Did you know You Need An Amber is my THIRD business? Yep. That’s right. I’m no stranger to starting and running online businesses. One of the lessons learned from past businesses that I implemented into You Need An Amber is to start off with the right foundation. MISSION. VISION. VALUES.
Most of the “experts” online tell you to start with your product or your ideal client. They tell you to position yourself as an expert with a product or service. They tell you to niche down.
I completely disagree.
You have to start with your mission, your vision, and your values.
Why?
Because this is the foundation. The footing upon which you’re building your business.
You have to know where you’re going…you have to have a plan. Otherwise, you’ll flounder. You’ll change your mind a thousand times. You’ll be inconsistent. You’ll bring on the wrong clients. You’ll hire the wrong people. You’ll work on projects you hate.
Is that what you want for your business? I didn’t think so.
You want something feels good – something that aligns with your core values.
You want a business that is shaped around the life you want instead of shaping your life around your business.
You want easy.
You want fun.
So let’s start with your mission, vision, and values.
YOUR MISSION.
The mission of your business is what you do on a daily basis. You’re a photographer or a designer. You serve a specific group of people.
This is your declaration to the world – “THIS is what I give you!” It should be concise, only a sentence or two and it should be as unique as your idea.
Check out the You Need An Amber mission:
It’s straightforward, it sums up everything I do into one thought that is easily understood by my customer base.
YOUR VISION.
Your vision is where you see yourself in a couple of years. The bigger goals and dreams that can’t be accomplished. This is the long-term game.
Close your eyes. What does your business look and feel like at its most optimal level?
Daydream and journal out what this looks like. You’ve done the work, you’ve hired the people, your processes are seamless, your products and services sell themselves. Now a microphone is in front of you and you’re being interviewed because you’ve created such a positive impact within the community.
What do you want your lasting impression to be? It can be lofty and airy and BIG.
That’s the point – it’s your vision.
Your vision probably won’t be published anywhere. Vision is the internal driver behind projects that will up-level your business. It may be helpful to share with your team so they too have a big target to look at, but this is internal.
YOUR VALUES.
Your values are your non-negotiables. Business values are usually shaped by your personal values, and that’s perfect!
Take a moment and ask yourself these questions.
- What do I, and therefore my business, believe in?
- How do I want my business to behave?
- How do I want this belief system to be reflected in the people I hire to represent my business?
Once you can articulate your values, you’ll be able to speak clearly about what you believe in and care about when you hire new team members, decide what clients you want to take on, and how you’ll behave as a team. You can use your values to create your screening questions during the interview process and inform your existing team member’s evaluations.
Working out your mission, vision, and values may take a couple of days. But, that’s ok. Sit with it. Process it. How does it feel?
Your mission, vision, and values are the foundational piece of your business. It’s important and should be treated as such. Take the time to draft some notes, put them aside, and chew on it a bit.
It can be helpful to bring in someone to help you with this process. Once you’ve made your notes, slept on it, and come back to your notes, give me a call!
I can help you sort it out and streamline it so when you present this to your team and clients your words are clear and easy to understand.
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