Running a business requires more than just doing day-to-day tasks. You need to have a clear vision of why your business exists. You need to have a well-defined destination so that you, your team, and your customers can walk in the same direction.
In the previous blog “Define Your Business Purpose With One Simple Question“, we explained the Golden Circle by Simon Sinek, and why businesses should discover their ‘Why’.
Defining the ‘Why’ is fundamental to all companies, regardless of their size or configuration – from small and local businesses to giants such as Google, Facebook, and Apple.
Follow these 5 simple steps below and you’ll be able to define your business ‘Why’ and inspire others to follow you on this journey.
Step #1: Take It Seriously
Set a date and find sufficient time to sit down and work on the next steps. It’s necessary to dedicate time to fully understand the purpose of your company. Most business owners easily delve into everyday challenges, putting out fires all the time, that they rarely have the time and energy to analyze what they are doing and why they are doing it. As a result, companies are left without a clear, defined purpose.
Step #2: Start at the End
Imagine that we are in 2029 (10 years from now). Describe how your company is. There is no right or wrong answer right now. The goal is to exercise your ability to visualize your business in the future: where you want to go and how you want to be when you get there.
Some topics to help:
What products and services are you offering?
Who are your ideal customers?
How do your customers feel about your products and services?
How do you feel about your products and services?
How is your business structured?
How are you personally involved in your company’s business?
What ideal future do you want to contribute to?
Doing this will help you visualize your aspirations for your business. Imagining where you want your company to go is the first indicator of ‘Why’ you are doing it in the first place.
Step #3: Go Back in Time
Now, let’s do the opposite – Imagine that we are in the year you opened your business. It may have been a few months or several years ago. When you get there, think about these items:
What made you start a business?
How did you feel about it?
What were you afraid of?
What were you excited about?
Who did you think your customers would be?
Step #4: Now
How about today? Let’s reflect how your projections and past experiences reflect in your business today. Try answering these questions now:
What makes you wake up in the morning?
What do you love most about your business?
What do you hate about your business?
How do you feel about your customers?
How do your customers feel about your products and services?
What are you afraid of?
What are you excited about?
What is most important to you?
Step #5: Write it Down
Writing it down is very important, so don’t skip this step. Take the main answers to the “How” and “What/Who” questions above and fill in the blank below:
Why does ………………. matter to me?