EPISODE E1.003 Creating a long term Vision for the business

Introduction
Here we are in the last week of July and the first month of the 3rd Quarter is ending - how much closer are you to success?

If you have been with us all month, you know we have been railing against the politicians and bureaucrats for acting arbitrarily in response to the pandemic; and any illusion they are making data-based decisions should have been dispelled by now. This is not about a specific political party or group, it is about the arbitrary use of power at the expense of the most important global community - you.

People like us, Living the Life, employ 57% of the planet's population and yet are treated as the source of its problems. Not here, we celebrate the contribution you make to a better society and our focus is to improve your chances of success. 

This week we continue the new programming structure. We use a Balanced Scorecard to format our weekday shows: Finance (Monday) = Operations (Tuesday) + Sales (Customers) + People (Employees) with Fridays dedicated to Owners. Look at the week this way - Monday through Thursday is working IN the Present, Friday is working ON the Future.

Also, we just built a new community, our version of a Chamber of Commerce. Join Up and gain access to our Hosts and access our library of best practices.

Have a great business week.
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Show Objectives
This is a conversation about the DNA of the business. It is private, personal, and all about you. At the moment other people don't matter - their concerns we will pick up later. The reason is simple, you are the one who will make the sacrifices and either enjoy the intrinsic success or suffer the consequences. Good Luck

Key Issues - ​Owner Perspective:

1. Gain clarity driving the decision to start a business - my Dream;
2. Given my experience as an employee and manager/owner, what is my Philosophy of how a business should be run;
3. Based on the Dream and Philosophy - what is my vision of the business - it's why.

What You Need to Know - Yourself
Dream: something that we hope, long, or are ambitious for, usually something difficult to attain or far removed from present circumstances; all entrepreneurs start with an business idea or business dream of a future state, the challenge becomes how to transform a dream into reality; it is the entrepreneurs dream to have unlimited wealth – to dream big; it answers the fundamental questions of 

• Why did you get into business? 
• Why did you leave a comfortable job? 
• Why did you take on all the risk and stress by gambling on yourself?

Philosophy: a precept, or set of precepts, beliefs, principles, or aims, underlying somebody’s practice or conduct; creating a business entity is more than making money, most entrepreneurs are trying to make a statement about themselves as expressed in the DNA of their company; it answers the questions of

• What are you about? 
• How do you intend to run the business? 
• How is it going to make a difference?

Vision: the ability to anticipate possible future events and developments; known as a vision statement, mission vision, or business vision; the dream and operational philosophy needs to be converted into business language by creating a vivid mental image of the future, written in present tense, that conveys 

• WHAT the business has achieved and WHY. 

It is expressed in Strategic Initiatives based upon the founders dream and philosophy.


What You Need to Do​

1. Dream - what is core reason you are going to take on all of this risk? Is it fame, fortune, some deep seated need to create. It is critical you're honest with yourself about the real reasons. Since you will never share this with anyone else, almost any answer is correct except deluding yourself.
2. Philosophy - how do you intend to run the business, to treat employees, to treat customers. How much much money should you take from the business? How long of a play is this, what time do you have in mind?
3. Vision - stated in current terms, where will the company be in X years? Describe it's WHY by bringing together your Dream and Philosophy into a public statement of your end game. 

Shows

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