your business plan. If your business is small and new, you might start with one percent of profits going toward planned giving, or you might donate your time instead of your product or profit. If you have an established, financially viable business, your giving plan may look different. I have seen countless times, that what you put out into the world often comes back. It often comes back in different forms, but a gift is always a gift.
Shelby Riley is a licensed marriage and family therapist, wife, and mom to a 6-year-old son, Thomas. She has been practicing for over ten years and currently has a private practice in Chester County, PA. She is also an online entrepreneur and created a website www.FamilyHelpToday.com
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