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Personal And Business Visions

PeRSonAl And BuSineSS ViSionS
Your Personal Vision
not require a degree or certificate—but in many
cases you will need to have a credential, academic
Visions differ from goals in that they tend to be large,
or trade, or some sort of formal proof that you are
grand, and encompass a broad range of factors. Goals
qualified to do what you want to do.
tend to be the tangible, nuts-and-bolts accomplish-
ments we set to fulfill our visions. When creating a
n Evaluate your experience. Likewise, experience
business, you start at the very top with the personal
often matters—sometimes even more than a for-
vision, and gradually work your way down through
mal education. In the software field, for example,
business vision to opportunities to actual goals and
someone’s innate programming abilities coupled
milestones that you can check off a list. To better
with hands-on experience writing computer pro-
define your vision, you’ll need to:
grams are often worth more than a degree from
even the most prestigious university. As has been
n Identify your passion. First, what are you pas-
often noted, Bill Gates never graduated from Har-
sionate about? What truly interests you? What will
vard. Instead, he took his talent for programming
keep you up at night, thinking and working, long
and his experience experimenting with computer
after you should be asleep? This is your passion,
languages to found his own software company,
and you should always pay attention to what you
Microsoft. The rest is history.
are passionate about. Aligning your vocation (how
you earn your living) with your avocation (how
n Assess your lifestyle goals. How you want to live
you prefer to spend your time) is one of the most
your life is a big part of your vision. Are you will-
satisfying things you can do. In many cases, it’s the
ing—or even eager—to devote 60 hours a week to
reason entrepreneurs have become entrepreneurs.
your business? Or is your ultimate goal to leave the
running of your day-to-day operations to some-
n Identify your skill sets in this field. Once you
one else while you relax on your sailboat? Do you
know what your avocation is, you need to decide
want to grow a business that employs hundreds
how personally qualified you are to pursue it. You
of people, or do you want to remain an indepen-
may have a passion for helping people in emotional
dent sole proprietor? Do you want to work out of
difficulty and think you want to be a psychologist,
your home, or do you wish to establish boundar-
counselor, or even a psychiatrist operating your
ies between your personal and professional lives
own practice. But what are your inherent skills
by getting an outside office? The more you can
that make this an appropriate choice of profession
articulate this aspect of your vision, the more pre-
for you? Are you naturally intuitive and insight-
pared you wil be later to identify the actual goals
ful when it comes to understanding other people’s
and milestones for judging whether you’re meeting
emotional states? Likewise, if you would like to
them.
head your own business consulting firm, what
specific skills do you possess that would make this a
n Identify your geographic preferences. Where
good match? Do you have an analytical mind that
would you like to live? Do you want to be able
can spot problems and come up with solutions?
to travel extensively, and to run your business
Do you have the people skil s to convince people
from wherever you happen to be? Or do you want
you have the answers to their questions? Taking a
to reside in a particular location? Technology is
long, hard look at yourself is an essential first step
enabling people to run “virtual” companies that
in starting a business.
can be operated from anywhere, so depending on
the specific type of business you hope to start, you
n Assess your training/education. Once you’ve
may have a whole gamut of choices that were previ-
identified your inherent skil s and talents, it’s time
ously unavailable to entrepreneurs.
to investigate how well you’re prepared to go into
this field based on your formal training and edu-
n Articulate your financial dreams. Final y, there is the
cation. It may turn out that your native skil s are
very important question of money: you may simply
enough to qualify you to jump into a profession
be hoping to get enough to support yourself (and
with both feet—for example, dog grooming does
your family) and save sufficiently for retirement. Or
1
Excerpted from Passion to Profits: Business Success for New Entrepreneurs
© 2009 by Rhonda Abrams. Published by The Planning Shop
To purchase t he full book visit www.planningshop.com
PeRSonAl And BuSineSS ViSionS
you may be more ambitious, and have visions of accu-
Your preferences in this regard wil determine the
mulating real wealth. Whatever your goals, it’s best to
type of business you will start.
articulate them upfront as part of your vision so you
can plan your business accordingly.
n What business values/corporate culture do you
want to create? What’s important to you about
the nature of the business you build? How will you
Your Business Vision
treat your employees? Interact with your commu-
nity and the world in general? What code of ethical
Once you’ve articulated your personal vision, it’s time
conduct will you adhere to when doing business?
to consider your business vision. This includes think-
Management style plays into this: you may prefer
ing about the type of company you want to build and
a buttoned-down, traditional workplace. Or you
run at a fairly high level. Some questions to consider:
might want to foster a more fun environment
that includes scooters, video games, and even nap
n How big a company do you want to build? As
rooms. Here is where your commitment to socially
you begin to think about your business, keep in
responsible behavior comes into play, as does your
mind that the business itself may dictate the size.
vision of how you want to be viewed by others in
Some people deliberately keep their business vision
your organization. Do you want to create a role
smal : they want to be sole proprietors and have
for yourself as a traditional authoritarian boss or
no interest in employing others or growing a busi-
nurture a more collaborative, “flat” organizational
ness that requires more than their particular input.
culture? You can be very specific about the rules
Those with professional skills like accounting or
and mores of your business: for example, Kinkos
business consulting often fall into this category. Big
for many years had a strict organizational mandate
ideas often require big companies to make them
against gossiping. Other organizations are com-
come to fruition. It would be difficult to run a fur-
mitted to family values, allowing four-day work-
niture manufacturer with mass-market reach with
weeks and guaranteeing that employees can leave at
just three employees. A lot of this comes back to
5 p.m. Your business values represent an important
control. It’s hard to maintain a high degree of con-
aspect of you business vision.
trol over a larger company—although some people
certainly try.
n What are your business skills? What are your
leadership/management qualities or other per-
The Four Aspirations outlined on pages14–15
sonality traits that stand you in good stead pursu-
provide a good yardstick for determining the size
ing this passion? Do a careful inventory of your
business you wil run. If, for instance, you come
business skills at this point, because it will deter-
to realize that your aspiration is to start a Vision-
mine whether and how you should bring in other
ary Venture, you’ll be able to eliminate ideas that
individuals to complement your skills, or what
can only sustain one or two people. If, on the
additional education or training you need if you
other hand, your aspiration is a company that is
hope to go it alone. Can you motivate others? Can
a Solo Sustainer, you’l want to avoid businesses
you communicate? Are you wil ing to learn these
that require you to invest a great deal of money up
skills if you don’t currently possess them? Keep in
front.
mind that your inventory of business skills should
include not just the ones you have now, but also
n Do you want to work by yourself or with other
people? This is a critical question. You may be a
the ones you’re willing to work on or develop.
self-sufficient type who prefers being in control of
every aspect of your business to delegating respon-
sibility or partnering with others. Or you may be
gregarious and socially inclined and need others to
support you, to bounce ideas off, and to socialize
with. Or your business may absolutely require oth-
ers with complementary skil s to make it a success.
2
Excerpted from Passion to Profits: Business Success for New Entrepreneurs
© 2009 by Rhonda Abrams. Published by The Planning Shop
To purchase t he full book visit www.planningshop.com
PeRSonAl And BuSineSS ViSionS
worksheet: Your Personal Vision
To help bring your vision into sharper focus, fill out the following worksheet. Don’t be shy about
writing down your wilder dreams—that’s often how the most innovative and successful businesses
begin!
What’s your passion?
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What are your skills/talents in this field?
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What’s your education/training?
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What’s your experience?
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What’s your optimal lifestyle?
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Where would you like to live (geographic location)?
___________________________________________________________________________________
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What are your financial goals?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
3
Excerpted from Passion to Profits: Business Success for New Entrepreneurs
© 2009 by Rhonda Abrams. Published by The Planning Shop
To purchase t he full book visit www.planningshop.com
PeRSonAl And BuSineSS ViSionS
worksheet: Your Business Vision
Now it’s time to focus on the vision you have for your business. After filling out the following
worksheet, you will have a better idea of what your business goals are and what you need to
do to achieve them.

How big a company do you want to build?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Do you want to work by yourself or with other people?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
What are your business values? What kind of corporate culture do you want to create?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Which of your leadership/management qualities or other personality traits will stand you in good stead
pursuing this passion?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
What business skills are you willing to develop to make your venture a success?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
4
Excerpted from Passion to Profits: Business Success for New Entrepreneurs
© 2009 by Rhonda Abrams. Published by The Planning Shop
To purchase t he full book visit www.planningshop.com