“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” said the Cheshire Cat to Alice in “Alice in Wonderland.” This so very much applies to your business. This is why it is so critically important that we create a very conscious plan for our business. It’s difficult to limit my “where” questions for you to just three, but I’ll try.
Where Are You Going? Unless you are very clear in your own mind about where you want to go, you’ll waste a lot of time wandering. This is your life. This is your business. You get to write this story, so write a good one. The reason you’re in business for yourself is that you want that freedom to do the things that you love and to make a living while you make a life. Never forget that. Be as audacious as you dare to choose dream accounts in industries that you love with great people that are fun to work with. Choose to enjoy the journey. When you know where you are going, you can get passionate about the journey and people love to work with passionate people.
Where Are Your Customers? When I started my company, it was B.C. (before children) and most of my customers were an overnight trip away. When I became a father, I chose to focus on customers who were geographically closer to home so I wouldn’t have to travel as much. That’s one of the great things about this business. We can choose our customers. If you have a destination in mind, prospect for potential customers there and go for it. Get a clear vision of where you want to work for customers—what cities, states or even countries. Decide if you want your business to be local, regional, national or international in scope. These decisions will help you focus your efforts. Where within the company are your customers? Are you targeting executive level offices or admin people, marketing people or human resource experts? Know where your customers are.
Where Am I Right Now? Be honest with yourself. To get from where you are right now to where you want to be, you’ll need to take a look at what resources you need. What skills do you need to work on? What do you need to get better at? Where have you been sabotaging yourself in the past? Do you need help or partners? What actions are you willing to take right now to get you moving again? What action steps will you take today to acquire the skills and resources that you’ll need to take you where you want to go?
Know where you’re going and choose your path. Take the first step and then another. If you fall, get back up and take another step. Keep your destination in mind and enjoy the journey.
