Tip 73: Start a movement

When you take action or take on a personal cause, what you do can help inspire other people to make a difference as well. You’d be surprised how big an impact one person can have. Your one simple act can set off a series of events that inspires others to do, dream, imagine, and ultimately be more.

Examples

  1. Check out how the simple act of buying a fun pass at Caine’s Arcade changed one young man’s life, and inspired a movement that got kids all over the world to explore their creativity with cardboard.
  2. American Express created a movement around shopping small businesses. By thinking up and promoting Small Business Saturday for the Saturday after American Thanksgiving, the company has been able to get millions of shoppers to participate. Estimated spending in 2012 was around $5.5 billion.

Suggestions

  1. The movement isn’t about your business. It is all about the greater good. So once you have your idea, enlist the help of others to spread the word and mobilize support to march toward your goal.
  2. The movement can be loosely connected to your business. But if you can tie the efforts of the movement into aspects of your business or your culture, it’ll help you do a better job of leading the way in terms of the advocacy of what you are trying to accomplish.

Application for your business

  1. Make a list of three causes related to your business that you could start a movement around.
  2. Write down three people and or organizations to engage the assistance of to help mobilize support and gain momentum for your movement.

Previous tips

1-22. Section 1: Build a relationship with your customers (series)

23-48. Section 2: Make your customers’ lives better (series)

49-62. Section 3: Reward your customers (series)

63. Be cool (code for be yourself)

64. Love what you do (and let it show)

65. Give your business some G.A.S.

66. Have awesome people

67. Take care of your awesome people

68. Be remarkable

69. Be memorable

70. Shake things up

71. Be awesome in unexpected small ways

72. Be awesome in unexpected big ways