Many entrepreneurs start a business because they have a great idea about a product or want to provide a service they are skilled in. Although skill and an impressive product are important to having a successful business, it is central for long-term success not to get lost in the game of making money.
The key reason businesses exist are to help improve the lives of their communities, or customers. For example, products as simple as hair brushes or shampoos help us improve our appearance and how we feel about ourselves. Therefore, they are improving our lives. Service providers such as accountants, doctors, and lawyers all provide necessary services that help us get through our lives in the best, most efficient way possible. They provide important services that all of us need. Therefore, products and services make a difference in our lives.
Think about when the iPhone was introduced back in 2007 and how it changed the way we live today. We can literally use our phone to conduct most of our business and don’t even need to be in the office. Not only can we have face to face conversations, we can take pictures or video and instantly post them to our social media pages for our clients and customers to see so that we can emphasize a point about our product or service. We have access to more free marketing than ever before. All from a simple iPhone. This is a product that not only changed lives, it changed the way we do business.
So, when we think of our business, the purpose of our product or service and what we want to offer to our community and customers, we must approach it with how we can change and improve their lives. This will provide an intimate connection between us and our customers, and keep us there if we don’t lose focus, giving us a competitive edge in the market.
Doing this does not diminish that we are all in business to make money. However, if we are focused on the needs of our customers first, the money will follow. If we provide a solution to their problems, our product or service will receive the attention we want and we will naturally gain more of the market share.
The benefits of being attentive to helping our communities with our product or service are endless. Maintaining this focus will empower us to constantly improve our goals of how we want to progress and create change. When our customers are touched, they will return and spread the word, giving us the greatest reward of reminding us why we started our business in the first place.