Navigating Entrepreneurship: Start Strong – Part I

April 2, 2014

Happy Wednesday, y’all! I am actually on my way back from an amazing time at the Making Things Happen conference in Chapel Hill (I can’t wait to share about it!), but I just couldn’t wait to kick off our eight-week series on navigating through life as an entrepreneur. Our first topic is all about starting strong with a clear mission – something I am so passionate about!
 Before you can embark on the sometimes-harrowing-yet-never-boring adventure that is life as a small business owner, you must prepare. You need to have a clear idea of your core, your mission, what excites you and motivates you to do what you do. I always ask my branding clients to tell me about their mission, their core values, their vision, as well as their long and short-term goals before we get started. I believe that if you aren’t able to identify these basic principles for yourself, how are your customers supposed to recognize and relate to your brand? People unite over values, core beliefs and common goals, so it is crucial for you to have a clear grasp of these basics before attempting to create a successful and sustainable business.  

But let’s strip all that away for a minute and just focus on one thing – your mission. This is the core of your business, the one factor that motivates every decision from what products to sell to how to package them. This is the place from where all else will grow. This is your Why. Why do you do whatever it is that you’re doing? (And please don’t say, “Money.”) 

Personally, I do what I do in order to help business owners build a strong brand that represents their hearts. I also design prints and other paper goods because my heart rejoices when I am able to encourage or inspire through design. And because I am aware of these things, they are always on my mind ensuring I stay on track and make wise business choices that actually reflect on this mission. You won’t see me selling Frisbees or making scrunchies at any point because I am not driven to do so. There are countless other talented individuals out there who are truly passionate about tending to your Frisbee and scrunchie needs, so I’ll leave it to them.

So friends, this first piece of advice is simple: identify your Why and then act on it. Your Why will give your project or business purpose, and it will serve as your compass when times get complicated, always steering you back to why you started. With a clear and concise mission under your belt, everything else will come naturally. Products or services that effortlessly fit with your mission will be the right way to go, and products or services that clash or do not adhere to all of your mission will not make the cut.

If you’re unclear about your mission, whether it is in your personal life or your business, I encourage you to sit down with a cup of coffee, a pen and a piece of paper and just write what is on your heart. When you ask yourself the question “Why?” I promise you there will be an honest and excited answer waiting to be heard. All you have to do is hear it, take it to heart and let it change your life.

Do you want more ideas on identifying your Why or how to express it in your life? Go take a look at Start With Why by Simon Sinek. I purchased this book about a year ago, and it totally challenged me to reevaluate the way I approached my business. Definitely worth a read, friends!

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My name is Bonnie – I’m a brand designer, strategist, and writer which all adds up to one eclectic conglomeration of qualities that enables me to serve you well! Past clients have dubbed me "the Joanna Gaines of brand design," and I've had more than a few call me a dream maker, a game changer, and a design wizard (my Harry Potter-loving heart didn't hate that one, let me tell you!). At the end of the day, I'm a big-hearted creative who will get teary-eyed as you share the heart behind your business; who will lose sleep over the perfect font pairings and color selections to bring your brand to life visually; and who will work tirelessly to empower, encourage, and equip you to share your work with the world intentionally. 

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