Do You Have a Clear Vision for Your Business?

Many of the entrepreneurs I speak with every day tell me they want to have a successful business. When I ask them to tell me more -- to tell me exactly what having a successful business means -- I often get resistance or even blank stares.

A successful business is one that makes lots of money, right? Well, of course you want to make money. But what else? What do you want your business to be like? What do you want your life to be like?

Every great business starts with a great vision. For your business to be successful, you have to have a strong, clear, vision for exactly what that success looks like for you.

First, I’ll start with a definition so you know what I mean. The word “vision” comes from the Latin word meaning “to see.” Your business vision is a picture of precisely how you want to see your business at some point in the future. It’s a vibrant portrait of the future you seek to create. It's a document that serves as a guiding light for propelling your business into this sought after future.

Now, let me elaborate. Your company’s vision is more than a fanciful daydream. Your vision is something you should develop with a great deal of thought. There’s an art and science to creating a vision that truly inspires great success.

To create a vision that carries your business into the future you seek, here are 10 steps to follow:

1. Look around you for inspiration

What businesses out there serve as your greatest inspiration? Look both in your own field and outside of your industry. Take the elements of the businesses you consider great and think of how you will incorporate these elements into your own successful enterprise.

2. Look within

Even more important than outside inspiration is considering what you truly want for yourself. Examine your values, beliefs, and what is most important to your business and life.

3. Take your time…

Creating a vision is not an exercise you need to complete on a deadline. Take the time to sit with your ideas, and examine them deeply. Carefully consider what you want to create and why.

4. …But get it done

There’s no need to dwell obsessively over your first draft. Write it, get it done, and move on to another draft. Your vision is a living breathing document that you will adapt throughout the life of your business. Create a vision, and work from there. When it no longer feels right, create a new vision.

5. Consider the possibilities

Your vision should be written as a best case scenario. What are the actual possibilities for your future? Don’t hold back or sell yourself short. Your vision will be your driving force.

6. Write it “as if”

Your vision is a powerful force for allowing you to feel the success you so desire. For this reason, it should be written in present tense, as if you’re already there.

7. Details, details, details

Your business vision is not something that can be summed up in one or two sentences. Express your future in vivid detail. Paint a full picture of how your business will look and feel. Keep in mind, though, that the idea is to create clarity, not muddy it with fluff.

8. Be specific

In addition to the details that describe how you want your business to look and feel in the future, you will also want to include specific objectives that you seek to achieve. How much money will you be making? How many clients will you be serving? Include numbers.

9. Get input

While this is your company and your vision, you’ll want to get input from the people who matter. Valued employees, close business colleagues, favorite clients, and trusted advisers can give you valuable input that can make your vision richer

10. Share it

Your vision is not something you want to include in your marketing materials, but it is not something you want to keep to yourself either. Share your vision with the people who will help it come to life. It should be readily available for key players to reference often.

Having a clear vision for the future is something every successful business owner has in common. Not only can you create a vision for your business as a whole, but you can apply a vision to many different aspects of your business. Create a vision for each project, for each big client, for each event, and for each goal.

Most importantly, remember that creating a business vision not busy work and it’s not merely an exercise dreamed up by MBA professors. It’s a time-tested building block for success.

‍