Archive for December, 2010

As you all know, A Different Business Community is an environment for daredevils and eccentric startups and small businesses who are ” wired differently.” We find methods to intertwine business metrics and social change, to create business models.

Sounds weird? Don’t worry, most people don’t understand it, and we understand that we’re going against all odds. We’re using business methods and defying business gravity. It takes us longer, calls for more persistence and endurance, and makes us sometimes want to cut the ties of business purpose that binds us…until we realize we can’t. 

So periodically, we’ll hone in on other “oddballs” whose primary purpose in business is to measure the effect they have on people…on a community…on society…on the world…

A Different Business. This month, I’ve fallen in love with The Good Everyday Project. A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to be interviewed by a host I consider to be a renaissance thought leader–Paul Wilson Jr.–on his social-change-provoking show, Passion in Action TV.  The session, called Creating Income Through Impact, had another guest–Dewitt Robinson. As I listened to Dewitt talk about The Good Everyday Project that he had started, I was moved.

What They Do. The Good Everyday Project is centered around this simple concept: small doses of kindness done on a consistent basis, can help to make a difference. The project donates a $1 a day to an organization that is creating some change within their community. You may think that this amount is nothing. In actuality, it’s everything. The help that this project gives is not just in the form of a dollar bill–it showcases these organizations and provides an outlet for others to learn about and donate to their causes. Most importantly, the project shows that some people complain about problems or extricate themselves from problems, while others roll up their sleeves for a not-so-glamorous business.

Another thing worth mentioning, a $1 a day means a whole lot in other countries as well. Take my native land Liberia for example, $1 U.S. dollar is currently equivalent to $70 Liberian dollars.  So just in case you’re underestimating the value of giving whatever you can, albeit small, to help someone else’s dream, remember that what you take for granted could be gold to another person.

What You Can Do To Help. Since the project is in its test phase, there are a lot of changes that could be made to increase the impact made. Your support could make a difference. The Good Everyday Project is moving at a consistent pace and you can follow their momentum by clicking on the link provided. They recently added a ChipIn button to accept donations. Please donate your dollar (or more) to help the project continue its momentum.  Once you’ve contributed, mention your business name and they can add a link to your small business website as well (this is optional).

And if you know of a project or business that is making strides for change, I would love to learn more about it. Please leave a comment and link in the comment section below.

Cheryl Isaac is the author of the book, A Different Business, and the founder of A Different Business club. She helps startups create business models that make a difference. She is a business writer who contributes articles to various magazines, and she blogs weekly for Entrepreneur. You can chat with her on Facebook or YouTube.