As a business owner, you know the importance of creating a welcoming environment for your clients. Whether you’re a business coach, service provider, or wellness practitioner, it’s second nature to greet people with kindness and a smile. But here’s the truth that’s not often talked about—being welcoming and kind is just the surface. True inclusion in your business goes much deeper than that.
Inclusion Isn’t Just a Nice Idea—It’s an Act of Rebellion
When we talk about building an inclusive business, it’s not just about having open doors. Inclusion means challenging the status quo and breaking away from the systems that have kept marginalised communities on the sidelines for too long. It’s about actively shifting the way we do business to create real, tangible change.
Let’s be real—this is an internal and external overhaul of you and your business. It’s not just about listening to marginalised voices; it’s about acting on what you hear. It means unpacking your biases and privileges (yes, we all have them), addressing the areas of your business that may unknowingly perpetuate exclusion, and taking consistent steps to upgrade your business practices.
The Layers of Building an Inclusive Business
Being inclusive in your business is a journey, not a destination. There are layers of understanding and action that need to be taken, and it can sometimes feel overwhelming. But that’s okay—it’s not about getting everything perfect right away. What’s important is being committed to the journey of inclusivity, not the destination of it.
Here’s where we can start:
1. Unpacking Bias
We all have biases, and while they may be unconscious, they can still negatively impact our businesses. Because they are unconscious, they are expressed on autopilot. An inclusive business begins with self-awareness—taking the time to reflect on your own biases and how they might be showing up in your language, marketing, group facilitation, and client interactions.
Are there blind spots in the way you approach your audience or the clients you serve?
Some of the most common biases businesses unconsciously express include:
- Eurocentrism – Assuming that people of differing ethnic backgrounds require the same client processes, analogies, and solutions to achieve desired transformations. There is an assumption that European models of business, wellness, and life are the best or only way forward. This disregards the lived experiences, cultures, belief systems, and nuances of marginalised communities.
- Genderism – The tendency to gender entire communities without knowing their gender identities. Misgendering communicates a lack of awareness about gender identity. For example, many businesses say they are inclusive of non-binary people but fail to do the work to ensure their spaces accommodate non-binary needs. Non-binary people deserve thoughtful consideration and changes that truly serve them.
- Ableism – Access to services for the disability community is already severely limited. Many businesses unintentionally perpetuate this marginalisation by not considering the accessibility needs of disabled individuals.
2. Acknowledging Privilege
Privilege doesn’t make us bad people, but ignoring it can be harmful. Recognise where your privilege lies and how you can use it to create more opportunities for marginalised communities. This includes bringing awareness to the lack of inclusivity within society and within our industries.
A few ways to acknowledge your privilege:
- Amplify marginalised voices that are often overlooked.
- Offer equitable pricing for your services.
- Create scholarship programs for underrepresented groups.
- Speak out about the lack of inclusivity within your industry or society.
The key here is to make sure your efforts are genuine and not performative.
3. Taking Action
Inclusion is not passive. The actions you take to include marginalised communities should be based on their expressed needs. You must take action by updating your business practices and processes to cater to those needs.
From the way you design your offers to the language you use in your marketing, inclusion must be woven into every aspect of your business.
- Are your services accessible to people from different backgrounds or with disabilities?
- Do you create spaces where marginalised people feel safe to participate?
This deep work creates long-lasting change—not just for your business, but for society at large.
Inclusion is a Journey, Not a Box to Check
Here’s the thing: being inclusive is not something you check off your to-do list and move on from. It’s a continuous journey of learning, unlearning, and relearning. There will be times when you make mistakes—and that’s okay. What matters is how you respond, how you keep showing up, and how you stay open to feedback.
The world of inclusion is continuously changing, and it’s our responsibility as service providers to stay updated on how best to deliver inclusivity. There’s no legislation to ensure business owners stay up to date with standards of inclusion, so it’s up to us to know better so we can do better. This is the only way the world will change—when individuals take ownership of changing it.
As business owners, we hold power, whether we realise it or not. That power can either uphold harmful systems or dismantle them. The choice is ours.
Transform Your Business—And Change Lives
Incorporating inclusivity into your business isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential for creating a business that delivers transformations for marginalised clients and contributes to positive social impact. This work can transform not only your business but also the lives of those who engage with it. It’s the kind of work that creates ripples of positive social change.
But you don’t have to do this work alone. That’s exactly why I created the Inclusion Creators Collective (ICC)—a space for business owners who want to run truly inclusive businesses.
In the ICC, you’ll find everything you need to understand and deliver inclusivity through your business:
- Training modules
- Unpacking bias and privilege workshops
- Live Q&A sessions
- Templates, resources, and processes to help you continuously upgrade your business’s inclusivity
For $396 AUD a year, I’ll be there to guide you step by step as you build a business that not only welcomes diversity but actively supports it.
Doors to the ICC close in just a few days, so if you’re ready to take the next step, I’m here to support you.
Ready to get started? Click here to learn more and join.
If you have any questions about this blog or about the Inclusion Creators Collective, please DM me on Facebook or Instagram.
Until next time, keep taking steps along your inclusions journey.
