As we approach 2025, many conscious entrepreneurs will reflect on their business mission in balancing purpose with profit. The concept of conscious business is as we grow our revenue, we grow our impact. For mission-driven businesses, success isn’t just about revenue—it’s about creating lasting impact while building a sustainable enterprise.
“What I’ve learned in almost three decades as an entrepreneur is that growing your good means that your business is growing financially, it’s more profitable, but that you’re also increasing your impact. Those things are not a trade-off,” shares Terry Maxwell, a veteran conscious entrepreneur business growth expert and CEO & Founder of Shift/Co.
The Foundation of Conscious Business Growth
Understanding the dynamics of business growth as a conscious entrepreneur requires acknowledging a fundamental truth: supply and demand operate as opposing forces until your business reaches approximately $5 million in revenue. This tension creates unique pressure points, or “fulcrums,” that every conscious business must navigate.
For mission-driven entrepreneurs, these forces can feel particularly challenging. You’re not just managing a business; you’re balancing social impact with financial sustainability. The key is recognizing that these pressures aren’t obstacles to your mission—they’re natural stepping stones to greater impact.
The Three Critical Business Fulcrums
Understanding your current business fulcrum is crucial for conscious entrepreneurs planning their growth trajectory into 2025. Each fulcrum presents unique challenges and opportunities for mission-driven businesses.
A. The Time Fulcrum ($0-$10K gross revenue/month)
This initial phase, when a business’s gross revenue is between $0 and $10K per month, is when many conscious entrepreneurs face their greatest struggles. Maxwell calls this period the Time Fulcrum and notes, “Fifty to 60% of people who start a business can’t get past this phase and quit.”
Key characteristics of the Time Fulcrum:
- Revenue levels resemble a roller coaster with alternating highs and lows
- Constant cycle of spending time getting the work, doing the work, then having no work
- Progress and profit don’t follow a linear path
- Primary challenge is insufficient time for all tasks
Success Strategy: Focus is crucial during this phase. Rather than trying to perfect everything, conscious entrepreneurs must identify and prioritize activities that directly contribute to sustainable growth.
B. The Resource Fulcrum ($10-$30K gross revenue/month)
“This is the most difficult phase,” Maxwell emphasizes. “I call it Groundhog Day. It has repeated ups and downs, and it just wears you out.” The Resource Fulcrum challenges conscious businesses in multiple areas simultaneously:
Characteristics:
- Revenue fluctuations become less severe but more frequent
- Multiple resource constraints (cash, people, tools, time)
- Feels like being stuck in repetitive cycles
- Requires balancing growth with resource allocation
For conscious entrepreneurs, this phase often tests your commitment to your mission. The key is maintaining your values while building sustainable systems.
C. The Leadership Fulcrum ($30K+ gross revenue/month)
The final fulcrum transforms the challenge from resource management to leadership development. This fulcrum has fewer down swings, but as Maxwell describes it, “It’s like climbing stairs. It’s still hard, but it’s a different kind of hard.”
Key aspects:
- More stable growth patterns
- Focus shifts to team development and systems
- Requires evolution in leadership style
- Opportunity to scale impact significantly
During this phase, conscious entrepreneurs must learn to:
- Delegate effectively while maintaining quality
- Scale their impact without compromising values
- Build sustainable systems that support both mission and profit
- Develop leadership capabilities in others
Focus Areas and Growth Gaps: A Brief Overview
For conscious entrepreneurs looking toward 2025, understanding your business’s growth gaps is crucial for sustainable business development. Rather than attempting to address every challenge simultaneously, the key is identifying the most impactful gap to focus on. Here are some examples.
Demand Generation™ Essentials:
“The biggest challenge is getting more awareness,” Maxwell emphasizes. “For small business, it’s life or death in your new business demand generation.” Key areas include:
- Customer Retention: Often the most overlooked yet profitable area
- Referral Systems: The second-best way to grow sustainably
- Brand Awareness: Requires 10-100 touches for B2B, 100-1000 for B2C
Supply Management Fundamentals:
As conscious entrepreneurs, managing resources is crucial. Focus areas include:
- Cash flow optimization and fair pricing
- People, tools, and process development
- Time management and resource allocation
Personal Development Elements:
“Our business grows as we evolve,” Maxwell notes. Critical areas include:
- Managing FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt)
- Developing focused execution
- Maintaining energy and enthusiasm
Moving Forward: Action Steps for 2025
As we approach 2025, it is a great time to take an assessment of where you are and where you want to go. Shift/Co’s trained mentors can help you identify the gaps to focus on and in what order. Specialized Shift/Coach can help you take strategic action to grow your impact.
Here’s your 2025 Roadmap:
- Identify Your Current Fulcrum
- Assess your monthly revenue patterns
- Evaluate your primary challenges
- Be honest about where you’re stuck
- Choose Your Focus Area
“The biggest breakthrough I’ve had as an entrepreneur is when I stopped trying to fix multiple things at one time and just zeroed in on one gap,” shares Maxwell.
To determine your focus:
- List all current gaps
- Identify which gap, if addressed, would create the most forward momentum
- Commit to addressing that single gap before moving to others
- Take Action
- Develop a clear action plan
- Measure progress, not perfection
- Stay committed to your mission while pursuing growth
As conscious entrepreneurs move into the new year, success will come not from trying to fix everything at once, but from strategic focus and persistent action. Remember that growing your good means expanding both profit and impact simultaneously.
The path forward requires perseverance and what Maxwell calls “obsessive focus” on doing fewer things better. By understanding your current fulcrum and consciously choosing where to focus your energy, you can create sustainable growth while maintaining your mission’s integrity.
For conscious entrepreneurs, 2025 onwards presents an opportunity to redefine success on your own terms. Whether you’re in the Time, Resource, or Leadership Fulcrum, remember that progress, not perfection, is the key to sustainable growth.
These principles were developed by Terri Maxwell, CEO of Shift/Co, drawing from over two decades of business growth and leadership experience.
Shift/Co is a global community dedicated to conscious business growth. We empower entrepreneurs to grow their businesses through innovative tools, expert coaching and mentoring, and a supportive network. Our comprehensive approach includes personalized training, leadership development, and a collaborative environment, ensuring that members can achieve significant business growth while positively impacting the world. Join Shift/Co to elevate your business and be part of a movement that believes in doing good business better. For more information, visit Shift/Co.