My boss once asked me, “do you want money”? I said yes, to which she replied, “add value” She further went on to say, “the money you currently have in your bank account and saving is a representation of the value you add to the world” My boss’s statement changed my thoughts about money.

Our value-add determines our net worth. Of course, we cannot ignore other factors, such as interest rates, investment returns, and spending habits, which are also at work; however, when only income is considered, value equals income.

When I heard the statement Value equals income, I started linking my cash flow issues to my value-add activities.
I am broke because “I’m not adding enough value to the world;” It’s not because I have a mean boss, nor do I blame my customers for not buying my excellent products or Amazon FBA for stealing my profits. I am broke because I am not adding enough value. There is only one thing I need to do to reverse this trend. Add more value. Period.

What Does it Mean to Add Value?

I consider value-adding to be problem-solving. The more problems I solve, the more money I make.
We provide value by assisting our clients in solving their challenges. A plumber, for example, clearing out a clogged drain would be an example of a value-added service. He can go above and beyond by providing warranties and detailed information on how to avoid repeat clogs.

Value-adding examples

My favourite platform is YouTube. I love it because I can type in any question and get an answer in a video. As of 2022, 2.56 billion people have YouTube accounts, and the best ones are popular because they have figured out how to solve their subscribers’ problems well and get paid for what they do.

If you already offer one or more services that add value or solve problems, that’s great! If your service makes less money than your competitor, you need to tweak what you do. Your competitor adds more value, and so makes more money.
The hard part is figuring out where exactly these changes can be made. Once we know the answer to that question, we can start working to make those changes happen.

How About Employees, Does Value Equal Income?

Sure! Value still equals income. Your company pays you based on how much they think you help them make money. People say, “I’ve worked at this company for 10 years, and I’ve never gotten a raise.” That’s too bad. But there is something you can do about it.
Think about how your job fits with the company’s goals. You may have more to offer your employers once you understand the big picture. Companies rarely pay more for the same work. Take on more duties to advance.
If your company is cheap and similar jobs elsewhere pay more, it might be time to find a new job.

New Starters and Entry-level Employees

It is common to begin your career with low salaries due to your experience level. But keep an eye on your company as well as your management. You want to be promoted to manager as soon as possible. This includes understanding what it takes to be a manager. Accept extra responsibilities. Go above and beyond. Trust me; someone is watching; if they aren’t, you’re learning what it means to add more value, which will pay off in the long run.

Do You Provide Value to the Marketplace?

Bloggers and creators should create content that identifies and solves their readers’ problems. We should not simply replicate what everyone else is doing.
Suppose you decide to become a Multi-Level Marketer (MLM). Selling skincare items, how do you add value to your customers?

• You start selling goods you’ve probably never heard of and maybe never used to your friends, co-workers, and family.
• Then, you hire the same individuals to sell the same products to their network.
• You then persuade these same long-suffering folks to go out and get others to sell these same products. Everyone in your network is selling the same thing.

Where’s the added value? What problems have been solved? What makes your service unique? It’s not surprising that many people lose money in these businesses.

Creating a Business That Adds Value

Want to make more money? Start solving real problems.
When I was a teen, there was a boy who was roughly my age who lived next door. After a long day at school, I enjoyed unwinding in my room with a good book or television.

The lad next door had a different idea of how to spend his spare time. He gathers the neighbourhood children and teaches them to read and write. Our neighbourhood was impoverished. These “lessons” were the children’s only source of education. My neighbour was not doing it for financial gain; he simply believed these kids needed help.

He used the little resources he had to fund this project, and gradually, the number of kids in attendance grew. Parents offered some money, and landlords in the area offered space. Within a year, it became the first kindergarten in my community.

Fast forward almost 40 years, and the boy next door is now worth millions of dollars and has schools all over Nigeria. He added value and got paid.

The lesson I learnt is not just about adding value but that this principle works worldwide.

The first step is to discover what problems are happening around you. You can begin by composing a list of all the issues that bother you individually.
Remember that your work is not separate from the rest of your life. If you don’t like something happening around you, you can do something about it.

Cultivating Value

Identify Your Core Values

You need to know what your core values are before you can add value to anything. Your core values are the most important things you believe in and the rules you live by.
Your core values are the key to figuring out what you’re really here to do. You will have trouble if you do things that go against your core beliefs. Think of your values as the GPS for your life. They tell you if you’re going in the direction you want.

Be True to Yourself

Being true to yourself starts with getting to know yourself better. You can learn a lot about yourself if you know and understand your strengths, weaknesses, and what you are passionate about. This is harder than it sounds because many things, people, groups, and organisations are trying to define who we are. We need to turn off our devices and find out who we are. If we can get quiet enough, we’ll find the answer to this question. You’ll have to be aware enough to notice and brave enough to act on it.

Do Good Things to Help Other People

Making other people’s lives better can be enriching in many ways. You can do many things to help other people and make the world a better place. Kindness and generosity don’t have to be big things. Most of the time, small acts of kindness mean a lot to someone else.

The book “Values First” has been an excellent resource for me. Try it out and see if it works for you.

The “Values First” book is written by Laura Eigel. It’s helped me get my life back on track by focusing on what’s important, defining my core values, and making decisions based on those beliefs, which means I’m making excellent use of my time.

Final Thoughts

We are most creative when we see our lives as opportunities to help others. Our lack of financial resources will be solved if we focus on helping others.
Although money is not everything, it is a simple way to assess our effectiveness.

The purpose of this post is to encourage you to focus on adding value rather than pursuing riches.
Volunteering at a local soup kitchen, or helping out in your community, is all the same. It adds value.
This defines us as humans, who we are as individuals, and how we integrate into society.
If we not adding value, what are we doing?

Thanks for taking the time to read. 

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