What do I hope to achieve by doing what I do? - Australian Businesswomen's Network

Published: 17 May 2006

What do I hope to achieve by doing what I do?

Janet Sernack

Know what you want to achieve in order to better direct your marketing communication.

One of the common dilemmas that I've noticed during my 12 years of consulting to small business is that some business owners have com-pletely lost sight of why they decided to go into business in the first place! Many of them have confided in me that they are totally preoccupied with working to survive in an increasingly competitive and often unpredictable marketplace and don''t really have the time to think about what they are doing and how they are doing it!

You may well ask, "What has this got to do with marketing?" Everything. To be profitable, secure and successful you must be:

your own best product;
passionate about what you are doing;
clear about the value both you and your business deliver; and
clear about the value you add to the lives of your customers.

Marketing is the business of satisfying customers and if you aren''t the best at all that you do, you won''t stay in business.

Sometimes it is essential to take some ''time out'' and ask yourself that critical question - Why did I think to start my business in the first place?

For some of us, the initial answers may include things like - "to escape from the tyranny of my egocentric boss", "to work my own hours", "to be more in control of my time and my income." These are all good and valid reasons. However, they probably aren''t the reasons your customers would like to hear, nor are they potential income generating ones.

I''ve always admired the small business owner who takes the time out from ''doing stuff '' to reflect, review and collect their thoughts about what drove them to start their own business in the first place.

By asking this vital question, it enables them to easily ''reinvent'' themselves and to reclarify their business focus in the face of market or industry changes. It also ensures that they are both aligned and on track with the original purpose for their business venture. This directs the development of the ''you'' factor - ''you'' are your best product - and this is what sparks the passion for doing something of value. It also refocuses attention on the changing needs and wants of customers in regards to the value a business adds.

An example for consideration: The Managing Director of Company X decided to leave a very successful corporate career 10 years ago with a dream to create a management consult-ing company. Her passion was to make a difference by helping other companies to develop and manage their products. Her goal was to enable more customers to be able to buy better quality products, which would better suit their needs and wants than had been offered to them previously.

After four years of developing her business to a growth stage of incredible proportions, including a team of staff, a portfolio of overheads and a lofty bank overdraft, she took ''time out'' to ask herself that very important question:

Why did I think to start my business in the first place?

What she realised was that her dream had turned into a nightmare and had taken over her health, her lifestyle and her family life. She felt that she had lost sight of her passion and had become what she called a "workhorse." She felt like a "slave" to "doing stuff", so that she could pay the team, manage the overheads and keep her promises to the bank.

By taking ''time out',' she realised that a different approach could perhaps create a better series of results. So, instead of remaining in the consulting business, she ''reinvented'' herself to become an educator of change. Her purpose had remained essentially the same, but its focus, delivery, application and impact had changed.

She freed herself from her own perceived "workhorse" status and embarked on a new journey where she could, with heartfelt passion, further add value to the quality of her customers'' lives.

So why don't you take some time out this weekend and ask yourself that very important question:

Why did I think to start my business in the first place?

Ask it at least five times to ensure that you feel happy with the answers that arise and notice how differently you will feel about your business in the future.

Janet Sernack successfully runs her own learning and development consultancy, Compass Learning, where she makes a difference to small and large businesses by facilitating culture change programs, learning organisation initiatives and improved business and marketing planning.

She has also held senior management positions in the wholesale and retail sectors, most recently as Marketing Development Manager with Grace Bros.