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Creating a Vision Statement
Creating a vision statement will help you stay committed to making sure you have the best chance of success.
Most businesses that fail do so for one reason. They don’t know exactly where they want to go. Businesses require planning and a laser sharp view of their goals and where they want to take their business.
Without this it is like being lost in the desert, you can wander around forever and still not make any progress.
You first task should be to sit down with pen and paper (better make it pencil, you will want to make changes along the way).
Start with the end in mind
First get a clear picture in your mind on what your business will look like when it meets your definition of success. Now write it down.
Make sure it captures the following:
- How long will it take?
- How much with it be worth?
- What does it sell?
- How else does it make profits?
- How many people in the team?
- Are they Employee’s or Outsourced?
- Where is the business located?
- What does it look like?
Next think about it for a bit and make a list of your goals in making this business. Once this is done number them from highest importance goal to the lowest. So if you have 10 goals your must have goal is 1 and the lowest goal is 10.
Take a good look at the goal numbered 1. You will sometimes hear this referred to as your “Big Why”. Visualize what it will look like when you achieve it.
Dwell on it for a few minutes and then below the goals start writing a list of things you are willing to do to make sure that goal is reached. This list should make sure that at least the following things are covered: time, money and energy. This is your commitment list.
The next part may not be comfortable but it really plays an important role in helping you to succeed. Make a new list of the negative things that will happen if you don’t follow through on your “Big Why”. This is your consequences list.
Again dwell on this list for a few minutes and feel the pain of not reaching that #1 goal. If it isn’t painful then your “Big Why” isn’t big enough.
Ok, now that you know where you want your business to be, why you want it there, and what happens if it isn’t. If you are still with me and haven’t give up already, congratulations you are off to a good start. Now there is one final step and that is to make your vision statement.
On the last part of the paper. I need to you write the following filling in the [blanks] with the information from above.
I am proud to be the owner of a successful business that makes [how much money] selling [product or services]. I have worked hard making this business because [Big Why] which I now enjoy.
Make sure to keep that paper near your desk and refer to it often. My suggestion is frame it and read it daily. Never let the vision or the vision statement out of your site.
There will be times when the business struggles and you feel you aren’t up to the challenge. Then more then any other time, take this paper and review it again. Use it to feel all the feelings again of why you started the business and what it will feel like when you succeed. It will recharge your batteries and fortify you to head back into the game and fight for what belongs to you.
Congratulations and best of success!
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