Written by Darla Delayne, Master Coach and Speaker
Darla Delayne is a master coach and speaker whose expertise in educational psychology has served her well in her 35+ years in business. With experience ranging from the real estate and entertainment industries to several direct sales businesses, she got her start by selling encyclopedia’s door to door after she left public and corporate education.
Starting a business is a monumental decision, one that often stems from various motivations. While profitability is undoubtedly a crucial aspect, there are deeper reasons that can drive individuals toward entrepreneurship. Let’s take a look at five compelling reasons that not only support business owners but also foster long-term success and growth.
5 Deeper reasons to start a business
1. Pursuit of fulfillment and accomplishment
Many aspiring entrepreneurs embark on their business journey seeking a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. The desire to build something from the ground up and witness its growth can be immensely rewarding. Beyond financial gains, the satisfaction derived from overcoming challenges and achieving milestones contributes significantly to personal growth and happiness.
2. Alignment with mission, purpose, or passion
A business founded on a strong mission, purpose, or passion holds the power to drive meaningful change and impact. Entrepreneurs who align their ventures with causes they deeply believe in often find a greater sense of purpose in their work. This intrinsic motivation not only fuels their efforts but also resonates with customers, fostering loyalty and trust.
3. Embracing fun, adventure, and excitement
For some, entrepreneurship is an exhilarating journey filled with opportunities for fun, adventure, and excitement. The freedom to innovate, explore new ideas, and explore uncharted territories can make the entrepreneurial experience truly thrilling. Viewing business as an adventure opens doors to creativity and resilience, making challenges feel like exciting chapters in a compelling story.
4. Crafting the dream experience
Entrepreneurs driven by a vision of their ideal lifestyle or the desire to create exceptional products and services find fulfillment in shaping their dreams into reality. Loving what they do and excelling at it forms the cornerstone of their success. By prioritizing craftsmanship and excellence, they infuse passion and authenticity into their business, attracting loyal customers and fostering sustainable growth.
5. Focus on service and expertise
Those who start businesses out of a genuine love for their craft or service, coupled with expertise, lay the foundation for long-term success. By prioritizing the delivery of value and excellence in their offerings, they naturally attract clients and opportunities. Their focus on service excellence fosters trust and credibility, paving the way for sustainable profitability and growth.
The pitfalls of money as the focus
These deeper reasons support the owner as well as the business so much better than focusing on what I refer to as the by-products. The by-products or outcomes of a successful business are a fun way to vision how you see it happening and all the things you want from it, but not the end goal. This flips what has traditionally been the main reason to start a business… to make money.
And yes, profitability is an expected outcome as opposed to a hobby. But does every business achieve this?? No, huge corporations aren’t profitable all of the time, and some, not even most of the time. Many of them “fail” by financial standards and go on to become part of other businesses or close their doors. Does that mean they shouldn’t have ever started?? Absolutely not! I’m quite sure the learning, experience, and new ideas that came from them are as valuable as the profit they were expected to earn.
Don’t get me wrong… I love money, I think it’s fantastic, it is a structure upon which my creativity, inspiration, and life are supported. But this old idea is based on a codependent relationship of an attachment to the outcome of money, solely. When there’s an attachment to money, getting clients, making sales, wealth as the meaning of success, etc., there is inherently a cost for the benefit.
If the primary focus of starting a business is to make money then either it’s there or it’s not. The cost is that we only feel successful when it is and when it’s not we feel like a failure and notice the lack more and more which becomes the focus. Focusing on lack feels fearful and then we act from that fear creating more lack. We tend to take massive action instead of inspired action, try every shiny object tactic we see instead of creating a healthy strategy that can grow over time, and look for blame instead of allowing for creativity.
Beyond profit: Intentional entrepreneurship
Instead, if the focus for having your own business is on fulfillment and a sense of accomplishment or to act on a mission, purpose, or passion then the by-product of profit is just a wonderful added plus. You’ll be empowered to take only inspired action and appreciate the whole experience along the way no matter what happens.
If you’re in your business for fun, adventure, and excitement then your actions come from abundance and that’s where your decisions will come from and you therefore create more and more abundance.
If what you want most is to create the experience of the dream you have for yourself because you love doing the service or creating the product you sell and you’re great at it then you are successful every day. You’ll allow creativity and have patience in your strategies.
Everyone intends to make money in their business. The most effective way to stand out,
jump-start, and grow a business is to have an intention that serves and supports you every step of the way. One that is deeper and more meaningful to you while still being profitable.
To learn more about building a business that aligns with your values and aspirations, visit here and access a wealth of courses, programs, and resources designed to support entrepreneurial success.
Darla Delayne, Master Coach and Speaker
Darla Delayne is a master coach and speaker whose expertise in educational psychology has served her well in her 35+ years in business. With experience ranging from the real estate and entertainment industries to several direct sales businesses, she got her start by selling encyclopedia’s door to door after she left public and corporate education. Darla is founder and CEO of SHE’S C.E.O. that empowers women to skyrocket success and multiply their time through a fusion of mindset, energy and business structure and strategy. It offers business coaching as well as in-depth courses for startups through scaling. Darla’s mission is to make business education available to women around the world.
