We spend a lot of time trying to figure out what we are going to do in our home businesses, and the how of what we do–but to really stay motivated and feel strong and secure in our business operations, we do need to know WHY. Why are we in business? Why do we do things the way we do and what is really, deeply motivating us?
I have written before about my background in nonprofit management. While the use of the “mission statement” has seeped over into all sorts of businesses, nonprofit organizations are very obviously “mission-based”. This means that most nonprofit employees are well-versed and guided by the mission statement and the mission of their organization. I have been to numerous retreats and meetings and helped a nonprofit or two work through the process of determining what their mission was and how to formulate a guiding mission statement so that everyone will understand WHY the organization even exists.
We should know the WHY of our home businesses too and it needs to be about more than “making money”–existing to make money just isn’t enough to keep us motivated and focused. After all, if you think about it, you really do have loftier goals than that. Most of us want to make the world a better place and we want to provide goods and services that are a benefit to our clients and customers. We take pride in the work we do and want to make things easier, better, cleaner, etc. This doesn’t mean we don’t want to make money too–but a mission and a true purpose needs to incorporate those deeper, more personal, and more intrinsic reasons that we have started our own home businesses. Understanding the why of our home businesses will help keep us motivated and focused–even during the lean and tough times.
Also: Getting It Out of Your Head and Into Your Business
Do You Know What You Are Hoping to Accomplish?