CONNECT TO YOUR CUSTOMER WITH VALUABLE CONTENT

 

Many Impact Entrepreneurs enjoy being creative. As such, they like to put a lot of time, money and energy, into content production. Unfortunately, this content rarely delivers the hoped-for results. With the right content strategy, you can convert potential customers into loyal ambassadors.

 

Create Content for every phase of the Customer Journey

Connection is the key to building a sustainable business. You want to build relationships that last for the long term. You want to create a real network of loyal partners, teams, investors and, of course, customers. In traditional marketing, we talk about the Customer Journey. These are the steps a customer takes from the first moment they hear about you and your product until they become loyal ambassadors. There are 5 steps or phases in this process.

 

Phase 1: I notice you in the Awareness Phase

The Awareness Phase is the first stage of the marketing or sales funnel. Potential customers notice your brand or company for the first time. This is an extremely important contact moment because potential customers get a first impression of your brand’s identity, values, products and services.

If you create content for this stage, it should showcase the essence of your company and your key products. Make sure you invest time and budget to create high-quality content. This is how you will make a strong first impression. Original owned content that works very well in this phase is a book, a keynote presentation, web videos, a blog series, an app or a game. If you create time-proof content, it can be used multiple times for a longer period of time.

Test and verify which content works best for your primary audience. For this content, you can then set up a campaign and run ads. This will help you attract a lot of attention in a short period of time. Choosing the media channels that work best for you is another part that requires testing. Different audiences require different approaches and different media channels. Today, all media can be measured. Both digital and offline media have useful statistics. The most widely used social media channels for both publishing and advertising are LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. Remember to research and include traditional media as well, such as radio, TV, print and billboards.

 

Phase 2: I research you in the Consideration Phase

In the Consideration Phase potential customers actively look for information and solutions. They compare different products and prices. They look into all possible options before taking the decision to purchase. In this phase you will have to build trust and show the value you have to offer. You will have to demonstrate how your product or service can be a solution for the customer’s problem. This phase is critical in guiding potential buyers towards making a final purchase decision.

In this phase you will need to create content that is both informative and engaging. Your content will have to answer the questions and needs of the consumer in this phase. So make sure you know what these questions and needs are. Once you identified these, you can create the tailored content to adress these specific topics. Content types that work really well in this phase are case studies, testimonials, success stories… but also how-to videos, mini-trainings, whitepapers, ebooks and blogs.

As the potential customer is actively searching for information, you have to make sure that your content is shown. Google is still the main search engine so make sure take care of SEO, search Engine Optimization. Also Search Engine Advertizing can be helpful when you choose your keywords right. Youtube is also used as a search engine. Having videos with the right titles and settings, is key to have your content pop-up. Advertizing on Youtube or Social Media advertizing in general can pay off.

 

Phase 3: I choose you in the Decision Phase

In the Decision Phase, the customer makes the choice to buy. For lower-priced products, this may be an impulse purchase, a quick decision to buy on the spot in the shop. For most higher-priced products and services, the customer will first ask for a conversation or meeting with the sales team. In this conversation, it is important to unveil and understand the customer’s concerns, obstacles and reservations. Some common topics include cost, free trials, customer service, reviews, warranties, product maintenance and so on.

Content for this phase should address these specific concerns and help the customer overcome the obstacle. I like to create flipbooks for products that include the solution, key features, what is and isn’t included, the buying process, frequently asked questions and customer success stories. If you have several product variations, a product compass works really well. These are sequernces of questions with multiple choice answers that will lead the customer to the perfect product. Also live webinars or live meetings are most effective because customers can ask questions and share obstacles which you can address on the spot.

If you want to sell your products online, you need some kind of webshop. For some low-priced products, it can be advantageous to use a shared webshop that allows different suppliers to sell their products online. Some well-known examples are Amazon.com and Bol.com, also Google and social networks like Facebook offer some sales opportunities. But if your products are more exclusive, you will need your own converting website and webshop.

 

Phase 4: I am happy in the Retention Phase

In the Retention Phase, you want to keep your customer happy, satisfied and engaged. After they have made the initial purchase, you want to make sure the customer gets the maximum value and enjoyment from this purchase. You want to follow up proactively and connect with your customer on a deeper level. You want to understand the customer’s struggles and frustrations, but also the successes. As you get to know your customer better, you can continue to develop new products that offer even more solutions to your customer’s challenges. This makes your customer even happier.

Content for this phase should be inspiring and valuable, interactive and engaging. Such as exclusive content that explains how to use your products most effectively. This could be a manual with instructions, instructional videos or even augmented reality training. You could also consider publishing a periodic magazine for your customers. This could include scoops and inside news on product updates and innovations. You can organise exclusive events for your customers, and so on. Constant communication with your customers is crucial to deepen the bond.

This is the phase when you start thinking about your own online academy or social content platform. Product trainings, product releases, a knowledge base will be a big part of the platform. But just as important is the social interaction, the groups and the chat function that allows you to communicate directly with your customers.

 

Phase 5: I want to help you in the Advocay Phase

In the advocacy phase, your customers are excited about your product. They are often grateful for the solutions you have provided and the difference you have made in their lives. They want to pay you back by becoming advocates for your brand. They share positive experiences on social networks, give testimonials and refer others. They voluntarily promote your brand and encourage others to try your products and services. This is the best marketing you can get. There is no better promotion than word of mouth.

Content creation at this stage actively involves your advocates. You can do an interview with them for publication in your magazine. You can invite them to be speakers at your event. You can ask them to record a video training for your academy. You can involve them in your organisation. Invite them to be active in the groups on your social content platform. And so on.

 

How do you start with your content strategy?

Contrary to what the customer journey may suggest, it is not a good idea to start with first-phase content. Why make it hard on yourself and start with a cold audience in the awareness phase? This is a common misconception. Start with the low-hanging fruit. These are easier to reach and you can pick them faster.

When you start creating content, it is better to produce your content for the warm audience first. So start with your own website and optimise the content so that a warm audience converts. This does not have to be an immediate purchase, it can also be contacting or downloading information. Either way begin with the content that helps your customers research and decide. That is the content as described above for phases 2 and 3, the Consideration Phase and the Decision Phase.

Only when you have tested, adjusted and tweaked this content, it will make sense to start targeting cold audiences. Only then is it worth investing time, effort and budget into advertising.

In the meantime, think about your existing customers. It takes less time, money and effort to upsell to an existing happy customer than to bring in a new one. Sometimes people think that phases 4 and 5 are only for the big brands. Nothing could be further from the truth. Often, the very first customers can grow into ambassadors very quickly. Even before you start investing in phase 1 and start approaching a cold audience.

 

Take your content to the next level

Would you like to explore how we can help you connect with your customers in every phase of the Customer Journey? Meet our team leaders and discuss how we can help you with your content strategy, your content creation, your website and platform setup.

BUILD A LOYAL AND FLEXIBLE TEAM

 

If you want to grow your Impact Project, you will need to grow your team. Working with freelancers or outsourcing is a flexible way to start. But if you want people to stick around, you will need to create an inspiring work environment. People crave meaningful work where they have the space to contribute, can be creative and take pride in their work. Here are some things you can keep in mind when building a flexible and loyal team of experts that will grow with you every step of the way.

 

Align values and expectations

If you have the intention to build a sustainable working relationship, you better start by connecting. This means you are truly interested in getting to know the other person. Not only skills and talents but also mindset and attitude, drive and needs. Whether you want to work with freelancers, outsourced team or employees, you’ll always have to align values and expectations. When it comes to freelancers they might have specific needs. Maybe they value variety and enjoy supporting different projects at the same time. Maybe they enjoy working with different people because they can learn a lot that way. Maybe they find it important to manage their own agendas. Maybe they dream of spending a year living abroad with their family and working remotely. Maybe this is a way for them to earn more net. Whatever the reason, this way of working probably suits their values and lifestyle. However, I often see people on LinkedIn who announce their start as freelance consultants in high spirits, soon realize that it is not what they expected and then start looking for a job again. If you have concrete plans to hire these profiles permanently in the near future, it can be a good way to start a collaboration. If you do not have the intention to hire, you might be better of with outsourcing or freelancers who wouldn’t want it any other way. So always have an open in-depth conversation to understand their values, needs and expectations both in the short and in the long run. Make sure these expectations align with the needs of your organization as well as your vision on how you want to work together, now and in the future.

 

Have clear pricing agreements

There are several ways you can determine prices. The most common pricing arrangements are or based on hours or results or a mix of both. The nature of the work is the determining factor here. If you want somebody to be available and work for specific timeslots, you can make an agreement based on price per hour. For instance, when you are looking for a person who needs to be in your office at the reception desk, welcome visitors and answer the phone from 8 am to 12 am, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is a pretty straightforward assignment and a price per week can be negotiated. Another way of calculating fees is based on delivery of a specific well-defined outcome. This is absolutely my favorite when working with professionals. Especially when people work partly home based or remotely, it is better to link the fee to the outcome. There are a lot of services for which you can agree a fixed price such as designing your website, writing a weekly blog article, produce videos for your socials or creating a flipbook. However, I notice that many freelancers are not used to working this way and tend to underestimate the workload it might take to do the job. Also, they might give you their best price as they want to get the assignment. This can lead to two ultimate scenarios. The first scenario, respecting the price that was agreed upon but resulting in the freelancer feeling frustrated and underpaid. The second scenario, making an invoice with higher fee then was agreed upon, resulting in an unhappy client. Either way this leads to friction and frustration and has a negative impact on the working relationship. When I negotiate outcome-based pricing with freelancers, I always ask to give me the price for worst case scenario. Together we go through the process and the steps that need to be made, estimating a duration for all steps in the workflow, clarifying who is doing what exactly. So, we agree on price and process. If things go smoother then outlined, I welcome freelancers to give a discount. The more we work together the smoother it should go, and the more discount can be given. I find this a pleasant way to create a healthy basis for a long-term collaboration. Making agreements this way also allows you to set clear pricing for your services to your buyers. Many organizations like to give discounts to onboard new clients. This makes no sense to me. The first collaboration is the one that takes a lot of start-up effort. You need to get to know each other, streamline the communication, create a system, test the workload, and then optimize the workflow. Therefor I prefer to make correct prices to new clients, that is a price that allows us to overdeliver and create quality work. While at the same time making the profit we need to keep growing and keep helping more Impact Projects. Once we are working together for a longer time and workflows have been optimized, then we can give discounts to our loyal clients. Thus, we build a sustainable relationship on trust and quality both with the customer and with the team.

 

Make space for the team

As your Impact Project grows you will have to delegate more and more. That is often a learning process for the Impact Entrepreneur. You must let go, stop micro-managing, and make space for the professional to bring in his creativity. If you want to control it all, you will slow things down as you will become the bottleneck in your organization. As an illustration, this week in a mentoring session an Impact Entrepreneur realized that 6 months ago she only wanted a freelancer to execute her ideas. There was no space for the input of the freelancer. While today she can see and appreciate the creativity and the added value of working with professionals. Thus, growing her project to the next level, in a way she herself would never have thought of. So create space. You might want to start with an all-round assistant. But as you grow you will soon notice you need different specialized professionals. There is administration, bookkeeping, product development, sales, IT, press management, marketing, workflow optimization, media production, automation … Even if you think you can do it better, and for some things you will probably be right, it is still impossible to do it all yourself. At a certain moment you won’t even have the time to follow-up on every freelancer in person. You will need team managers and project managers to do that for you. Building a team is a skill. Mind you a team is not the same as a group of individual professionals. A team is in tune and connected. It is a collective of professionals who lift each other up and work together smoothly, efficiently, and pleasantly. This takes mentoring, training, and time. But once a team is ready to become self-directed, that’s the greatest thing. I feel really blessed with the teams that surround me. I can confidently leave everything to the team managers. This not only creates opportunities for the entire team to grow. This also gives me the space to start new Impact Projects and build new teams again. Thus the circle of the QP Quest is made complete again and another cycle can begin.

 

Build a loyal team with the QP Quest

The QP Quest is not only an approach that grows your Impact Project in a sustainable way. It is also an approach that supports each team member to learn and grow, both professionally and personally. Therefore, everyone we work closely with is also invited to participate in the QP Quest mentoring program. This includes all assistants, managers and professionals involved in our Impact Projects. In this way, we create a thriving work environment where people can create, connect and care. So we create a loyal and flexible team of entrepreneurs and professionals that love working with us.

Would you like to experience what it’s like to work with dedicated assistants, managers and teams? Check out the flipbook to discover flexible outsourcing solutions that can also help you professionalize and grow your Impact Project.

 

SALES IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK

 

When I ask Impact Entrepreneurs about their biggest challenge, the answer is often ‘sales’. They invest a lot of time in social media and the number of followers on their channels. Nice, but not very effective in the early stages. Getting followers and generating sales are two different strategies. To bring in your first customers, you don’t even need a website. All you need to do is organize sales meetings and make follow-up calls.

This week we started a new QP Quest mentoring group. All driven Impact Entrepreneurs who want to make a sustainable difference. Each and every one of them has a great project and a compelling story that they tell with great enthusiasm. Yet it proves difficult to convince investors. Yet it is difficult to get more paying customers. Why is it that sales remains such a big challenge for many Impact Entrepreneurs? Here are some explanations.

 

Believing that selling is not necessary

A whole market has emerged for entrepreneurs who don’t like selling. Providers capitalize on this, telling the story that selling is no longer necessary in this digital age. They promise that you can effortlessly market your product online and become rich while you are sleeping. You have to be on social media and gather as many followers as possible. You have to advertise on Facebook and LinkedIn. You need to invest in SEO. You need to write a book. You have to start a podcast. You have to build an online platform. And so on and so forth. Indeed, if your Impact Business is standing and profitable, then these elements can be part of your growth strategy. Actually, I highly value content creation as a lead generation strategy, but only in the scale-up and sustain-up phase of the QP Quest. It takes time, expertise and budget to set up and optimize such marketing strategies. Most start-ups do not have either the time, expertise or financial resources. In that phase, you can’t escape it. You will have to start a direct conversation with potential customers, partners, investors. You’ll simply have to sell your concept, your product or your service.

 

Being afraid of being perceived as a salesperson

It starts with the perception and definition of sales. What is the prototype of a salesperson? A salesperson who wants to force his product on everyone? A sales caller who rattles off a phone script on autopilot? A door-to-door salesman who gets aggressive if you don’t buy? Logically, no one wants to identify with that image. I’m not going to deny that these salespeople exist out there. Still, I choose to have a different image of salespeople. In my vision, a salesperson is someone who genuinely cares about the customer. Someone who wants to think along with the client to find a solution for a challenge. Someone who only sells when the product or service can help the customer move forward. Someone who refers when another provider has a better solution. Those are the salespeople I like to buy from. Those are also the salespeople I like to engage in my sales team. By selling this way, you lay the foundation for your business based on integrity and win-win-win. From this foundation, you can grow your organization sustainably.

 

Wanting to do everything themselves or delegating everything

I often see the extremes. On the one hand, the entrepreneur who wants to maintain all control and therefore does all sales himself. Of course, this is not sustainable and cannot be maintained in the long run. On the other hand, the entrepreneur who lets go of the whole commercial side and delegates it to employees or partners. This is not an ideal situation either. If the entrepreneur is not in touch with the end customer, the sales strategy cannot be tweaked. So then what is an effective approach? Here is my favorite strategy. The entrepreneur himself closes the first sales deals in his network. That way he or she gets immediate feedback. Thus, product and story can be adjusted and optimized based on the needs and requirements of end customers. Thus, an optimal sales strategy can be established with clear guidelines. Only then can a sales team be trained in this strategy. Only then can sales be effectively delegated for certain customer profiles. And even then, there will always be contacts that you, as the business owner, are better off following up on yourself. Either way, it is a must that every employee, every partner, and even certain customers know and are involved in the sales strategy.

 

Hiding that they want to close a deal

Selling is about connecting with the customer to have a sales-oriented conversation. The purpose of the conversation must be clear to everyone up front. Expectations must be aligned so that the potential customer is not surprised when you propose a solution and make an offer. A good illustration of this is the story of the entrepreneur with a Wellness Center. He was inviting Impact Investors to come and relax in his facilities. When they did he found it very difficult to start talking about business so he didn’t. Of course, that’s not how it works. He should have invited potential investors to come and talk about investment opportunities, with or without the opportunity to use his facilities afterwards. That would have been a more transparent and effective approach. It doesn’t matter if you conceal things out of shame or fear of rejection, whether you do so consciously or unconsciously. From the client’s perspective, this can feel like a hidden agenda, manipulation and even scamming. You cannot build a constructive partnership this way. Only from integrity, win-win-win thinking and transparent communication can you build lasting relationships.

 

Talking too much

As an Impact Entrepreneur, you are super enthusiastic about your project. For sure, you have a lot to tell about your passion and your projects. The key is to find a balance between talking and listening. On the one hand, you ask questions and let the customer or investor have their say. On the other hand, you can respond, tell your story, and clarify what solutions you have. What you say and how you say it determines the outcome of the conversation. Many people are not aware of what they say and what impact it has on the other person in the conversation. Choosing the right words is crucial. So is asking the right questions. There is an art to also hearing what is not being said. What keeps someone from saying yes when rationally there is such a clear win-win-win? Selling starts with listening and understanding. The best salespeople are intuitive and can put themselves in the shoes of the other person.

 

Make your sales flow

To summarize, you need 3 things to get flow in your sales: focus, mindset and skills. A sales strategy helps you focus. This can be a simple action plan, as long as sales is a priority. Transform your own beliefs and those of your team regarding sales. Redefine selling as an enjoyable interaction with the people for whom you have a solution. Develop your sales and communication skills by doing, by sharing experiences and by asking for feedback. Don’t procrastinate. Start scheduling your weekly sales calls and make sure you follow up on them.

Connect with like-minded Impact Entrepreneurs

Do you want to practice and get feedback on your sales approach? Do you want to exchange sales experiences and learn from other Impact Entrepreneurs? Would you like to explore partnership opportunities and discover how we can support each other as Impact Entrepreneurs?

If so, I like to invite you to the next open online gathering. An overview of the planned Connection Calls can be consulted on www.QuantumPreneur.com/calendar.

GET FUNDING FOR YOUR SOCIAL PROJECT

 

We often receive requests from social projects asking for our help with funding. When I inquire about the figures, I receive an extensive excel sheet with all expected expenses and costs. But I rarely find anything about the expected income. Yet it’s simple, you don’t have a sustainable project if there is no money coming in. You need to create a social business. Here are some income and funding strategies that can provide a solution.

 

YOU NEED AN INCOME STRATEGY

Just this week I talked to someone who wants to start a new regional school. The vision, mission and values had been worked out in great detail. So were the didactic approach, the team and the materials needed. What was missing was the income strategy. When I asked about that, I got the resentful reply, ‘But, we are non-profit’. As if a nonprofit should not plan actions to bring in revenue. No project can exist sustainably on occasional donations. Not even an internationally rooted humanitarian venture like the Red Cross. Every year they plan an annual sticker campaign, now it’s band-aids, to generate extra income for the regional chapters.

If you want your social project to succeed, you too have to take actions to generate income. You need a strategy that ensures you have the funding for major purchases and investments on the one hand. You need a strategy for recurring income so you can pay for your operational costs, on the other. Here are some possible income and funding strategies that you too can implement for your social project, aka social business.

 

Connect with Impact Investors

Impact investors like to support social and humanitarian projects but also like to see profits. By no means does this have to be contradictory, quite the contrary. This way Impact Investors support those projects that are more viable in the longer term. So, if you want to convince Impact Investors, you will have to demonstrate the potential of your project for both social impact and financial return. In fact, the QP Canvas was developed for this purpose. Impact Investing is fairly new and trendy. Apparently, it looks good to position yourself as an Impact Investor on certain social platforms. Be sure you do your research and connect with serious impact investors that align with your project’s goals and values.

 

Pre-sell your service

Turn your social project into a social business. Develop a product or service that delivers value. Offer this to a large party in pre-sales. Ideally, you offer your product to the end customer because this is ultimately the one who will benefit. If you have a social project in line with the (local) government, you can possibly offer this service to the government as well. To win government contracts, you need a clear vision, mission, and plan. The reputation and credibility of partners will also be decisive in this process.

 

Run a crowdfunding campaign

Crowdfunding is a way to raise money from a wide audience through an online platform. It often involves smaller amounts of money borrowed for several years. This is a very low-threshold way to start but therefore not always successful. You need a large network of followers and fans who know you and want to support you. This requires a serious effort in marketing and communication. Therefore, I prefer to use Crowdfunding as a marketing and branding tool in the scale-up phase of the QP Quest. It is less effective and less suitable as a funding tool in the start-up phase.

 

Offer Impact Lending

Often family and friends are first approached to lend money or even put money into a new project. This is a delicate matter. If things go wrong and you can’t repay then it affects your private relationships. Especially if larger amounts are involved. Also, when borrowing money from third parties, it is always safer to work with an intermediary that supports Impact Projects. With Impact Lending, your social project gets the funding you need. At the same time, lenders are assured that they will be paid their returns and principal as agreed, even when your social business is not yet generating the revenue to do so itself.

 

Sell shares

Investors pay a sum of money and in return they become co-owners of your social venture. This can be very interesting for you. Sometimes it is better to own a small part of a large social business, than a large part of a smaller social business. Ownership of shares does not automatically mean control in the company. You can sell shares without control. Often, however, a large shareholder will make it a condition to also have a say. When this is an experienced party, this can even be an advantage. The investor can then also be a mentor and tap into his network and resources. Of course, this only works when you are aligned and share the same vision, mission, strategy, and values.

 

Get grant or non-recurring loan

There are opportunities to apply for grants or non-recurring loans, through various governments and foundations. If you apply, tailor your proposal to the specific interests and requirements. Make sure you demonstrate the potential impact of your social, humanitarian or environmental project. When it comes to relatively small amounts, the procedures and administrative workload are often manageable. But when it comes to larger amounts, my experience is that it takes a lot of work to set up all kinds of documents while the chance of success is rather low. Grants often cover only a small part of the total cost. Therefore, I see this as an extra, but certainly not as the most important stream of income for social projects.

 

Negotiate supplier credit

If you are temporarily unable to pay for certain services, you can also partner with the providers of those services. If you serve the same target market, I’m sure there are ways to create a win-win-win where each party receives what they need. I am not in favor of pure barter deals. These are often not sustainable in the long run. Moreover, those negotiations are often time intensive and you don’t always reach an agreement. It is more sustainable, and often faster, to negotiate payment terms and a partner price. That way, you may pay later, or less, but you pay correctly for the services and products you need.

 

Issue Social Impact Bonds (SIBs)

Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) are a type of public-private partnership to finance social projects. A private investor provides working capital for a social project. The social business in charge provides a service to the public sector. In return, the public sector pays for the service provided. If the social business is not successful, the investor receives no return and no refund of the principal. SIBs are designed to transfer risk from government and service providers to investors. These are complex financial instruments and this is certainly not appropriate for every project.

 

Get sponsors

This is for you when you have built a powerful brand that stands for a clear message. In that case, it may be of interest to certain high-capital parties to be associated with your brand. Note. This works in 2 directions. If your sponsors also have a strong brand, then your brand will be associated with this brand too. So it is important to be selective and choose your sponsors wisely. It is not enough that they have the same goal, they must also subscribe to the same values. More so the perception of the outside world must be that your sponsors endorse the same values. A market survey on this is always recommended before committing to a potential sponsor.

 

 

YOU NEED AN INVESTMENT STRATEGY

The above strategies can help you generate independant income streams. But this is only part of the story. Next question is how will you manage this income in the best possible way. The Red Cross, for example, has 3 major income streams: sales of goods and services, donations and return on investment! Yes, a healthy humanitarian organization not only makes profits but also manages those profits smartly so that income is generated from those investments. Therefor, an investment strategy is an indispensable part of any sustainable income and funding strategy.

LET’S CONNECT

Are you looking for new opportunities to optimize your income, funding or investment strategy? You are most welcome to contact us by mail or join us in the free Connection Call.

FROM QUANTUM THINKING TO QUANTUM BEING

 

Time has shown that classical science cannot explain everything. Studies contradict each other or hit a wall. Still, the principles of classical science are deeply embedded in our daily thinking and doing. When I began to delve into quantum physics, I quickly realized that I had to forget everything I had ever been taught. For me, this was the beginning of a new way of thinking and being, and thus a new way of doing business and making investments. Yes, this was even the start of a new lifestyle.

 

7 QUANTUM PRINCIPLES

Quantum physicists have made several disruptive discoveries. Over the past few years, I explored how to apply these in my daily life. I am happy to share with you how these quantum principles help me thrive, both as an Impact Entrepreneur and as an Impact Investor.

 

1. You are a creator

Whatever it is that you want to establish, whatever goal you want to achieve, it already exists in the Quantum field. It is the presence of the observer that determines the single outcome. As humans we have an amazing creative power. Be conscious of what you wish for. When you take the right action at the right time, it can become reality. Even when things are going other directions and are taking longer than you had expected. You still are and always will be a creator.

 

2. Everything is possible

In the Quantum field there is no duality. You do not have to choose. There are no dilemmas. Shift your thinking from ‘or-or’ to ‘and-and’. You do not have to choose between being a successful entrepreneur OR being a good parent. You can be both a successful entrepreneur AND have time to spend with your family. Visualizing your ideal ‘and-and’ life, is the first step to creating it.

 

3. There is always a solution

Even if you do not know yet, how you will do it, or with whom you will do it. There is always a way. Just start and go for it. Yes, there will be challenges on the way. You will overcome fears and step out of your comfort zone. You might have to become visible and share your story with the world. In the end, when the right people connect at the right time, you will see that the impossible can happen.

 

4. Everybody is interconnected

We are all connected to one another. With everything you think and do, you create a ripple effect. You can make the conscious choice to create a sustainable ripple impact for the benefit of all. You can choose to be an Impact Entrepreneur and an Impact Investor. Whichever way you go, always think win-win-win and grant others their successes. When a person, a project or a business thrives, all stakeholders, as well as society, will benefit.

 

5. It’s a self-regulating field

As humans, we are part of a self-regulating field. This quantum field will always seek balance. Sometimes it is necessary for you to take action. Sometimes it is better to sit back and do nothing for a while. Then all you must do is relax. Trust that the quantum field will do what it is supposed to do. Meanwhile, do stay attentive and be ready to move when it is your time to play.

 

6. Use the knowledge of the quantum field

Making decisions is part of life. When it comes to making the right decision, ratio alone is often a poor counsellor. Also intuition, gut feeling, dreams, hunches … are valuable sources of inspiration and knowing. You can train yourself to tap into this knowing using meditation, fieldsurfing and channeling. Regular practice can help you to make the best business and investment decisions.

 

7. Expect the unexpected

We live in a complex and uncertain world. You can’t understand everything, and you don’t have to pursue that. What you can do, however, is embrace uncertainty. Get out of your comfort zone and accept the challenge. It will unlock new levels of growth and innovation within you. At the same time, be prepared for different scenarios. Spread your risk and take advantage of opportunities that may be outside your comfort zone.

 

QUANTUM IS A LIFESTYLE

When you start applying quantum thinking and doing, it has a gigantic impact on your life. You go from quantum thinking to quantum doing to quantum being. Your values and priorities change. You look at the world in a completely different way. You connect with people on a deeper level. You make choices you never would have dared to make before. Not only does this impact your professional life as an entrepreneur and as an investor. It also impacts your private life, as well as the lives of your family and friends. It’s inevitable, quantum thinking leads to a new lifestyle.

An example of this is the story of QuantumPreneur. It has been 5 years now that we started QuantumPreneur. Since then, the team has grown. Similarly, an increasing number of Impact Entrepreneurs and Impact Investors have connected with us. Sure, we support each other professionally and in growing our businesses. But more importantly, we help each other grow as humans. The QP Quest leads us to a fulfilling lifestyle that also inspires the people around us. Together with our partners, we are co-creating a new way of living with more connection, more freedom, more fulfillment, more authenticity, and more impact.

LET’S CONNECT AND MAKE IMPACT

Would you like to learn more about our Impact Projects, business and lending opportunities? If so, I am looking forward to seeing you on the next Connection Call.

CHOOSE TO GROW
FROM IMPACT ENTREPRENEUR TO IMPACT INVESTOR

 

At the age of 26, I started working at the Belgian television news. It was my dream to become an investigative journalist and travel the world. Reality at the news desk turned out to be quite different. I soon realized there were 2 options. I could stay and hope that one day management would grant me the opportunity to do what I was passionate about. Or I could quit and start doing it right now. Looking into the newsroom, I saw many people who were disappointed and disillusioned in their careers. Like me, they had a passion. They wanted to make a difference by becoming a great journalist or an anchor. Unfortunately, they hadn’t succeeded, and they lost the passion. Yet they continued to do the work because it provided financial security. The thought that there was even the slightest chance that this could happen to me, that was my worst nightmare. So the decision was quickly made. I left and started as a freelancer. A month later I was traveling the world, reporting humanitarian projects from Africa. A year later I had set up my first business: a media house producing empowering stories for broadcasting.

Since then, I have made many more life-changing choices. I chose to embrace the challenges, to continuously learn and grow. This has brought me to where I am today. This has made me who I am today. An Impact Entrepreneur and Impact Investor with a clear purpose: inspire and support other Impact Makers and co-create a new society together. I sincerely wish for everyone to experience the fulfillment of this entrepreneurial journey. But I learned one thing. I can wish it to someone but I can not make it happen for someone. Everyone has to make their own choices and make their own commitments to make it happen. That is the only sustainable way.

 

Grow beyond your comfort zone

It all starts with you and the choices you make. Once you start making conscious choices, you understand that not choosing is also a choice. You choose to do nothing and for a while things may stay the same. But if you want to make a sustainable impact, there is no other way. You will have to grow as a person in order to grow your project. The same applies the other way around. As you grow a project, you yourself will also be growing as a person. So do you consciously choose to make that impact. Do you believe in it? Do you have trust? Do you want to go all the way?

Whatever your Impact Project might be, you will need a strong motivation. The bigger the project, the stronger your drive and your belief must be. Without it you might want to give up at the slightest setback. Of course you will experience a lot of joy and satisfaction. But there are also going to be moments of frustration and disappointment. You will have to deal with your fears and insecurities. You will have to get out of your comfort zone, speak up and show what you stand for. All of this requires an inner drive, a passion, and a rock-solid confidence that you can do it.

In my latest Impact Projects, my drive is my children. I wish for them to grow up in an environment where they can thrive, now and in the future. That is my personal why. That is why in September we start QP College, a high school for the conscious entrepreneurs and leaders of tomorrow. My children will be amongst the first students to start.
Next step is to grow an international network of Micro-Societies. These are self-sufficient ecovillages where conscious Impact Makers can live, learn and work together. The school is of course, an important part in this. Furthermore, we also include biophilic housing, co-working space with media house, vitality facilities, and of course our own healthy food production and energy solutions. This is a huge undertaking that was started in 2019 by 3 people. I must say it was quite a ride and sometimes it was a challenge to keep believing. Today, all three of us have grown and reached the next level. As a result we have taken major steps forward and now all doubt is gone. The Micro-Society Network is coming. In one of my next blogs, I will talk in detail about the Micro-Society in the Netherlands.

 

Grow your project sustainably

To grow your Impact Project, you need different passions. Passion for your project, passion for your product, passion for the people involved, when relevant a passion for the place, but always a passion for profit.

It’s obvious that you need passion for your project. Then you need passion for your service and product that will generate income for your project. You need passion for all the people involved: your team, your clients, your partners and suppliers, your Impact Investors and Impact Lenders. For some projects such as a Micro-Society a passion for the place is helpful. And yes, you always need passion for profit. Even if your primary goal is to make impact and bring social and environmental change. You need to be profitable. You have to be able to pay your expenses, so you can grow sustainably. The more your project grows, the more impact you can make. I already described this path from start-up to scale-up to sustain-up in another blog article about the QP-Quest.

Too often I get questions from people with a great idea, who have passion for the idea but not for the work. They are not interested in setting up the business structure that is necessary for the manifestation. They don’t want to make a product that they can offer and sell. They don’t even want to make profit. This kind of undertaking has a name. It is called a hobby. By definition a hobby is not sustainable and will not continue to make impact long after you’re gone. Serious Impact Investors will not be interested in funding this kind of project. They want their money to make a sustainable and lasting impact.

That brings us to funds and funding. Many startup entrepreneurs think money is the problem. If only they had enough money they could start this or that Impact Project. I have to disappoint you. Money, or the lack of money, is rarely the problem. Usually the problem is a lack of creativity to come up with solutions, or a lack of courage to take action out of the comfort zone. Of course funds can help. But it is still the initiating entrepreneur who will have to commit and make it happen.

 

Grow your ripple impact

When you notice the positive impact you start making with your project, it almost becomes a moral obligation to increase your impact. There are different ways and strategies. You can set up spin-offs or new Impact Projects. You can expand or copy a project to other places. For example, we developed the concept for a Micro-Society in the Netherlands. Following the same principles, Micro-Societies can also be developed in other regions and countries. You can choose to help and support other Impact Entrepreneurs. For example, QuantumPreneur supports Impact Projects with mentoring as well as business services such as virtual assistance, sales funnels, digital products and so on. As an Impact Investor, you can of course help through investments or Win-Win-Win Impact Lending.

My business partner Christiaan Baan is a great example of the driven Impact Entrepreneur who quickly became to be an Impact Investor. When I first told him about QuantumPreneur, its underlying values and goals, he immediately felt that this resonated with him. He jumped and committed himself to make it happen. Today he is an Impact Investor and Impact Lender. He is generating a good return while supporting Impact Projects in a sustainable way: win-win-win. Win for the Impact Project, Win for the Impact Investor and Win for society and planet.

In the end our aim is to help conscious Impact Makers grow as we did, from Impact Entrepreneurs to Impact Investors. Thus creating a sustainable network of people helping each other out both with experience, expertise and funding.

Let’s join forces

Does this purpose resonate with you? If so, I invite you to connect in a live connection call. I’m looking forward to hearing your story.

For Impact Entrepreneurs who choose to grow their Impact Project.
For Impact Investors who choose to explore Impact Lending opportunities.
For Impact Communicators who choose to share experience and expertise.

CREATE A BUSINESS PLAN FOR YOUR IMPACT PROJECT

In recent years, many conscious entrepreneurs have stepped up. They had the time and desire to start or grow Impact Projects. Unfortunately, the number of projects that are successful in the long run is quite small. When you make a business plan, the chances of sustainable success increase significantly.

 

NO SUSTAINABLE IMPACT WITHOUT A PLAN

 

We regularly receive inquiries from enthusiastic people with good ideas. They have started a project, alone or with a few friends. For a while it goes well, but then they run into a problem. They lack time, resources, or knowledge. In short, they get stuck. This is often the point at which they come to us.

Yes, the drive, belief and enthusiasm of the initiator(s) are indispensable for a successful impact project. But they are not enough. When I ask about the purpose of the impact project, I quickly notice that there are many unknowns. There is an idea, a dream, but no clear goal has been set. As a result, a focused action plan is missing.

 

A HOBBY OR A BUSINESS ?

 

Yes but, an Impact Project is not a business, is it? I don’t need to make a business plan for that, do I? This is a common reaction and a misconception.
Do you only want to ‘work’ on your project when you and/or your friends have time and/or feel like it? If that’s the case then the project is just a hobby. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t need to make a business plan for this.
Do you want your Impact Project to make a noticeable difference in the world, now and in the future? Then you want to make sure that your project grows sustainably and continues to exist even when you are no longer around. In this case, you need to make a business plan.

 

START WITH THE QP CANVAS

 

Of course, the values and goals of Impact Projects are somewhat different. Making a financial profit is secondary to positive impact. Still, recurring income must be generated to pay for ongoing expenses.
With the QP Business Manifestation Canvas, QP Canvas for short, you map out the “what, why and how” of your Impact Project. It is a working document that makes clear at a glance what you are going to do, why you are going to do it and how you are going to make it happen. You create the QP Canvas primarily for yourself, to create clarity and a handle. It is a flexible document that grows with you during each step of the QP Quest. You are going to review your QP Canvas regularly, adjust it and make adjustments as needed.

5 QUINTANTS OF THE QP CANVAS

The QP canvas is divided into 5 parts where you go from idea to impact.

 

1. Intention and purpose

Everything starts with the intention of the initiator. This is the idea, the dream, and the positive impact you want to make with the Impact Project.

 

2. Creation

Next, you are going to translate your idea into the concrete win-win-win value that you want to deliver. Win for society and/or planet, win for everyone involved and win for the project itself. This takes shape in one or more products and/or services. You take action to communicate your offering and close the sale. All of these elements are reflected in the startup phase of the QP Quest.

 

3. Connection

Starting and/or scaling up a sustainable Impact Project is not something you do alone. You do it together with your team, your partners, your investors and of course with your customers. You start creating procedures and systems. This is the scale-up phase of the QP Quest.

 

4. Contribution

Now that the foundation of your Impact Project is solid, you can continue to scale up and expand your impact both locally and globally. You now have the time, resources and knowledge to start supporting new Impact Projects yourself. This makes the cycle complete. This quintant returns in the sustain-up phase of the QP Quest.

 

5. Figures

Last but certainly not least, the numbers. This quintant makes it immediately clear what income you need to pay your operating expenses. If you need extra budget to bridge a period of time and/or to make investments, then you will need to set up a financing strategy. Impact Lending may be part of the solution.

Thus, the 5 quintants help manifest your project from energy to matter.

 

THE EXAMPLE OF QUANTUMPRENEUR

 

We walk our talk. QuantumPreneur is itself an Impact Project and we use the QP Canvas in our daily operations. To illustrate, we have highlighted some elements of our QP Canvas as applied to the QuantumPreneur Project.

It is the intention and goal of QuantumPreneur to support Impact Projects from idea to impact. In doing so, we always consider a win-win-win. Win for the Impact Entrepreneurs, Win for the Impact Lenders and Impact Investors, Win for the societies where we roll out our Impact Projects, Win for the QuantumPreneur team, partners and stakeholders.

To support Impact Entrepreneurs we have developed various services and products such as a strategic mentoring program, outsourcing of part-time staff and professionals, funding solutions, the QP Impact Club where Impact Entrepreneurs connect with each other and with Impact Investors, just to name a few. We contribute by continuously supporting new Impact Projects.

In the Co-Creation Circles we connect with experts and professionals worldwide to come up with solutions to today’s challenges. This knowledge and experience is shared in our QP Impact Club so that together we can build a better society with respect for people and planet.

 

EXPLORE MORE SHARINGS

 

If you like to hear more about starting and growing your Impact Project, I welcome you to watch our free QP Quest mini-training. Among other things, we will be talking about the QP Canvas and building your team as well as funding and financing of your Impact Project.

If you prefer to connect in a live meeting, I invite you to join a live Connection Call.
I’m looking forward to connect.

IMPACT ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS A QUEST

 

Coming up with solutions to societal challenges and creating value by implementing those solutions. That’s what being an Impact Entrepreneur is all about. It’s an exciting ride, with ups and downs, but rarely boring.

I have had the privilege and pleasure of being involved in starting and scaling dozens of projects. No two projects are the same. It takes vision, creativity and perseverance to make a business successful. Yet there is one constant. The project and the entrepreneur evolve hand-in-hand. A project cannot grow if the entrepreneur is not ready. Shaping a project from idea to impact, runs simultaneously with the growth process from Impact Entrepreneur to Impact Investor. More than anything else, entrepreneurship is a quest.

START-UP, SCALE-UP AND SUSTAIN-UP WITH THE QP QUEST

During various projects, I noticed that there were a number of steps that reoccurred each time and were crucial to sustainable growth success. I visualized these in the QP Quest model. It became a step-by-step process that can also guide you and your project through the 3 life stages of your business: start-up, scale-up and sustain-up. In reality, however, this is not always a linear process. Depending on your project, certain steps are more or less important. Certain steps come in one or another order. Sometimes you walk a procession of Echternach, go one step forward and then 2 steps back again. Either way, there are 2 steps that are a must in my vision. That is the first step: start with a business plan, and the last step: contribute to new projects. The latter is how we close the circle and create the positive ripple impact that our society so desperately needs today.

1. Create a business plan

Everything hinges on a good business plan. Many people then immediately think of the numbers, but that’s only part of the story. For our Impact Projects, we developed the QP Business Canvas. In this business plan, everything starts with the intention and purpose of the Impact Entrepreneur. What difference do you want to make with your project? What social challenge do you want to provide a solution for? With what product can you create a win-win-win? Who do you want to co-create with? What is your communication and sales strategy? How can you scale up to sustainably increase your positive impact? And yes also, how do you put your whole story into numbers: income, investments and expenses.

 

2. Communicate story

Once you have an initial sense of what you want to do, why you want to do it and how you If you have a project that creates value, there is always a strategy to attract funding. Especially if you have convincingly developed the previous 3 steps. With a start-up, it is common to put in your own money first. Then you start raising money from family and friends. When that money is immediately used to spend on the project, it’s gone. That often creates problems when the money is not earned back quickly enough by the project. But there are other strategies to fund your project. For example, you can safely invest both your own money and the capital raised in exchange for a monthly fixed return. You can use this to pay a return to the investor on the one hand and generate a monthly operating budget for your project on the other. The peace of mind this creates benefits your Impact Project and thus society. Also, this strategy is more attractive to family members and friends, which makes it easier to raise funds. Optionally, the value of the funds can be linked to the prices of gold, silver and lithium. On the eve of an expected rise in precious metals, this is a highly sought-after solution. In our mentoring program, we take a closer look at these and other financing strategies.

 

3. Connect with partners

Making a sustainable impact is not something you do alone. Besides, it’s much more fun together. With multiple partners you can divide the tasks. If the core team is put together correctly then everyone can do what they like most and are best at. The outcome will be way more professional then when you try to do it all yourself. With the right partners, 1 and 1 equals 3. Remember, good agreements make good friends. Ensure a healthy balance of give and take. Talk about mutual desires and expectations. It’s not just about what you want to accomplish together with your Impact Project. It is also about the underlying values that are going to determine how certain choices will be made now and in the future. Remember to always follow your gut feeling when choosing your business partners.
These 3 first steps of the QP Quest, constitute the start-up phase. These steps make your project more grounded, stable and resilient. They lay the foundation you need for sustainable growth in the next phase, the scale-up phase.

 

4. Collect funding

If you have a project that creates value, there is always a strategy to attract funding. Especially if you have convincingly developed the previous 3 steps. With a start-up, it is common to put in your own money first. Then you start raising money from family and friends. When that money is immediately used to spend on the project, it’s gone. That often creates problems when the money is not earned back quickly enough by the project. But there are other strategies to fund your project. For instance, you can safely invest both your own money and the capital raised, and use the return on that investment to generate a monthly operating budget. This gives you as a starting entrepreneur an immediate income. The peace of mind thus created also benefits your Impact Project and thus society. Also for familly members and friends, this strategy is much more attractive and secure. Moreover, the value of the funds can be linked to the prices of gold, silver and lithium. On the eve of an expected rise in precious metals, this is a most wanted solution. In our mentoring program, we take a closer look at these and other financing strategies.

 

5. Cultivate team

Once you have secured funding, you can begin expanding your team. You can start with a virtual assistant to whom you can delegate administrative tasks. Furthermore, you need someone who makes sure sales deals are closed every month. Investing in a good sales representative is a must. In consultation with sales, you can provide someone who also takes care of the necessary sales material, lead generation and communication on social media. The larger your team gets the more important it becomes to pay attention to team communication. There is a big difference between a group of individuals each doing their own work and a team working constructively together. The latter requires extra attention and effort from management. Make sure every individual gets the support, trust and resources to create value by using his or her unique talents in a creative way.

 

6. Construct system

The more people that are involved in your project the more important it becomes to work out procedures. This provides guidance, clarity and structure. This ensures efficiency and predictability. This also allows automation of repetitive tasks such as automatic lead generation by a fully automated converting website. Measuring is knowing. With a sales system you know how much turnover you will get each month and which bills can be paid. With a marketing system, you know what communications you need to make the impact you want. As your team grows you might want to set up your own academy. If it fits your business model you can develop an online membership product or even an online academy for your customers. You can easily scale up these systems. You can choose to share and exchange online content, systems and procedures with partners or likeminded regional organizations.
Steps 4 to 6 of the QP Quest, constitute the scale-up phase. You now have created recurring income streams for different products or services. The team is working together constructively, and all noses are pointed in the same direction. Now, the project is organized in such a way that it can continue successfully even if the founders choose to no longer be actively involved in day-to-day operations. You are ready to enter the sustain-up phase where your organization becomes more and more resilient. The likelihood of your organization continuing to exist grows exponentially. No matter what happens you have options and alternative solutions.

 

7. Convert to resources

Economic markets go through ups and downs. Just as it is wise for families to set aside money and invest for worse times and/or a rainy day. So is it with organizations and businesses. Especially in uncertain times such as today, it is good to set aside some of the profits for shorter or longer periods of time. You might consider Impact Lending or investing in real estate, farm land, mining, commodities, precious metals and/or safe financial products that allow you to maintain your purchasing power. If you also want to spread risk geographically, you can make a nice mix of investments in and outside Europe. If you are thinking about expanding internationally, this may also be the time to reorganize and restructure. You may find it useful to start a branch outside of Europe as well. Thus, your organization becomes relatively crisis-proof and truly sustainable for the future.

 

8. Continue creating impact

Always remember why you started your project. Keep tweaking where necessary to continue to make an impact for the benefit of society. Times change, needs change and opportunities arise. Perhaps there are now other ways or tools to help you increase your impact. Make adjustments where necessary, but always respect the company’s regenerative DNA. Always consider the win-win-win principle. Provide a win for everyone involved in the project: the customers, the suppliers, the team and partners, the founders, the investors and win for the greater good, society and the planet.
That said, there is yet another way for you to make even more impact. When you have arrived at this step you have grown immensely as an Impact Entrepreneur and also as an Impact Investor. You undoubtedly have an inspiring story and masses of knowledge and experience. Now the time has come to inspire and motivate others. Do you dream of writing a book? Do you want to be on stage as a speaker? Do you want to become a mentor or a trainer? Just connect, I’m looking forward to hearing and sharing your story.

 

9. Contribute to new projects

Those who reach this final step have a lot to be grateful about. You don’t achieve this overnight, and you don’t do this alone. This takes a team effort as well as a network that supports you and grant you your success. Step 9 is an opportunity to pay it forward, an opportunity to support another project or start a new spin-off, an opportunity to leave a legacy. You can choose to invest time and be a mentor for new ventures. You can choose to contribute financially. Reaching this step is the ultimate goal in the QP Quest. Because every new project is creating a new ripple Impact. At the same time, the new project enhances the impact of other collaborating ventures. Either way, it’s what drives me forward. The more projects we can support, the more difference we can make.

 

JOIN ME ON THIS QP QUEST

If you are an Impact Entrepreneur, you are invited to join me on the QP Quest. You can start exploring the free training.
If you are an Impact Investor, you are welcome to connect. Opportunities are waiting for you.

Let’s join forces and co-create this new society where our children can thrive and be the free minded explorers and entrepreneurs they are born to be.

Let’s create, connect and care.