It seems somewhat incredible that many entrepreneurs go into business without knowing exactly their true business purpose.
Have you ever taken the opportunity to boil down your purpose to its very essence?
"What is my business?" Try to find an answer that covers all the bases in just a word or two. Usually that's a very challenging task.
Your company may sell a number of different products and services and it's purpose may be multi-faceted. Here's maybe a different way of defining what it is that you do.
Imagine that you are the perfect customer of your business. You are the one that the business targets in all of its advertising and marketing.
Now ask yourself, "What is it that I want from this company?" Whatever your answer may be, that is probably a great starting point for defining your company purpose. Why?
You are in business to provide your targeted customers with products and services they truly want.
If you develop products based on your own ideas, but they aren't what your customers want, you will have a very difficult time keeping your business going.
Customers don't care about the desires of the business owner!
They want to know what's in the business for them. WIIFM? (What's in it for me?)
What products or services does the business offer that I want?
What do they have to offer that will help me solve a particular problem I'm having?
How can the business help me save time or money?
If you can find the answer to these questions, you'll be well on your way to defining a purpose for your business – that is, your purpose should be to ultimately satisfy your customer's wants.
You do that by talking to the customer and understanding what it is he's after.
Take some time as soon as you can and brainstorm the purpose for which you created your business.
Very pointedly, ask some of your customers how they perceive your business and products.
Once the mission of your business is precisely defined, you will have a standard by which it can be measured for growth and success.
