Every business in the world should start with a purpose and be guided by it all throughout the years. Purpose should be integrated into a business as a way of operating and not just a cause. And nobody understands this business mantra better than tech giant Salesforce.
Purpose Intertwined with Humble Beginnings
Salesforce started as a small yet ambitious technology company back in 1999. The startup based their company on three main things:
- Creating and delivering Internet-based software
- Using a subscription model to deliver such software
- Adding a new philanthropic model to the business
Look closely and you’ll see that purpose is one of the key pillars Salesforce used as it launched their business operations.
Salesforce pioneers such as Marc Benioff believe that their new startup is meant to give back to the community for every success they get, even in the smallest way possible. And the tech world is meant to drive success not just for the company, but most importantly, for the people who will ultimately benefit from it.
Fast-forward to 2019, and Salesforce’s philanthropic model continues to play a large part in the company’s operations.
Business Purpose According to Marc Benioff
“The business of business is improving the state of the world”.
Salesforce Chairman and Co-CEO Marc Benioff often repeats this statement again and again in several interviews and keynotes. He believes that businesses aren’t just here for the profits, but for the positive change it could leave in the world.
Such business purpose drove Salesforce to create its “1-1-1 Model” with the aim of solidifying their purpose into acts that give back to the community. The model is comprised of the following elements:
- Salesforce employees donate 1% of their time to volunteering acts around the world.
- Salesforce gives 1% of its equity to power grants in various communities with Salesforce employees.
- Salesforce donates 1% of its products and solutions to educational institutions and non-profits.
Aside from this, the company does its best to bring together its employees in a family-like atmosphere, dubbed as the concept of Ohana. This knits the employees together and further solidifies that sense of purpose instilled by the company.
Moving Forward with a Purpose
In summary, purpose should be inculcated in business as early as the startup stage. This is what truly brought Salesforce to its sweet success today.
The tech giant moves forward in the coming years and continues to abide by the purpose of business to help improve the state of the world. They do so through various initiatives such as the 1-1-1 Model and the Ohana concept. All of these are meant to improve the world through business.