How to make more money, surround yourself with people you love and make the world a better place.
If you’re interested in making more money, being surrounded by people you love (and who love you back) and making the world a better place; then keep reading my friend.
If these things don’t float your boat, here’s a link to Mark Rober’s car game. http://puzzle.prenda.co/main
I believe we can have all 3 of the above, easily. Not only that, but I also believe that we already know deep down how to achieve it…we’ve just had the answers drilled out of us by life. ☹
I also believe that if we own or run businesses then it’s our responsibility to create environments where the above can manifest for the benefit of everyone.
So, let’s start with some basics (you’ll know this stuff already!):
All the wealth in the world is created by business.
All the money in the world (all of it!) is generated by business. So, it’s a good idea for businesses to make as much of it as possible. More money equals sustainable business, better pay for staff and more taxes paid to government. This should lead to better schools, hospitals and roads; and funds to help look after people less fortunate than us.
Businesses are simply groups of humans.
All businesses are simply groups of people trying to achieve something, and all people are humans, and humans are that special group of mammals we care for the most. Oh, and we’re all emotional…even the rational ones!
Life is Complicated.
On the one hand, life is extremely complicated and gets seemingly worse with each passing software update. On the other hand, it’s extremely simple (we’ve just forgotten).
As we evolve and grow we’re able to absorb and comprehend more complexity. Running is more complicated than walking and both are more complicated than lying on your back wondering what the hell is going on. (That, of course, describes the increasing complexity of our early lives.) Increasing complexity carries on from there; and each year through school, university and work seem to carry with it ever deeper and more nuanced complications.
The trouble with all this complexity is that...well, it's complicated.
I like to think in simple terms and at high level and I don’t get bogged down in the detail...that can always be worked out by accountants, or even worse lawyers! Models are a great way of keeping things simple.
The Monergy Flow
This is my Monergy Flow. It’s a business model, and I’ve been using it for years, and it works! Let me walk you through it.
On the left, you’ve got money. It is absolutely right that your business makes money. It’s needed to keep the business alive. But it’s also used to pay your staff and pay taxes. Paying taxes is important because that money goes towards building the life we expect; great schools, parks, infrastructure, health care and looking after people who can’t look after themselves.
Now, it would be fantastic if simply wishing for money made it so, but unfortunately, business doesn’t work like that. To make money you must sell something. It used to be considered that you could only sell a product or a service, but I think what we’re really selling are experiences. If you think about this for a moment, you’ll realise that even the products we buy offer us an experience of using them. How much value do you give to what you’ve bought and how much value goes towards the enjoyment of using the product?
To sell something you have to tell people you have something to sell and that’s called marketing. Marketing is fascinating. Let’s say I’m an accountant. I could say “Hey there, I’m a great accountant. Do you want to buy my services?”.
Now, if I’m lucky you'll say “Yes”. And we’ve got ourselves what’s called a transactional relationship, I sell something to you (in this case, accountancy services) and you give me something in return (money)...
...But...businesses are just groups of humans; and humans like humans like them.
Think about the relationships you have in your life. The relationships with your best friends or your spouse. They are not transactional. It’s not about what you can get out of them. They are based on shared values. Shared beliefs, principles, and outlooks...basically, people similar to you. And these relationships are strong and deep and will stand the test of time and occasional pressure.
What happens in my transactional relationship above when another accountant comes along who can provide better services for the same price, or the same service cheaper? If the relationship is based on the transaction alone, you’ll switch. But if the relationship is based on shared principles and values then the bond between you and your customer is much stronger and your customer is less likely to switch.
Marketing is not about “what I have to sell” it’s being able to say “Hello, here I am.”
If you, as a business, can stand on the street and be clear about who you are and why you’re in business then people who get you and are aligned with your values will come over for a chat…and be much more likely to buy from you and recommend you to their network.
The best businesses understand this, and have developed their personalities, which we call their brand. But, of course, it’s not the business per se that created the brand…it’s the humans who started and work for the business that create the brand. Everything starts with the humans.
So, if you want to make money, don’t focus on the money, focus on your humans and their shared purpose at the start of the chain of events that leads to money (outcomes).
Once you’re up and running and you’re making more money than you need, what should you do with it?
You should reinvest your profits back into your business. If you nurture, provide meaningful connections, and love your humans you'll have better humans, which will enhance the chain of events which leads to more money, which leads to more profits to reinvest in your business and round and round and up and up the cycle goes. I call this an upward spiral.
Nurtured Humans are Happy Humans
A better functioning and more profitable business isn't the only outcome of this model. Nurtured humans feel like they belong to the group, and are part of the vision and future of the organisation. They ultimately feel happier. It's a rare privilege to work with people who share your vision of the world and become people you admire, respect and love.
Happy Humans go Home
Happy humans are not only more fun to be around at work, they go home at the end of the day and are more fun around their families too. Go home stressed and tired and you're much more likely to carry that negativity over to your family. Go home happy, positive and feeling loved and you’ll be carrying those powerful vibes right into the heart of your family, affecting how they feel and ultimately behave.
Happy Communities
Happier families lead to happier neighbours, happier streets, happier schools and ultimately happier communities.
Easy with a Model
So, that’s how we’re going to make more money, surround ourselves with people we love and make the world a better place. Easy, isn’t it?
Collective Responsibility
Happier communities are not someone else's responsibility. It is all too easy to point a finger at governments or schools and suggest that they need to do something to fix these social issues. And yes, they have their part to play, but so do we. As humans, we must refuse to absolve ourselves of the part we play in building the society in which we live and the legacy we leave behind. We call it responsibility, but really it's our privilege.
Thanks for reading. 😊
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