CREATE A BUSINESS VISION AND SECURE YOUR SUCCESS

I. A Business Vision will give you a stronger and more efficient business

Speak to any successful business owner and he/she will tell you exactly where the business will be in 3-5 years time. They know where the business is going and what they have to do to get there. A Business Vision is the "Where" the Business Mission is "How". Having a vision is having a clear picture of what you want the future to be, and what it will hold for your business. A Business Vision will give you the drive to move your business forward, and the determination to get there.

II. What does a Business Vision look like?

All visions start with a dream. You need some time to let your mind wander, and your imagination to run wild. Think really big, about how the most successful business of your type should look, and write down what you come up with. There are no limits on your thoughts, look ahead 3-5 years. Your vision has to be strong enough to motivate you through those times when the daily distractions make you wonder whether it is all worth while. It has to be powerful enough to make you jump out of bed each morning and drive the business forward. It must be bold and inspire you and others who will help you achieve it. It is the dream which covers all aspects of the business as you look forward. It must be a concise summary of all your thoughts, written in a way that everyone understands it. You may be in a service industry, and decide that when someone thinks of employing that service, you want them to contact you first. You may decide that you want to expand your range of services to provide a complete turnkey operation. Then your Vision might be, - "To be First Choice for …(Industry)…… Solutions".

III What is the next step?

Unless you take some action, the vision you have decided upon will remain only a dream. You have decided where you want your business to be, you must use that to help you decide how you are going to get there. In other words you need to evaluate what steps are necessary to cover each item in your Vision statement, and create a plan to achieve those steps. Remember that the Vision must be used by you and those around you to motivate you, inspire you and spur you into action to achieve it.