Rethinking the economy: business models with purpose and profit

Rethinking business: How purpose-driven business models can be successful on the market

Companies that want more than just profit need more than just good intentions. They need a concept - a business model that combines purpose and profitability. This is the only way to achieve sustainable change, which does not depend on funding or goodwill, but on more mature, well thought-out ideas. The following examples show how diverse such models can be - and that purpose and success are no longer mutually exclusive. 

Premium model with purpose added value
The premium model with purpose added value is not a contradiction, but an expression of a new economic logic. Customers have long been prepared to pay more - if they understand what they are paying for. Quality, transparency and value are replacing aggressive advertising and interchangeable products. Anyone who buys a sustainable, fairly produced product today not only wants to consume, but also to participate in a better solution. The premium model is not a luxury, but a cultural advance: it shows that entrepreneurship can be more than cheap and fast - it can be meaningful, beautiful and effective.
An example of this: Tony's Chocolonely
The chocolate deliberately costs more, because it is produced in a radically fair way. No child labor or slavery, full traceability and higher prices for cocoa farmers. The business model: premium with purpose.

Cross-subsidization
Cross-subsidization is an intelligent response to the separation of business and the common good. Instead of just hoping for donations, economically viable offers are created - deliberately with a margin, deliberately marketable - in order to enable non-commercial goals. Viva con Agua is an example of this: They sell water, music and fashion - products with an experiential character and attitude. The profits are not privatized, but socialized. This creates a model that finances impact without being a supplicant. It shows that entrepreneurial thinking can become a vehicle for social transformation if we rethink it.

Platform and intermediary model
The platform or intermediary model is a modern form of networking. It does not create products, but connections - and that is precisely where its power lies. Too Good To Go, for example, brings bakeries, restaurants and consumers together to save food from going to waste. The platform earns from every mediation without producing anything itself - impact is created through structure. Models like this can be transferred to many other fields, including mobility (BlaBlaCar), housing (Fairbnb), education (kiron.ngo) and care (Pflegix) as well as food. The idea remains: Impact through clever relationship design

Freemium model
The freemium model with additional purpose benefits opens up spaces - it lowers barriers and builds trust. Access is free, but those who want or can do more pay. This not only sells a product, but also conveys a value. The Good On You app, for example, rates fashion brands according to the environment, working conditions and animal welfare - free of charge for anyone who wants to consume more consciously. This is financed by brands that allow themselves to be listed or through additional functions. The model proves it: You can democratize impact without sacrificing profitability. It's not about doing without - it's about inviting.

Circular Economy
The circular business model is more than just recycling - it is a new way of doing business that conserves resources and closes loops. Refurbed makes this tangible: Refurbished electronics are not simply sold, but given a second life. Customers receive high-quality devices at fair prices, while the environment is relieved. It's about more than profit - it's about responsibility built into the process. This turns a throwaway mentality into a sustainable business model that combines economy and ecology. Other examples include Vigga (clothing rental model) and Recup (deposit system for restaurants). Circularity thus becomes a driver of innovation and purpose. 

Local-embedded business
The local-embedded business model firmly anchors companies in their community - it is a commitment to origin, responsibility and proximity. Lemonaid shows how this works: The lemonade is not only fairly traded and produced organically, but the profits flow directly back into local social projects. At the same time, the company relies on regional cooperation and sustainable production in Germany. This creates a network of local commitment and global impact. The model proves it: Business can grow locally and still have a global impact - through real roots and active partnerships.

The economy can be more than just a game of market share and margins. It can be a tool for change - if we redesign it. As the Teekampagne and the business models presented prove, impact and business need not be mutually exclusive. On the contrary: where meaning is at the center, the strongest connection to customers is often created. It doesn't need large corporations, but well thought-out ideas, clear concepts and the courage to question the familiar. Being entrepreneurial doesn't just mean being efficient, it means being responsible. This is not a utopia, but a question of design.