Measuring Impact & what Soccer Balls have to do with it

“How’s Business?” As a small business owner, you probably field this question a few times a week. You probably, as I do, have different answers depending on who’s asking. Some of my go-to responses these days are “Never a dull moment, that’s for sure!” and “Oh you know, the usual roller coaster…”. 

A simple question, yet with so many ways to answer it. As analytics and data-minded person, I could talk for a long time about how to measure how businesses are doing through KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). We could talk about your P&L, other financial statements, trends and forecasts. We could talk about customer satisfaction, traffic, engagement, or even measuring customer loyalty. 

Impact? That gets harder to put your finger on.  

Many small business owners have goals and missions beyond what’s easily measurable and tangible: they want to make a difference. So how do you begin to unravel that? How about first breaking it down: 

• What difference do you want to make?
• How will you make that difference? 
• How will you know if you’ve made that difference? 

To explore this further, I want to share a story about impact. You might know me as a systems and software nerd, but you might not know how much this topic resonates with me on a personal level. 

Have you ever heard me refer to my mother as superwoman? I say that only part jokingly – she’s dedicated her life to helping others. Refugees, internally displaced people, people who have had to flee their homes to seek safety. 

When I was in 7th grade, my mom came to give a talk on genocide because our curriculum didn’t cover it and she was invited as a sort of guest lecturer. We all got assigned a small group project – my group researched the Rwandan genocide, and the ethnic struggle between Hutus and Tutsis. We presented poster boards. 

Our entire class was so moved by this assignment – there was an outpouring of support. “How can we help?”, “What can we do?”, “Here, I collected some toys, can your mom bring them to refugee kids on her next trip?”  

And I remember my mom’s response well. “Thank you, for bringing in these toys, what a kind and compassionate gesture. Yes, we could donate items to refugee camps, but if we really want to have an impact, you know what the best thing would be? Soccer balls. You know why? Because one soccer ball goes a long way, so many can share it. Because it can foster and build community. Because giving groups of boys and men something to do can improve safety and decrease sexual violence in refugee camps. And also, because I can deflate a soccer ball, put it in my suitcase, and make sure it gets there.” 

Our class sent her off with 30 soccer balls for her next trip.  

Simple, powerful, impactful – this is the soccer ball strategy. 

A soccer ball goes a long way, but it has a ripple effect – helping those in need in important ways beyond what a 7th grader could imagine. And it also takes into account the very real constraints of getting things around in conflict zones. How do you channel good intention from a group of 7th graders in New Jersey, and get it to actually reach its intended recipients, when there’s no postal system or Amazon prime delivery? You make it small enough to travel with someone who’s already going. Yes, mom might have had to lug around a suitcase of deflated soccer balls, but it was doable, and it happened quickly, and it had an impact.

This story resurfaces every now and then – and in the last months it’s been top of mind as I’ve been thinking more about measuring impact. How’s business? Are you making an impact?

Do you have a vision? Do you want to make a difference in this world? Wonderful, I want to hear about it and find ways to support you – as a distant admirer, a peer, a friend, a client. It’s true, I’d love to figure out what KPIs measure impact. But I also want to be strategic, and consider systems and constraints – are there ways you could have greater impact? Are there soccer ball solutions to be found? And can we measure that, celebrate that?

If you’re leading an impact-driven business, and someone asks you “How’s Business?”, I want you to be able to respond: “Actually, it’s incredible. We delivered 972 soccer balls this year and I couldn’t be prouder of our team, our company, and the difference we’re making.”

It’s hard, examining the impact you’re having. It takes courage to be specific, and to be willing to adapt. I don’t have all the answers, but I do feel a responsibility to be starting this conversation. And if I can enable or inspire others? Be involved in finding soccer ball strategies and delivering impact in unimaginable ways, I’d have to say: “Business is pretty spectacular.”

– For mama-san, love admire you so. 

Oh, and you can follow Elizabeth Ferris on Twitter.