Doing Business, Doing Good

"Can you help people do work for something they care deeply about? If you can encourage people to feel as though they can change the world in a way they think is positive, you will have happier, more productive employees," Brian Reich told me over the phone recently.

Reich is the global editor for Edelman and the author of Shift & Reset: Strategies for Addressing Serious Issues in a Connected Society. His book explores how businesses must adapt to new technologies to support causes -- and how they can encourage workers to feel as though they are working toward positive change.

While Reich's book is aimed specifically at the non-profit sector, there are plenty of lessons applicable to for-profit businesses, as well as to solopreneurs looking to improve the way they use technology.

"We live in a world where we talk about causes, but what we really need to do is focus on serious issues that affect people on an individual level," Reich pointed out. "Health, the safety of children, and other issues that impact people daily need to be the focus."

It's Not Just What You Do -- It's Why You're Doing It

The real question that businesses and others need to ask themselves is whether or not they can help others with serious issues.

"The challenge for businesses today is to be a good place to work. This is an internal and external challenge that needs to be met," Reich said. "We live in this interconnected society, and the whole world can see what you are doing. The challenge is to be a company that people want to work for -- and bring their best selves."

Before you can do that, though, you need to figure out what you are doing.

"You have to understand what you got into business for," Reich continued. "I tend to think that most people get into business because they want to do good. They want to solve a problem, provide a needed service, or provide high quality and useful products. Go back to your core mission, and articulate what you want to do."

Whether or not you hope to get rich from your entrepreneurial efforts, it's a good idea to revisit why you do what you do. This is good advice for personal finances, as well. Consider your motivation for spending, and consider your values. Do your expenditures match your values? It's important for you to think about why you do the things that you do. A little self-reflection can help you tweak your current plans, and get on track with something you care about -- and can stick with.

What Do People Really Know About You?

For businesses, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and even those starting side hustles, it's important to realize just how easy it is for people to learn more about you -- for better and for worse. Our interconnected society ensures that almost anyone can find out what you've been up to.

"At the end of the day, people know what you're doing, so it helps to deliver something of value," Reich said.

He also pointed out that you can't hide as easily now, thanks to the Internet and social media. "Instead, you have to engage," Reich insisted. "Transparency and openness represent the default. You need to communicate, and you need to be out there trying to provide something of worth. The core assumption these days is that businesses are going to be better. It's about solving problems and making lives better."

If you can effectively communicate how your business accomplishes these goals, and use the power of connectivity to get out there, you will be more likely to attract customers, as well as attract the top employees.

Reich closed with a bit of advice for businesses and others looking to succeed in today's world: "Either participate in the world as it is now operating, or admit defeat. It's too late to put the genie back in the bottle."