im ok meme, A Social Entrepreneur
im ok meme: A social entrepreneur is someone who develops a business or non-profit with the goal of creating social change.
You can start your own non-profit or develop a program within your current place of work.
First, work on your skillset. You will need to be an excellent, resilient leader.
Then, identify the problem you want to address.
From there, you can develop a business based on fostering social change.
Okay Guy is a sullen-looking rage comic character who is typically accompanied by the caption “okay.”
The face is often used in the final panel of comics meant to convey a feeling of hopeless resignation.
im ok meme
im ok meme
Gain leadership experience.
For any position as an entrepreneur, leadership experience is key.
Throughout your career and education, be on the lookout for opportunities to lead.
- Join clubs and take on positions of authority.
- If you’re in school, join a club of interest to you and try to be something like the secretary, president, or vice president.
- Volunteer with an organization. You can actually find leadership opportunities if you volunteer at a particular organization and work your way up. You can start, say, helping out with basic work and eventually volunteer to help train other volunteers, plan events, and more.
- As social entrepreneurs advocate for a particular cause, find leadership opportunities related to that cause. If, say, providing affordable, healthy food to underprivileged areas is important to you, work at a local food bank.
Look for opportunities to build your social intelligence.
Social entrepreneurs need to know how to work with others.
You will have to get people and corporations on board with your cause.
Any experience you can get that builds social intelligence will help you with your career path.
- Look for jobs where you work with people. A summer customer service job can teach you how to best interact with people. You can also try to work at a phone bank taking donations, as raising money for your cause will be a key part of your job.
- If you’re in school, take courses like psychology to help you learn how people think.
Expand your creativity.
Social entrepreneurs need to be creative.
You will have to find innovative ways to operate charities and nonprofits to maximize donations and implement action.
Anything you can do to increase your creativity can help here.
- Activities like yoga and meditation can boost creativity.
- Try taking a class in one of these areas.
- Write. Keep a notebook and jot down ideas.
- Do free writes where you explore your feelings and future plans.
- Incorporate play. Playing may seem mindless, but things like video games, board games, and strategy games can actually boost your creativity.
im ok meme:
Foster the right mindset.
Resiliency and grit are important to becoming a social entrepreneur.
Advocating for a cause can be rough, as there will be a lot of setbacks along the way.
You will also have to deal with a lot of failure and rejection as you try to establish yourself professionally. Developing a can-do attitude is key to a successful career as a social entrepreneur.
- Try to have a positive attitude. When you’re in a difficult situation, look for hidden perks. For example, you miss your bus and have to walk to work. Instead of getting frustrated, think about how the long walk will let you clear your head before starting your job.
- Develop a good sense of humor. When something does not go your way, crack a joke. Laughing at negative situations can help you bounce back from them quicker.
- Take care of yourself. Develop a routine where you eat right, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly. You will feel stronger and more resilient if you’re in good health.
Look out for training programs.
There is no specific educational path to becoming a social entrepreneur, although a degree in business can help. However, there may be short-term programs and conferences in which you learn the basics of the field. Be on the lookout for these kinds of opportunities at work and school. Something like a six-day training program may seem short, but you can gain a lot of valuable information and make connections.
- You can also seek advice from people running non-profits and charities.
- Try to have a sit-down meeting with someone involved in a cause that interests you.
Identify a problem.
Once you’re ready to start striving for social change, identify a problem.
Figure out where to focus your energy.
There are a lot of causes in the world, and it can be hard to choose just one.
However, companies are most appealing to consumers when they have a specific direction.
You will need to narrow down what kind of problems you want to address.
- Think about what’s important to you.
- There are many issues in the world, such as pollution and poverty, that need addressing. What drives you personally? You’ll be more motivated in your career if you’re working on something you truly care about.
- Try making a list of causes and, from there, narrowing it down. For example, animal rights are very important to you. What can you address, specifically, under this umbrella term? Maybe you can raise awareness of animal testing and find ways to stop it from happening.
im ok meme:
See if you can create a social good program within your current company.
If you’re currently employed, many companies are excited about the notion of a social-good program. A social good program can create positive public relations for a company and enhance its image. Talk to your boss about starting an initiative for social good through your own company.
- Sell the idea to your boss. Remind them that younger people are concerned with social change, and may pay more for products that help change the world.
- Think of a way you could incorporate your cause into your current company. For example, say you work at a cosmetics company. You do not test on animals, but many of your competitors do. You could propose that your company start donating 1% of makeup profits towards shelters that rehabilitate animals that have been used for cosmetic testing.
Aim to run things like a business.
Once you’ve found a way to start advocating for your cause, you need to have a business-like mentality.
Even if you end up working for a non-profit, a business model is important to success.
Well-organized organizations run better and get more done.
- Draft a business plan. This is a document that includes a description of your company, how it’s organized, how you plan to raise funds, and all other aspects of how you will run your social entrepreneurial endeavor.
- If you don’t have experience in business, recruit people to help you. A business plan is a complex document and you need someone with experience running start-ups for assistance if your personal background is not in business.
Recruit talented people.
As you begin to advocate for your cause, seek out people more talented and experienced than you. The best companies, charities, and non-profits are made up of incredibly talented people.
- Many people are afraid to hire people with more experience than them. You may be afraid you will fall out of the spotlight or people will surpass you and take your job. Remember, your cause is what’s important and not you as an individual. People willing to work towards a particular cause are unlikely to be competitive. They will collaborate with you for the greater good.
You can recruit people with your enthusiasm.
Advertise positions focusing on exactly how you’re going to work towards social change.
If you’re motivated by your cause, that enthusiasm will rub off on others.
You should be able to get a lot of people interested in working with you.
im ok meme:
Brand yourself.
Whether you’re running a non-profit or a social initiative through your company.
A solid brand is important. Companies that sell products like toothpaste work very hard on establishing a brand to get consumers’ attention.
If your cause is important to you, you need to find a way to generate enthusiasm.
- How can you differentiate yourself from other charities?
- What makes your cause unique? Work with your team here to find a specific angle that people can get behind.
- Things like social media marketing can work well. Gain inspiration from things like the Ice Bucket Challenge, which was popular in some years. If consumers have to complete a challenge to donate, this can gain a lot of attention.
Be transparent with consumers.
Consumers are more likely to donate to a charity if they know exactly where their money is going. Operate from a place of honesty and transparency.
This will help you gain more support and, in turn, enact change.
- Tell people all about your cause. Have a section on your website highlighting your beliefs and what you’re trying to accomplish. For example, explain your opposition to animal testing, what you want to change, and how you plan on creating that change.
- Let people know where their donations go towards. Share specific statistics and milestones. For example, if donations managed to fund an extra wing in a wildlife sanctuary, send out a personal thank you to all your donors explaining how their efforts helped.
im ok meme:
Seek out corporations to work with.
Social entrepreneurs often network with corporations that believe in their cause.
Reach out to like-minded corporations and find ways to network with them.
- Look for corporations that already believe in your cause and have established relationships with consumers. For example, reach out to a popular cosmetics company that has taken a strong stand against testing on animals.
- Remember, companies operate for profit. Make sure you let companies know the potential payoff. Remind them many consumers will pay more for products if they’re sold by ethical companies and that a social entrepreneur initiative could generate a lot of positive publicity, which could translate to more profits.
Work on creating emotional connections with consumers.
Know as much about your cause as possible.
This will allow you to appeal to consumers emotionally.
Advertisements and donation requests made from a place of strong emotion will gain you more attention and money.
- Use things like videos and images. If viewers can see and hear the impact of something, they’re more likely to help. You can, for example, show images from animal testing facilities.
- See if you can find well-known people to help advocate for your cause. A celebrity endorsement can really bring out people’s emotions.
Continue to build your network.
As your company grows, continue to network.
This will allow you to maintain strength over the years and enact positive change in the world.
- Attend conferences, funding events, and other events centered around charity and social entrepreneurs. Find people and organizations to collaborate with that advocate for causes similar to yours.
- Don’t be shy. Walk up to people you’re interested in working with, strike up conversations, and pass out your business card.
im ok meme:
Keep things fun.
Consumers are more likely to donate when they’re having fun.
Develop things like games, challenges, and phone applications.
Use your marketing and creative team to your advantage to create fun.
Engaging media that will encourage consumers to give.
Build up resources.
Always look for ways to slash your budget and save resources.
It’s important to have a nest egg in place in the event of a major disaster or setback.
Operating on as small a budget as possible can help you in the event of an emergency.
- After writing up your business budget, try to cut costs in half wherever possible.
- Take out a savings account and put any spare money you have into it. If something goes wrong, a nest egg can save your charity or non-profit.
im ok meme:
Keep evolving over time.
Remember, you should run your non-profit or charity much like a business.
If you want to be successful in running a business, evolution is important.
You will need to be flexible and adjust your marketing strategies and business model to keep up with recent trends.
- Pay attention to shifts in your industry. Hire a market research team to keep you up to date on the latest trends and how to best adapt your strategies.
- Learn new ways to appeal to donors. Take note of successful charity drives and awareness campaigns in the headlines. Adjust your approach accordingly.
Remember your mission.
Becoming any kind of entrepreneur can be stressful at times.
You may have some bad days or bad months, and there will be failure along the way.
If you feel lost, remember your cause.
Recall why you got involved, to begin with.
Remembering your cause can help you stay on track and generate new ideas when you feel burnt out.
- It’s always a good idea to learn more about your cause.
- Follow any news regarding the issue you’re fighting for. This can help you keep up your motivation.
Tags: im ok meme