Is Philanthropy Part of Your Business Plan?

Creating your business plan can be a daunting task that, honestly, most solopreneurs and micro-business owners avoid. However, it is the most important task if you are venturing out to earn a little money, even as a side hustle.

Your business plan is the roadmap to maneuver the landscape of business. It holds the mile markers of measurement toward your destination of success. It took me many years to realize this, and honestly, it is why past attempts hit the roadblocks they did.

Sole proprietors and micro-businesses, more often than not, extend who we are as a person. Our business values must align with our personal values to become cohesive and thrive. If they are in direct conflict, personally or business-wise, things will eventually clash.

Analyzing, researching, and documenting the plan is necessary but can feel overwhelming, especially for artists and holistic practitioners. Our intuitive nature drives us to create and help others, not to get bogged down in all the “left” brain practicality. Therefore, philanthropy should be the first step in your planning.

Philanthropy isn’t just for people like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, or Michael Bloomberg. It is just as important to solopreneurs, content creators, and micro-business owners.

Giving money isn’t the only way to be philanthropic. It is giving of ourselves for the good of others and the greater good of society. Philanthropy includes volunteering time, effort, or talent.

What is philanthropy? Greek playwright Aeschylus coined the term philanthropy in the 5th century BCE. It meant “love of humanity.” Today, philanthropy means generosity in all its forms and is often defined as giving gifts of “time, talent, and treasure” to help make life better for other people. — taken from Fidelity Charitable

Generosity, empathy, and making connections are the treasures of humanity. How many of you use the statement, “I do this because I want to make a difference?” If so, ask yourself, why did you go into business? What are the treasures and talents you possess? How can I use this to achieve my why?

Committing to my WHY is the motivating force each day and keeps me on track. Using Simon Sinek’s golden circle plan helped me to create my mile markers on my road trip of business planning.

The four P’s recommended in a marketing plan are product, place, price, and promotion. In creating my roadmap and mile markers, I used the three P’s as my map: philanthropy (my WHY), Process (my HOW), and Product or service (my WHAT). If those are in place, marketing is easier for me. It extends who I am and makes for more authentic connections!

My WHY is to empower the mind and muse, which simply means supporting each other to break past cycles that hold us back from our creative potential. I want to make a difference in someone’s life to help the future of the next generations. That starts with actions and mindsets that adults teach them.

My HOW is facilitating the art of change with mindfulness and creative expression. With tools, resources, and support intended to build a bridge for non-profits and micro-business owners, primarily women, to achieve their goals. The primary resource tools will be CANVA, whose values of philanthropy and supporting businesses align with mine, as well as mindset coaching and techniques.

Once the why and how are determined, the rest of the planning and actions will provide the processes to get there, one-mile marker at a time.