Why do you do what you do? I don’t just mean working with great people to deliver great work for great clients. That covers pretty much every agency ever created. But why did you go into business in the first place? And why do you run your business now? And most importantly where do you want to go and what are your personal goals?
These are the first questions that I ask any agency owner that I meet as the answers should be the north star that guides every other activity that you do.
Many agency owners can become so caught up in the day to day running of their business that they lose sight of why they went into business in the first place and what it is that they want to achieve in the future. This lack of direction can result in the owner working ever-increasing hours, juggling more and more balls to keep staff and clients happy and yet not making any money. And waking up one day and thinking, what has this grind all been for?
Ultimately your business is there to deliver your personal goals. This might mean buying the house in the country in five years time; or only working four days a week in order to spend time with family and friends; or having the headspace to focus on honing your craft and learning new things.
Whatever your personal goals are, it is hugely important to spend time reflecting on these at least every year, documenting them (a recent study suggested you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you have them written down) and then aligning your business to help deliver these goals.
This doesn’t need to be a lengthy or time-consuming exercise but it will provide a point of focus that you can reference back to when considering all your future business decisions. If an action that you are taking isn’t helping move the needle to achieve your personal goals, then it probably isn’t an action you should be taking.