this week we are focussing on refining our idea…
Getting to grips with your purpose and the purpose of your business. Focussing in on the specific products or services your business will feature, your business model, target audience, how you will get your product to market. As well as really getting to understand your customer.
finding your why
We begin to refine our idea this week, by finding our Why, our purpose and brand purpose. The reason our business exists beyond the drive to make money. Our brand prupose creates connections with our target customers. Leading with our Why and following with the What and the How drives attachment and action with customers and as the business grows with employees as well.
Unfortunately finding your Why isn’t always simple. It’s more than just making a statement you think your audience will get behind. And it’s far more than co-opting the Why you’ve seen work successfully for others. Audiences are smart. They will instantly be able to sense if your Why is not authentic. Your Why is not the same, but has to align with and drive everything else you’re doing, especially your vision, mission, and values.
Remember
Your vision describes where your organization is going in the coming years.
Your mission focuses on your business operations and the products or services you offer.
Your values define how your entire organization should go about achieving your mission.
Your Why shifts focus from internal operations to your external impact.
refining your idea
Before launching your creative business it’s important to have a clear understanding of your business idea. What problem you are solving, what your solution to that problem is, how you will make money (what your business model is), how big your target market is, who your competitors will be, why your business will be different/better and how you will actually get your product or service to market. How customers will find you and how you will get your product or service to them. Will you sell directly or through a retailer, for example.
knowing your customer
Running a successful business relies on understanding your target market. Who are you selling to? Why should they buy your product? What do they stand to gain? Where can you find them? How will you reach them?
finding your purpose exercise
Before you start working on your brand purpose and Why this exercise will help you to find your personal purpose. Before starting out on your business journey it’s important to have a good understanding of yourself as a person, what drives and motivates you and what you are good at.
finding your brand purpose exercise
This exercise will help you to find your brand purpose, the reason you exist beyond the drive to make money that will help you connect your brand with your target audience
refining your idea exercise
Before launching your creative business it’s important to have a clear understanding of your business idea. This exercise will help you to really get to grips with all elements of your business idea.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER EXERCISE
Running a successful business relies on understanding your target market. Who are you selling to? Why should they buy your product? What do they stand to gain? Where can you find them? How will you reach them?
This exercise will help you define your target audience and future customers.
week 4 book
This weeks book recommendation is 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear.
In this book, Clear debunks the myth of overnight success, and gives detailed examples on how success is created by consistent habits performed over a long period of time.
Goals are a great thing to set, but if you have no systems in place to achieve your goals, then you are setting yourself up for failure.
There is something empowering about knowing you can be successful when you create the right systems and put in the work everyday over a long period of time. If you can be 1% better everyday, you can look back at the end of the year and see those small changes along the way which change the trajectory of your life.
This book is based on creating small and sustainable habits that will help you long term. It helps you change your mindset from short term thinking to long term thinking and how to sustain that over the next year, 5 years, 10 years of your life.
It is a book that can apply to all areas of your life. Whether you are trying to build a business, improve your health & fitness or how to create the life that you want - all of these tips are so helpful.
A great book to get started on now to set you up for the new year.
week 4 podcast
his week's podcast recommendation 'Overshare' by Justin Gignac who has honest conversations with creatives - speaking about the things that we all struggle with as creatives.
Topics include, being rejected from projects to the fear of not living our fullest life, to starting your creative career late in life & more!