Late last month, True Purpose launched our first ever Purposeful Entrepreneurship class cohort! With 10 local entrepreneurs enrolled, we gathered to get to know one another and discuss the five keys to successful business.

After nearly two hours together, our team asked the entrepreneurs a key question. “How would you describe the people in this room?” Here are some of their responses.

• Innovative
• Go-getters
• Hungry
• Connected
• Comfortable
• Authentic
• Safe

Learn more about Purposeful Entrepreneurship at lifestruepurpose.com/entrepreneur.

What is Purposeful Entrepreneurship?

A class designed to help emerging local business leaders launch, fund, and grow a sustainable 10-year business.

At True Purpose, everything we do is focused on creating sustainable life transformation. Through 2023, our team will focus on pouring into local business leaders through cohort meetings, expert trainings, and 1:1 mentoring. Classes will be taught by Tyrece and Tashiara Wilson (True Purpose), and we have a number of local business professionals lined up as guest teachers during class training sessions. 

Why does this matter? We believe that supporting local entrepreneurs will . . .

• Support the local economy
• Drive local workforce development
• Help entrepreneurs make a living, support their families, and invest money back into their communities

We want to equip business leaders to grow personally, lead a thriving business, and find their their true purpose.

Class Objectives

1. Cultivate a tight-knit community for solo entrepreneurs
   • How we’ll accomplish this: We want the class experience to be one of camaraderie, support, and encouragement. We cheer one another on in the best, and the hardest, seasons of business.
   • How we’ll measure this: We believe that authentic relationships will renew our students’ commitment to complete the course. Our goal is a 100% class participation and completion rate as a measure of the connections formed.
      
2. Personal growth translated to business growthWhat does this mean? 
   • We believe that the growth of a leader directly translates to the growth of their business, and we’re committed to individual business development through group trainings accompanied by 1:1 mentorship with each Purposeful Entrepreneurship student.
   • How we’ll measure this: 
     • We ask all class participants to compete an interview when they begin the class, at 6 months, and 12 months after enrolling. They’ll report profits at the start of class and again at the end, allowing us to measure percentage growth. This helps us measure personal and business growth over time. It allows us to check-in on students’ progress toward their self-set business goals, but also to measure progress toward action steps identified throughout the class. Specific measurables include:
       • Business ownership
       • Profits (percentage increase from class start to class end)
       • People (team building)
       • Places (Increased exposure through additional locations)
       • Customer satisfaction
       • Assessment of market potential and identification of key growth opportunities
       • Developing a clear business idea and plan 
       • Strengthening entrepreneurial competencies and acquiring skills in managing a small venture
3.  Ethical excellence
   • What does this mean? Ethical leadership means treating customers and team members with dignity and respect, practicing leadership from a proactive posture, and pursuing education and support needed to adhere to federal, state, and local laws. Our class curriculum trains and equips leaders committed to operating sustainable businesses by practicing ethical excellence.
   • How we’ll measure this: In the 1:1 mentoring setting, our coaches will ask questions about operational practices, finances, and legalities specific to each industry. We’ll discuss areas for growth together, then invite students to reflect upon their ethical growth in their 6 month and 12 month class follow-up interviews.
      
4. Open new doors
   • What does this mean? True Purpose is committed to opening doors for entrepreneurs to scale a business, create new jobs for their neighbors, and develop gathering places for community members.

Learn more about Purposeful Entrepreneurship at lifestruepurpose.com/entrepreneur.