Selling Shoes

I’ve been thinking lately about the part of running a nonprofit that’s like running a business.

Well, actually, that is running a business.

With receivables, and getting the best price, and employee loyalty, and new lines of business – all that great stuff we thought we were getting away from when we went into social change instead of selling shoes.

I used to wonder, when I was a kid, how my cousins could go into selling shoes. Weren’t they concerned about making an impact on the world, doing something for people, I thought at the tender age of 10 and 12 and 14 (not knowing the term “social good”)?

And then at some point someone took me aside and took my self-righteousness down a notch by explaining that people needed something to put on their feet, and so even people who sell shoes are giving something back to the world.

Got it.

But there’s something very pure – tricky, but pure – about selling a product to people who pay if they like it. You hit the market right, you make money. Of course there’s advertising and capitalization and all that jazz, but how refreshing to have your popularity reflected by sales resulting in income!

(As opposed to the nonprofit economy where the product may be highly lauded by those it’s intended for – but they’re not the deep pockets that pay for the service. Welcome to two, even three or more, masters.)

How do you navigate all those imperatives, those drives and needs and social pulls – not least of which is the relentless mandate to make payroll, every two weeks?

Well, obviously (duh) – fundraising…

Welcome to our world – suppliers of social good and providers of a roof over our heads.