So – why did you start up your business? Maybe it was one or all of these reasons:
- You had what Michael Gerber (folllow the link to listen to Michael explain) calls an ‘Entrepreneurial Seizure’ – it’s the moment the entrepreneur in you decides it would be a great idea to start your own business. You believe that knowing how to do the work of a business is all one needs to understand in order to start and grow a business.
- You want to be your own boss – you don’t want to answer to anyone else.
- You want to make ‘your fortune’.
- You want to build something that matters to you and other people.
Or maybe it was something else?
Whatever the reason – you need to be absolutely clear about what it is – because it’s the foundation on which your business is built. It’s the reason you get up every morning, why you keep trying to make it work when everyone says don’t bother, why you work so many hours …….
As Steve jobs put it – “You’ve got to have an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right that you’re passionate about, otherwise you’re not going to have the perseverance to stick it through.”
Your Purpose is Your Destination and Your Journey
Back to climbing that Munro I mentioned in the first article. If you want to climb a mountain then you first need to decide which mountain – and then get a map so that you can find it and get to the summit.
Your purpose is like a compass that always points you in the right direction – as long as you know where you’re purpose is taking you.
All you need to do then is find the right map – but you can find out about that in the the next article.
It’s also critical to understand that your journey is as important as your destination – as it’s about what you do and who you become along the way.
So – why are you really in business – what is your purpose?
Is Your Business Fit for Purpose?
If you want to travel across a desert and see an ancient pyramid – then driving a small family car isn’t going to cut it. You need something that’s fit for purpose – an off road vehicle with all the trimmings.
Your business is no different – it needs to be fit for purpose – and it needs all the trimmings.
If you want your business that generate £5 million in annual sales – then it will need a structure that can support that level of activity, staff that have the right skills to run and develop that structure, smart management information systems that can aid and accelerate decision making, and so much more …..
So – If you really know your business purpose – then you can assess how fit your business is. You should be assessing your business fitness on a regular basis.
So – on a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is really terrible and 10 is amazing – how fit is your business for it’s purpose today?
If you’d like to find out more about how to get better results by working on your fitness – try one of my programmes at:
…. or just give me a call to have a chat.
Have a great weekend.
Alistair
t: mobile 07981 107914
e:email alistair@alistairsummers.com
c:contact contact form
