I just finished the autobiography of Ben Franklin. The subtitle is quite relevant to today’s small business owner: “Original America Entrepreneur.”

The book opened my eyes to basic entrepreneurship. It started out as “someone who starts a business.” Ben created companies for the public good, not for personal gain. Be benefit? Yes. But that was not his motivation. Today that definition has been warped a bit to refer to someone who creates wealth for personal gain. His desire to do the public good led him to create all these companies.

I like the original definition better. It feeds off the argument my small business needs BIG enthusiasm. If you don’t believe in what you’re doing, how will someone else do it? Yes, some people can sell things they don’t believe in for money and not feel guilty (or at least not for a while). That’s one of the reasons the economy crashed. Some people didn’t care that they were selling fancy goods for a lot of money.

Ben says, “I became convinced that truth, authenticity, and integrity in all interpersonal relationships were critical to success and happiness.”

I also believe that you can do good and earn money, just like Ben. He grew up in poverty with only a few years of formal education. His zest for life and dogged perseverance brought him wealth, fame, and happiness. He invented the lightning rod, bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove, authored Poor Richard’s Almanac, and founded Philadelphia’s first fire department and the University of Pennsylvania. Not to mention that he signed the Declaration of Independence.

Talk about an entrepreneur.

And you? What business can you undertake for the public good? Perhaps looking at your business from this new angle will infuse you with more energy. Just a thought!