Campbell Creative has been rebranded to Revival. Click below to learn more.

Resources

The Business Mindset of Wealth vs. Poverty

Jun 28, 2023

In the world of business, there are two mindsets that have a significant impact on performance and growth: the wealth mindset and the poverty mindset. The way you approach your business when it comes to money affects how you operate, market, connect with others, and sell to your target audience.

To quote Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, "The richest people in the world look for and build networks; everyone else looks for work." 

In this blog post, we will explore the differences between these two mindsets and how they affect business growth, sales, and marketing.

The Wealth Mindset

Put simply, the wealth mindset is all about living and thinking in terms of abundance. Businesses with a wealth mindset are more generous, optimistic, confident, and willing to take risks. They believe that there is more than enough wealth to go around and are willing to invest in their employees, products, and marketing. This approach attracts more customers, creates loyalty, and fosters collaboration within the organization. Wealth-minded businesses are constantly looking for innovative ways to grow their business, and they are willing to take calculated risks to achieve their goals. They are also open minded and always thinking about how to foster success.

The Poverty Mindset

The poverty mindset is all about fear, lack, and worrying about running out of resources. Businesses with a poverty mindset are more guarded, cautious, and operate out of fear of the "what-ifs". They have a pessimistic view of the future, and they believe that there is only a limited amount of wealth to go around. They are more likely to cut costs, slash marketing budgets, micro-manage employees, and keep their product offerings limited. This approach can result in lower sales, less engagement from customers, and a lack of collaboration within the organization.

The Impact on Marketing

The difference in mindset between wealth and poverty-minded businesses is also evident in their attitude and approach when it comes to investing in their future. Wealth-minded businesses invest more in their marketing campaigns and use more creative strategies to draw in new customers. They are willing to take risks and try new ways to innovate. They are more confident in their product offerings and are willing to invest to get their message out there. They also know they have to spend money to see return. On the other hand, poverty-minded businesses are more likely to stick to tried and tested methods and may be tightfisted with their marketing budgets. Poor-thinking often leads to poor execution for fear of failure and low ROI. Poverty minded businesses operate from the place of thinking that their money will eventually run out. They worry about saving money more than investing... thus, their marketing budgets are always the first to get cut.

The Impact on Company Culture

Wealth-minded businesses attract loyal customers who are willing to pay more for a premium product or service. They know it takes spending money to make money, so they invest knowing there will eventually be a payoff, even if it's in the future. This happens because they invest more in customer service, employee training, culture building, community relations, and innovative products that meet the customers' changing needs. The approach of being willing to make investments spreads to the team... they understand the importance of customer service, loyalty, and company excellence. The wealth-minded team knows their job is to serve and give generously, not conserve. This generous thinking always ends up with promotional efforts and positive networking from others.

On the other hand, poverty-minded businesses often lose customers and have high turnover rates because they are not investing in the same areas and are more likely to offer products and services that are below par. They do the bare minimum because they worry about losing money. Thus, their culture suffers because the teach their team to withhold as much as possible and guard their resources. Their reputation then suffers because their customers don't feel served... they feel taken advantage of. Poverty minded sales are transactional and impersonal. Thus, the culture around this type of business is transactional and impersonal. A poor-minded culture is never fun and is always worried about pissing off the higher ups for fear of spending too much.

Fear Never Wins

At the end of the day, it's clear how a wealth mindset can bring more growth to businesses, while a poverty mindset can be detrimental in the long run. Fear, anxiety, and depression will creep in if you let poverty thinking stay. And while taking risks can be challenging, it's an essential component of business success and experiencing wins. Businesses need to have a positive outlook on the future, be willing to invest in their employees, be willing to give generously, and continue to innovate their products or services. This will turn your business into a force to be reckoned with, and the customers will take note. By adopting a wealth mindset, you will foster growth, attract loyal customers, and stay ahead of the competition. Furthermore, you'll enjoy the journey more when you're thinking about the good that can happen rather than worrying about the bad. While money doesn't solve all problems, thinking from a place of wealth can certainly encourage you to look more in the glass-half-full perspective making your life and business thrive! 

Pro Tips: 

  1. Think in terms of relationship over transactions. How do you measure ROI and success in your business? Is it from dollars spent or relationships gained? 
  2. Think about generosity as a sales strategy. Do you invest in your giving? How do you give back to clients? 
  3. Think about your money as a tool, not an anchor. How can you use your money to leverage more return? 
  4. Think of your competitors, friends, and employees as your greatest assets. Who can help you win? How can you build stronger connections with those around you? 
  5. Think about your time as an asset. How can you best invest your time for return? 

Books to Read: 

  • Rich Dad Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki
  • Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill
  • How Rich People Think - Steve Siebold
  • The Go Giver - Bob Berg
  • Who, Not How - Dan Sullivan