How does a business survive and grow, despite setbacks? It must have a secure foundation.
Many businesses have great ideas and intentions but unsturdy foundations. When you boil your business down to the crux of its existence and character, what does it rely on as a guide through trials and attacks from competitors, clients, and the marketplace at large? What is the litmus test?
Determining Factors
Your answers to the questions below will help determine the strength of your business’s foundation and provide direction for potential growth.
- Know Your Role: In two sentences or less, define the meaning of your company. On what does your entire business rest?
- See Beyond Your Nose: What is the vision?
- It’s Good to be the Boss: Is it all about you or others? How closely do you listen to the wants and ideas of your clients and employees, and what do you do with that knowledge?
- After Point A to Point B: What do you do with successes and failures?
Disciplined Habits
The way you move through the daily decisions of your business is a great indicator of the future trajectory of your business. Make sure your thought processes and decisions match your answers to the above questions that define your character.
What needs to change inside the business to make healthy external change possible?
Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words.
Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions.
Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits.
Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character.
Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny.
– Chinese Proverb, Author Unknown
