As entrepreneurs, you work hard
You’ve built your business from scratch, and when you go to bed tonight you will have created something that didn’t exist this morning, and that is something to be proud of. But for all the joy that comes with running your own business, there can be hard times too.
Late nights, unforeseen setbacks and failing plans may seem insurmountable at times, but you keep going. Why? Not because of your work ethic, or in pursuit of money. You persist because you care, because you want to be remembered for something that transcends you and your business, because of your ‘big why’.
Here at Add Then Multiply, we love working with visionary founders because your big why is often very clear to you.
Our work with entrepreneurs has shown that it can sometimes be difficult to articulate. It is vital that your ‘big why’ is apparent in every part of your company. You must always come back to it, for it drives your business when times are tough. To help you to potentialise its power, we’ve formulated a three-step guide.
1. Boil it down
Ask yourself the below questions. Ensure you write your answers down. Seeing them in front of you will help you focus and solidify your vision.
- Why does this company exist?
- Why do customers come buy from us?
- What do we want to achieve?
- Where do we want to take the business?
These are all concrete questions that will help you get to the essence of your vision. Ideas don’t pay bills, and so is vital that you clarify your vision so it can be built into a strategy that you can implement.
2. Engage your creative right brain with a visual brainstorming session
Find yourself a blank space, like a table top or work surface and write down these questions on separate pieces of paper.
- Who are the customers we want to go after, and how do we do it?
- Who are the people we need to talk to?
- What changes need to be made in our company?
- What marketing strategies do we need to implement?
- How do we get our message out there?
Once written down, get a large block of post-its. Distribute among top employees or get a trusted mentor to do this with you if you work alone. Write each solution you think of, no matter how small or seemingly disjointed and once you have exhausted all ideas, place your post its around each big question. This will help you to translate all the bigger picture ideas into tactical day to day stuff. It will turn your vision into a plan which you can execute.
3. Dream a little
Imagine you have achieved the business growth of your dreams. You now have enough to give yourself and your family the lifestyle you have always wanted. What would you do with the rest of the money? Would you donate to Cancer research? Invest in sustainable energy? Anything is possible. If you need a bit of focus, check out the UN’s global goals and see which you identify with the most. Here at Add Then Multiply, we’re driven by goal number four, providing quality education for all. Find out more about our ‘big why’ here.
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