A business vision is aspirational; a statement of a future you envisage for what you aim to achieve. A vision that inspires new initiatives.

A business vision is not just an aspiration though, it must be a vision that inspires.

Creating the right vision for your company helps to build a firm foundation and fuel for its development, but defining the vision can be tough. What is required is a vision that inspires

Defining A vision That Inspires 

This is especially true if, like many business people, your goal is focussed on profitability.

Making money is essential for sustaining any business, yet it is not usually an inspiring goal.

A vision that inspires must address why you have chosen the focus of your business and how you do it.

If you look at entrepreneurs and companies whose visions are quoted, even by those outside of their industries, you'll find that they all share one thing: a wide-angle view that goes far beyond money and finance. They have created a vision that inspires.

The view - the vision - guides the company as a whole, its owner, its staff, its customers and stakeholders.

How to Create a Vision That Inspires 

If you are having trouble coming up with such a vision of your own, consider these questions:

Why Did You Choose This Business?

There is a reason you chose your particular industry.

You may have seen a market opening, you may have extra aptitude in the relevant areas, or you may have realized that the type of people you like to associate with are in the same business.

Or it may simply be that you are darned good at it, and enjoy every moment of doing it. 

How Do You Surpass Your Competition?

Usually, people who start companies believe that their competitors are missing a trick, or dropping the ball somewhere.

Are you better at quality, customer service, sourcing materials at better prices, or something else?

You likely enjoy playing to this strength, and getting ever better may well be a part of your internal vision.

Where Do You Want Your Company to Be in 50 Years?

Do you see yourself revolutionising your industry worldwide, changing the lives of many?

If so, you'll need a different strategy than you would if you envision yourself focussed on a local area, retiring, and passing your business on to your family or others.

• What makes it remarkable?
• What will people in 50 years time remember about your business?
• What will make them proud to be a part of it then?

Once you have considered all these questions. condense it all into a short statement.

This will be a guideline for your entire business, and make it easy to stay on track when faced with competing ideas.

One of the most important parts of achieving your vision is to surround yourself with people who have the same motivations.

Be sure to do so not only in your hiring practices, but in your other professional relationships as well.

This will keep you energized and allow for synergy between you and your circle of associates.

In my experience this is not work you can do on your own, so find a trusted guide to question you well, focus your conclusions, hone the language and plan the actions that follow from finding and concisely expressing core purpose.

If you have a great vision already or are just beginning and want some help to hone it then do get in touch.