Until you clarify your purpose, vision and business goals, you’ll be all at sea. Before the Internet came along to revolutionize how we live, most businesses were small. The idea of being in “business” was tied to owning a store or factory.
Today, the barriers for entry are lower. Anyone with a website can present themselves as “in business.” But there’s a difference between creating an entry on social media and setting up your first Facebook page and being a successful entrepreneur and thriving in business today. For many, new words and phrases like branding, marketing and social media have come into their vocabulary recently.
If you are like most entrepreneurs, there might be times when you aren’t really sure what you want to achieve and what you want to accomplish. There might be times when you feel like there is something missing and your life needs some extra “soul.”
I had been through the same experience. It wasn’t until I read the book Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim that I truly understood how powerful it is to create a big vision and to focus on your goals.
Whether it’s the beginning of a new year or we’re half way through, you want it to be your best year ever. You are no doubt doing some planning for how to make that happen. You are doing some planning aren’t you?
I’d like to recommend you take some time to really clarify your Purpose and Vision.
Clear purpose and vision are the keys to giving you a focus and direction. Unfortunately, that’s something that is all too often lacking from small businesses. What you need to do is quite simple, but may challenge you if you’ve never taken the step before.
Here are a few ideas to help you make this your best year ever.
A clear purpose describes what you are out to cause with your business. Have you lost track of your purpose? Do you remember what led you to start or get into your business in the first place?
Three questions to ponder as you seek to re-ignite the purpose in your business:
What do you really want out of life? What do you really not want in your life? What would you be willing to give up in order to live the life you want?
What do you want to achieve with your business? Where would you like it to be in a year? 3 or 5 years from now? What does success look like for you?
Answer these questions honestly and build your business around the life you want to live. Talk about a purpose that would set you on fire.
Here’s an idea for creating your vision. Think of the absolute greatest outcome that you can possibly imagine that your best clients would really want from your service. Build your vision around being “the resource” that works to deliver that.
Examine your values and principles and then determine what you want your business to be in the future. Find your favorite way to relax quietly and let your mind open to dwell in what’s possible.
Final Thoughts
While a business plan is helpful for startups, it’s not the only tool for defining your vision and goals. Many founders build businesses without knowing how to get there. Others embark on a specific path without analyzing their alternatives or understanding why they’d want to pursue those alternatives.
What is your vision for your business? What do you want it to be in five years? If you’re not sure of your business goals, take a moment to write them down. These goals will help you track the success of your company as it moves towards the future.