People start businesses for various reasons, but turning a profit has to be one of the major ones. Most businesses are for-profit organizations, so it’s their purpose to create an income for the owner or the shareholders. More often than not, businesses need to turn a profit to sustain their operations — not all companies will have the option of running at a loss and being backed by investor money.
But even though profit is significant, it doesn’t have to be the sole focus of a business. Some entrepreneurs like to take business opportunities with the potential for positive impact and develop them with a philanthropic twist or a communal benefit.
Marcus Withers, a serial entrepreneur who grew up in inner-city Louisville, is no stranger to doing charitable things for his community. Come Christmas, fall, or any other time of the year when people can expect to have increased expenses, Withers will be there to support his community.
“I don’t like to see people hungry,” he explains. “So I do a lot of stuff like that where I just do the drives, and especially during the holiday months. We also do back-to-school drives, too.”
Withers has been in the business of creating businesses since he was 18 years old. His passion for entrepreneurship started when he was a kid. Withers developed a clear goal of what he wanted to be when he grew up and quickly found a way to get there.
“I used to tell my dad I’m going to be successful. I didn’t want to worry about money and things of that nature,” he explains. “I never really liked working for people. As an entrepreneur, I have always valued working for myself. I like things where I can go, put together a team, seize the opportunity quickly, and get the return.”
Getting the return has never come in the way of him doing something for his community.
He invested his time, money, and experience from his various endeavors to get a famous jazz club and cultural landmark, Joe’s Palm Room, up and running again.
Then, when the opportunity came, he dove into a new career opportunity — car dealership ownership — and a new community endeavor — building affordable housing.
“Growing up in the inner city, I feel like affordable housing is how I give back. That’s how I create great living spaces for African Americans to have somewhere to live, in nice places,” says Withers. “So even though my heart right now is in automotive, and I want to continue to grow that, I still want to do affordable housing projects. I have to do that. I’m called to do that. That’s what I’m supposed to do for inner city youth.”
Business will be business, and Withers is likely to continue to excel at it. His current plan is to continue developing his automotive empire to be ten dealerships strong. He also doesn’t plan to give up rehabbing houses, either.
But if there’s one thing that he’s shown is that it’s possible to do all of that while still being true to oneself and dedicated to helping others. In the end, the way success is measured might not be just in the wealth he created for himself but in the difference Withers made in the lives of others.