In a recent post, we explored why an impact-driven strategy isn’t just a nice-to-have, but a fundamental key to sustainable business growth. We moved beyond the often-abstract concept of “purpose” to focus on tangible, measurable impact – the real difference your business makes in the world. But, what we really need is a focus on time smart impact.

For busy small and medium-sized business owners, the question usually isn’t why impact matters, but how to weave it into the demanding fabric of daily operations. You’re juggling sales, marketing, team management, and a million other things.

Where does “impact strategy” fit in?

The good news is, you likely already have a wealth of untapped expertise that you can leverage to drive meaningful impact without requiring extensive new training or overwhelming your schedule. Think about your unique background, your years of experience, the specific skills and knowledge you’ve honed. This is your superpower in creating a business that not only thrives but also truly contributes.

Stop Thinking “Extra,” Start Thinking “Leverage”:

Instead of viewing “impact strategy” as another item on your already overflowing to-do list, consider how your existing skills and insights can be applied through an impact lens.

• The Problem Solver’s Impact: Are you a whiz at streamlining processes, fixing inefficiencies, or developing innovative solutions? Your impact might lie in reducing waste, improving resource utilization, or creating more efficient and sustainable products or services. Think like the autobody shop example – their core expertise was fixing cars, but their impact strategy focused on how efficiently they did it, benefiting customers and their own operations.
• The Communicator’s Impact: Are you skilled at building relationships, understanding customer needs, or crafting compelling narratives? Your impact could be in fostering stronger community connections, providing exceptional customer service that goes beyond transactions, or communicating your values and impact in a way that resonates deeply with your audience.
• The Organizer’s Impact: Are you adept at managing teams, structuring projects, or creating efficient workflows? Your impact might be in building a positive and inclusive work environment, implementing fair labor practices, or creating systems that allow your business to scale its positive contributions effectively.
• The Detail-Oriented Impact: Do you excel at quality control, data analysis, or meticulous planning? Your impact could be in ensuring the ethical sourcing of materials, tracking and measuring your environmental footprint, or implementing rigorous standards that benefit your customers and the planet.

Turning Your Expertise into time smart Impact:

Here are some practical ways to leverage your existing skills for greater impact, even with limited time:

1. Identify Your Existing Strengths: Take a moment to honestly assess what you and your team are genuinely good at. What comes naturally to you? What do your customers and employees consistently praise? Now, ask: How could this strength be directed to solve a problem or create a positive outcome beyond just profit?
2. Look for the “Ripple Effect”: Consider how your core business activities already create positive (or negative) ripples. Can you amplify the positive ones or mitigate the negative ones by applying your expertise? For example, a local bakery skilled in sourcing might focus on partnering with local, sustainable farms, boosting the local economy and reducing environmental impact.
3. Small Tweaks, Big Difference: You don’t need to overhaul your entire business overnight. Often, small, strategic adjustments based on your expertise can lead to significant impact. A marketing agency with strong communication skills could offer pro-bono services to a local non-profit. A manufacturing company skilled in efficiency could implement a small recycling program in their workshop.
4. Listen to Your Customers and Team: They often have valuable insights into how your business can make a bigger difference. Your communication skills can be used to actively solicit this feedback and identify opportunities for impact that align with your core competencies.
5. Focus on Measurable Outcomes: Even small impact initiatives should have some way to be tracked. Your analytical skills can be applied to identify key metrics and monitor progress, allowing you to refine your approach and demonstrate the value of your efforts.

Your Unique Background is Your Advantage:

For someone with a diverse background like mine – spanning economics, philosophy, divinity, change leadership, social innovation, and brand management – the possibilities for creating unique impact are vast. It’s about connecting these dots for small business owners who lack the time for such broad exploration.

Perhaps your economic acumen can help identify cost-effective sustainability measures. Your philosophical grounding can guide ethical decision-making. The change leadership skills you’ve developed can facilitate the smooth integration of impact initiatives. Your understanding of social innovation can spark creative solutions to community challenges. Or your brand management expertise can help communicate your authentic impact in a compelling way.

The Takeaway:

You don’t need to become a sustainability expert or a social entrepreneur overnight. In fact, an impact-focus doesn’t necessarily need to focus on these things at all. If you are doing good work for your clients and not causing other problems in other places of the world, you can focus on doing that better!

You simply need to consciously apply the skills and knowledge you already possess through an impact-focussed lens. By leveraging your unique expertise, you can drive meaningful change within your business and the wider world, all while staying true to your core competencies and managing your precious time effectively.

What unique strengths does your business possess?

How can you start applying them today to create a more impactful future?