What can you do to help them solve their problems, answer their questions or meet their need? In this new ear it’s becoming more and more important that business owners become good at problem solving. At the end of February I had the joy of attending the Justice Conference in Portland, Oregon. It was quite a fascinating event because the topic was on human justice or better said, taking care of the needs of those who can’t take care of their own needs. I met organizations such as Laundry Love who help people who are homeless or in some other situation that keeps them from being able to have clean clothes on a regular basis. Clean laundry is a big deal that most of you reading this article may never think of as problem. In fact, you probably don’t think much about laundry at all; except the piles that are waiting behind the closed door of the laundry room. But somewhere out there people who are living on the streets; or are in the category called working poor are thinking about laundry.

That was a problem that needed to be solved.

Laundry Love solved it. Now dignity is being returned to someone who just needs to put on something clean.

I watched a Yahoo video this week of Lee Rhodes, founder of Glassybaby. Lee was battling cancer when she discovered that the beautiful flicker of candle light in a glass votive brought her peace. In time she wanted to share that peace with others going through health issues. She hired local glass blowers to make the votives and began sending them out all over the country.

There was a need for inspiration and hope that has now been solved by stunningly beautiful glass vessels called Glassybaby.

With seven billion people on the earth there are many, many concerns, needs and problems. What problems can you solve? How can you grow your business by growing hope in others? If you can answer this question you can expand the impact that your business, product or service can have on the planet. Who has a problem that you can solve?

How to Be a Problem Solver:

Keep your eyes open. Be aware of what’s happening around you. Ask this question often: How can I make that better?

Start small. Glassybaby votives are being shipped all around the world, but it wasn’t so on the first they started. When you find a solution to a problem start small, your small steps will add up to bigger and bigger ones.

Commit to Being a Caring Business Owner. You can’t solve social problems if you don’t care. You don’t have to care about everything; you just have to care about your one thing. Then set a path to be a part of fixing that one thing. It is possible to blend your mission of growing a strong business with your message of hope for the world.