Ever get stuck trying to figure out your company brand or mission statement? Those worksheets are hard in the early stages of your business. Because you have NO idea what matters most to you or your future customers.
So let me share an easier way to get started:
Start with your vision board
A vision board is not a “woo-woo” activity. Sure you can sit down and paste pictures of every single car, house, and piece of jewelry that you hope to own. But if you get the essence of the vision board, you begin to realize it’s much deeper. You can visit the proverbial “adult candy store” or you use a vision board to tap into core goals/dreams and use that as your springboard for your company’s mission and values.
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The vision board gives you the opportunity to share your bucket list. I bet there are future customers and communities who would identify with your life goals.
- The vision board gives you an opportunity to connect with something larger than yourself. If you are the type who is motivated by more than money, you need these visual reminders when the going gets tough.
- You deserve to have a serious “come to Jesus” moment when you are determining your company values. Because it matters to you. To your family. To your future. And you get to stop stressing over what ain’t as important
And this is CRITICAL to business owners. Why?
The vision board helps you know where to focus your time
I remember a conversation I had with a coaching client a few years ago. She was frazzled. She was working on her business nights and weekends. Burning the candle at all ends. And spending most of her time putting out fires.
It was driving her crazy.
We spoke about what mattered most in her life. And when she started diving in, she realized it was her family. She wanted a business that allowed her to spend more time with her family. But her current business structure didn’t support her desires. She was starting to resent the time she was spending.
So we came up with a solution. She hired help in exchange for taking home less profit.
She had forgotten that her core focus in life was her family. Once she got back in alignment, she started breathing easier. She was able to spend more time with her family. And enjoy life more.
And the end result is her business started earning more. Why? Because when she did work, she was in her zone. Came up with ideas and solutions because she wasn’t tire and resentful.
And figured out some new ideas for how to maximize her time.
That’s often how it works. Identify what matters most to you. Solve a pressing problem for someone else. And figure out how to create a business model that allows you to do both.
#win
Which leads me into the next point
Identify your values and you’ll build a better business
I’m sure you’ve heard that it’s important to write a mission and vision statement for your business.
Ever sat down and tried to create one?
I’ll wait….. LOL
Yup. They are darn hard to flesh out. People spend big money on creating them. They hire expert facilitators. They gather their top decision makers off-site. And spend hours revising and reviewing until they create these statements.
So let me help you with the cheat sheet if you are a solo or small business shop. Do a vision board. Or get real creative and do one with your team.
See what comes up.
- What words matter most
- What pictures capture your attention
- What visuals keep coming up again and again
Yup. That’s it. That your company values. Those are the things that matter most to you..and will matter most to your clients.
Start sharing those ideas. Those values. The things that matter most to you.
By the way, your friends and family already know this about you. So, infuse it into your business. You’ll find clients and customers along the way that are as invested in the things that matter most to you. These will be more loyal and long term clients because your interests are aligned.
Anddd it will make it much easier for you to reach that coveted 80/20 marketing equation. No one likes businesses that sell, sell, sell all the time with them. But if you share funny memes, inspirational quotes, or beautiful photos, people will remember. They will start to see what matters to you and associate it with your company brand.
And people buy from people they like. The more you share who you are, the more likely you will attract your ideal clients.
