Why your business needs a powerful why

Enterprise Nation member and ICAEW accountant Indy Agnihotri explains why you need to find your why.

What would you love to create in your business? And why?

The above question often forms the basis of what I ask business owners when I work with them to support them build their business. And often more than once over a period of time.

Every business owner should start out with what they want their ideal business to look like in the future.

Their vision.

Often businesses get preoccupied with the short term, so these types of questions allow them to also keep focused on the bigger picture, hence why I return to this question of vision, time and time again.

And often, once they have told me what they want to create for their business, I want them to think even bigger, and I ask them

What else they want.

And then

What they really really want.

Personal vision before business vision

But also remember. It's not just the business vision but it is also about your personal vision.

It is first about you as individuals. It is important to know why you are setting up in business and what you personally want from it.

Do you want to create more freedom for yourself, more enjoyment, more money, have more leisure time.

Or something else?

Your why

Ultimately it is a search for your 'why'. I really want you to connect powerfully with why you are setting up in business, your key motivations and what really matters most in your life. Drawing out the why is vital.

If we can tap into our 'why' it makes the 'how' so much easier. It is what the leading business writer and speaker, Simon Sinek, makes clear in his famous book, Start with Why.

As Simon states: "The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe."

By this route, you end up with allies across sectors. This question is crucial to address. And a powerful why will help you wake up each morning more motivated and ready to get through the challenges and struggles we all experience in business.

The above will really support the building of your vision for your business.

Your hidden potential/uniqueness

While asking these questions, I am also looking for the potential and uniqueness that exists in the business and the business owner. Of course, it differs from person to person, but everyone has something uniquely special which they can bring into their business.

And when they also connect with their why, it can make all the difference in building and creating the successful business they really really want.

Say NO

And once you know what you really want, you can then clearly and confidently say NO to all the things that do not support the creation of this business.

A question for all you business owners…

If you're saying yes to this, what are you saying no to?

Every business owners needs to be very clear on what they should be saying YES or NO to.

The entrepreneur and manager

Ultimately the message also here is, don't become a slave/employee to your own business, and not think about the other important areas of the business such as business and personal vision.

As the famous book, The Emyth, mentions, do not become just your own 'technician/employee'. Many small businesses are in fact just business owners who take on this employee-type role in their own business.

Instead it is essential you take on two additional roles of:

• The entrepreneur: Developing the vision and strategy

• The Manager: Turning your vision into plans and actions

That's if you want to really succeed that is.