Having a clear vision is vital for every business, getting yours down on paper is not as hard as you think.

Why do we believe this you may ask? There are a multitude of reasons for this, vision helps you get where you are going and clarifying this will help all businesses achieve their goals.

Firstly, in providing a clear direction and purpose for the business. It helps you the business owner and, if you have one, your team understand your long-term goals and objectives. Clarity is the first step in driving your business towards your goals.

Once you have this clarity of vision it motivates both you, the business owner, and your employees. It acts as a source of inspiration, driving you all towards a common goal this in turn an create a sense of purpose and passion, which can be instrumental in overcoming challenges and setbacks.

With a clear vision you can start to create your brand identity and what you stand for. This is when you start to communicate your vision externally and it incorporates other aspects such as your values, your point of difference and your aspirations. Having a well-crafted vision statement will not only attract customers but will help you build trust, and importantly, loyalty.

Now that you have created your vision and started to bring this to life, both internally and externally, it does not lose importance. Your vision should be a guiding light for you and your business, it will help you day to day in all those decisions you need to make as a small business owner. It will help you to evaluate different opportunities, initiatives, and strategies against the long-term vision. Ultimately ensuring that you stick to the plan and keep moving towards your goals.

As you look to scale your business you may start to consider the next stage of growth having a clear vision will help you attract investors and partners. It demonstrates a strong and focused business strategy, increasing the likelihood of securing funding or forming strategic partnerships. Investors and partners are more likely to support a business that has a clear vision and a compelling plan for achieving its goals.

Now we understand the importance of identifying your vision, make sure it is written down, how do we go about the process?

The first step is to reflect on you and your business purpose, think back to why you started the business and the impact you would like to make. Consider your values, passions alongside the customer needs you aim to fulfil in the market. After reflecting it is important to look forward, visualise the success you want for your business and consider the goals you want to achieve. Don’t make the mistake of thinking too small and too short term.

A vision statement should be focussed on the big picture, not the details of how you are going to achieve your vision, focus your vision on the outcome you want to achieve. The strategies and tactics that will deliver your objective come later.

You should also make sure that your vision will work for your business in the future as well as now. Try not to use any trendy phrases or business jargon that may not age, keep it brief use clear and powerful language to capture the essence of your aspirations.

Finally, it’s vital that your vision is aligned with your core values as an individual and as a business. Having this alignment will help guide your decision making and ensure consistency in your actions.

The above is merely a helpful guide that will get you thinking about the importance of a clear vision statement for your business alongside some ideas to get you started on the process. We have proven tools and strategies that can help and support you in writing a great vision statement. This is one of the most important steps in developing your business and our expertise can help bring your vision to life in as painless a process as possible.

Get in touch to discuss how we can help you grow your business.

info@harrisonandhunter.co.uk