Crafting a Strong Business Vision: Building the Foundation for Growth
Starting a business is action and adventure-packed. With ideas flowing, clients coming in, and profits starting to increase, it can be easy to ride the wave of enthusiasm and try to figure out the specifics later. However, whether already established or at the very beginning, in order to grow your business well it is important to take time at the foundational level.
In our strategic consulting work, we ask our clients to create and determine the following three things:
A business vision
Who supports your vision
Three priorities that will move you toward your vision
Establishing these three things will help you stay motivated, make decisions, and stay focused on things that align with where you see the future of your business.
Understanding the Significance of a Business Vision
A well-crafted business vision encompasses the core values of your company. A business vision can be viewed as your big “why?” Why did you create your business in the first place? Why does your business matter? Why is it important for you that your business grows and reaches a larger audience? Think of this business vision as the roots of your company. It grounds and supports everything your company offers clients.
Creating a Compelling Business Vision
To get the ball rolling, imagine it is the year 2025 and you are recording what you are seeing. Think of it as what is already happening, rather than what you hope will happen. Use this snapshot to help you identify the underlying ideas that make up the heart of your business. Who do you envision helping? What impact do you see your company having on others? What do you hope to achieve? Jot down a few notes and then craft this into a short statement that is 1-2 sentences max.
Nurturing a Supportive Network for Your Vision
Along with coming up with a vision statement, you will want to identify the support people in your life that will help you achieve it and refine it. These are the people who are essentially taking your vision and helping you cultivate it and they can be other employees or even trusted advisors to hold you accountable. No matter their specific role, each person or group is invested in the growth of your business and needs to understand the underlying values of the company. As a result, your business vision needs to be clear and concise. To put it simply, you want yourself, your employees, and your stakeholders all on the same page about your vision so you can all work together to bring it to life.
Setting Key Priorities for Business Vision Success
The third piece when establishing your business vision is setting priorities and bite-sized action items that you’ll put into place over a set period of time. Specifically, you’ll want to come up with three things to prioritize in order to move toward actualizing your dreams.. These are long-term concepts that will move your vision onward.
The Importance of Business Vision for Every Entrepreneur
If your business is already off to a successful start, is it still important to stop and think about these foundational pieces? Yes. Even if you are at a place in your entrepreneurial journey where things are going well, chances are that at some point you will have to make important decisions. Forks in the road happen all the time. Instead of relying on instinct-rely on a strategic document to make better choices. Not everything is a yes and not every opportunity is as fit. Taking some time to make sure you have a sturdy base in place helps the work feel lighter in the long run.
Taking Action: Investing in Your Business Vision
So let’s get cranking! Find a place where you do your best thinking (because…vibes), grab a pen and a piece of paper and off you go! I believe fundamentally, that the work we do internally directly correlates to our business success. Prioritize this time and protect it. It’s an investment you won’t regret. If you need help crafting your vision, contact us. We’re a helping bunch here at ALC. We’ve love to help bring your great ideas to life.
