350 | Creating a 2025 Growth Plan for Your Impact Business with Paul Zelizer

Paul Zelizer is a business coach and consultant that has specialized in supporting social entrepreneurs for the past 17 years.  And, he's the host of the Awarepreneurs podcast - which is now one of the longest running social entrepreneur podcasts in the world. In this solo episode, Paul walks you through 4 strategies to help you create an effective 2025 growth plan for your impact business.

This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Episode Transcript with Paul Zelizer, CEO of Awarepreneurs and Zelizer Consulting

NOTE: While it’s not perfect, we offer this transcript and the below summaries by Castmagic for those who are hearing impaired or who don’t find listening to a podcast enjoyable or possible.

You can read the full transcript of this episode here

Key Topics on Creating a 2025 Growth Plan for Your Impact Business with Paul Zelizer

Introduction

  • Welcome to the Awarepreneurs podcast by Paul Zelizer.

  • Milestone celebration: Episode 350 and seven and a half years of podcasting.

  • Appreciation message to listeners.

Episode Theme

  1. Topic: Creating a 2025 growth plan for your impact business.

  2. Acknowledgement of recent intense US election.

  3. Implications of new administration on business growth plans.

Context Setting

  1. Economic uncertainty and political landscape shifts.

  2. High prices, inflation, and less focus on social issues.

  3. Importance of resilience and values-driven growth for impact businesses.

Strategy 1: Reaffirm your mission and value proposition

  1. Connect with your mission, adjust if needed.

  2. Communicate mission-driven benefits to clients and stakeholders.

  3. Use online and in-person methods to emphasize your impact focus.

  4. Reinforce mission internally to boost morale and team engagement.

Strategy 2: Increase your financial resilience and flexibility

  1. Strengthen cash flow through strategies like shortening payment cycles and lean spending practices.

  2. Importance of having an emergency fund to cover 6-12 months of operations.

  3. Encourage a culture of cost-saving innovations through methods like remote work and restructuring contracts.

Strategy 3: Strengthen local partnerships and networks

  1. Collaborate with local organizations, government programs, and other businesses with similar goals.

  2. Join or form coalitions focused on resilience.

  3. Personal example: New Mexico Impact Investing Collaborative.

Strategy 4: Prioritize customer retention strategies

  1. Maximize lifetime customer value with longer-term contracts or higher-value products/services.

  2. Adjust messaging to highlight solutions for clients' pressing needs.

  3. Maintain consistent communication both internally and externally to stay ahead of industry trends.

Conclusion

  1. Recap of the four strategies:

    • Reaffirm your mission and value proposition.

    • Increase financial resilience and flexibility.

    • Strengthen local partnerships and networks.

    • Prioritize customer retention strategies.

Paul Zelizer