Question #3 on the Junior Achievement’s list of 20 questions to consider before starting your business is “Why am I starting a business?” This is an essential question that you must be able to answer. Your why is the motivating force behind your business and should guide all the other decisions you make.
Matt Hunckler, who blogs about business startups, said, “A good business is simply a tool to help you lead the life you want to live. And, done right, your business can be a way to leverage the change you want to see in the world.”
What’s your “why”?
Starting a business and making a go of it is hard work and requires that you sacrifice some other things in your life. If you’re willing to make those sacrifices and you are committed to your dream, then you need to make sure you are building a business for the right reasons.
Paraphrasing Matt Hunckler again — To define why you’re starting a business is one of the most empowering things you can do. Your why is what inspires you and the people on your dream team, it sparks action, and breathes purpose into everything you do.
You can find your why by asking yourself these four questions:
- How and why do I want to change the world?
- How does starting a business mesh with my personal values and beliefs?
- How will that business help me live a more fulfilled and purposeful life?
- Why do I want to run a business?
Does your business “why” align with your personal “why”?
Build your business in such a way that it empowers and inspires yourself and others. Make sure that your business is authentic and in integrity with your beliefs and personal values. Build it with systems and routines that motivate and sustain the effort needed to overcome all obstacles and to persevere.
So I ask you: Why does your business do what it does? What value do you provide? How do you (or will you) do that thing better than anyone else in the world? And why is that important—to you and to the world?
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