Next Level Group

Do you have a vision for your business?  Have you written it out?  Your vision for the business is different from the mission statement in that it is your dream for the business.

Your vision is not shared with everyone.  The people who are interested in and excited about your vision are:

1.  Your family

2.  Your employees (make sure your employees and what you want for            their future is in your vision)

3.  Your banker

4.  Your strategic business partners

5.  Anyone else who may view your business plan

The key word is “dream”.  You wouldn’t tell just anyone about the strange dream you had last night (hopefully!)  Dreams are shared with people who are close to us; those we have allowed to get close to us. It is the same with your vision.  Believe it or not, there are people out there who don’t want you to succeed.  If those people are family and friends, you may not want to share your vision with them and, in some cases, you may even “fire” these people from the business-part of your life.  Share your vision and dreams with those who care and who are rooting for your success!

If you are a small business owner reading this material, I am sure that you will agree with me that operating your own business is an exciting and eye-opening experience.

Besides the day-to-day operations and the monetary responsibilities, it is important to have a clear understanding of your product.

If I were to ask the average small business owner what his or her product is, I would most likely get the following reply, “my product is greeting cards (or insurance, car repair, image consulting, etc.)  Let us take a moment and digest this answer.  If your product is greeting cards, then what are you selling?

OK – I am sure that I have you completely confused.  Let me explain.

In business, your product and item for consumption (merchandise or service) are different.  Your item for consumption is what the consumer actually purchases from you.  The product is you and your business.