The reasons for becoming self-employed are varied and highly individual. But what often prompts people to reshape their professional future is a desire to make a difference: as employers, service providers or producers. They want to do things differently from what they have experienced themselves. In doing so, they follow their inner drive and found a business out of ‘intrinsic motivation’.
That was also true for Christopher and Dominik Flaig of AAA Nutrition in Bad Harzburg. Their journey into self-employment began with selling food supplements produced for them by contract manufacturers. But the products they bought could not consistently meet their quality standards. To make a difference as a contract manufacturer of food supplements, the Flaig brothers founded AAA Nutrition GmbH in 2021. In the five years since, they have developed steadily and become an attractive employer in the region (see also GZ of 03.01.2026). Christopher Flaig moved into self-employment after nine years with the police.
Karina Dörschel of Hotel Der Wolfshof in Wolfshagen also connects her many years as an entrepreneur with the desire to make a difference. As an employer and host, she puts people first. She and her husband founded a foundation in 2018. Through it and other activities, they want to support people and initiatives in the region on the basis of Christian-humanist values.
Current statistics also show that many businesses are founded out of a desire to make a difference. According to the KfW Startup Monitor 2025, the main motives for self-employment were independence and self-realisation (23% of respondents in each case). The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2025/2026 directly included ‘To make a difference in the world’ in its survey. In Germany, this motivation was a main reason for self-employment for 50% of respondents, although the desire for a higher or more secure income was stronger. Those who follow their ‘why’ and found a business from inner conviction are also significantly more likely to pursue long-term self-employment (86% according to the KfW Startup Monitor).
The conclusion: self-employment offers the opportunity to run and develop your own business according to your personal ideas and values. It gives you the chance to make a difference for yourself, your team and society, and to find greater satisfaction in your own life.
