What Is the WHY Behind Your Business?

At some point in your life, you have been told that if you want to be successful, you need to find the “why” behind your business. It is the driving force behind every decision and action you take. Your why provides a sense of meaning and purpose, which keeps you going despite ups and downs.

Businesses also have a strong tie to their whys. A company’s why serves as a guiding light that brings clarity — not only to its employees but also to its customers and community. Every successful business has a purpose and a vision for its future. This post will guide you through the process of finding your business’ why.

What Is the Importance of Finding Your WHY in Business?

When you start a business, it is not just about making money. You need to have a reason for being in business in the first place. The why behind your business is what will keep you going when things get tough. It is what will inspire you to keep working hard, even when you do not see any results.

If you want your company to be successful, you need to know the importance of knowing the why of your business. You need to understand what makes you different from the rest. As an entrepreneur, you get to be unique because your why is your passion, what you stand for, and what you believe in. Your why also has the power to fuel your business. You need to stay true to yourself and your business, even when times get tough, and people try to discourage you from doing things your way.

These are the importance of finding your why in your business:

• Gives Purpose: Knowing your businesses why provides clarity to how you want to serve others. It promotes confidence and belief in pursuing your goals.
• Build a direction: When you know your why, it is easier to come up with a direction and mission for your company. This will also guide you in the decisions that you need to make. It will give you more clarity on what you should be doing and what needs to be achieved. When you can see your vision clearly, it is easier for you to work towards it.
• Create a connection: Your customers are not just buying what you are selling, they are also buying into your story and what you believe in. They want to feel like they are a part of something bigger. When they connect with your why, they will be more loyal to your brand. That is also your why telling you how to take care of them and treat them, so they will keep coming back.
• Become consistent:  Having a purpose and a strong why will help you to become consistent in your business practices, so it can grow. When people know what to expect, they are more likely to come back instead of looking for something new. When you stay true to yourself and your company, they will always know that when they see your brand’s name in places, it is something they can trust.
• Create motivation: The reason why you started your business is what will keep you going when things get tough. It is what will make you work hard and continue to innovate new ways to keep your company thriving. When your employees are inspired by what you stand for, it will be easier for them to give the best of themselves, and this is what helps build a phenomenal business.

Questions to Ask to Find Your Why in Business?

To truly understand yourself and your business, it requires some internal searching. Asking yourself these difficult questions will shine some light on your why and how to communicate it with others:

• What inspired your business idea?
• What drives your business idea? Passion? Mission? Demand? Something else?
• What is unique to your business?
• What problem does it solve for others?
• What did you want to change when you started your business?
• How does your purpose motivate others?

Knowing your businesses why provides clarity to how you want to serve others. It promotes confidence and belief in pursuing your goals. Simon Sinek, an excellent speaker on leadership, developed The Golden Circle that shows the three layers to your business: (1) the what (outside circle), (2) the how (middle circle), and (3) the why (inner bullseye circle). Most businesses know precisely what they want to do or sell, and some know how they should or will do it. But at the core, very few businesses know why they do what they do.

By establishing and focusing on your why, you can flip the script on how your customers understand your business. He uses a great example with Apple of how the business articulates its why first, then how, and finally what.

The Why – “everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo, we believe in thinking differently.”

The How – “The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use, and user friendly.”

The What – “We just so happen to make great computers. Want to buy one?”

Remember, customers don’t just purchase your products because of your products, they buy your products because of your story and why you do what you do. Put yourself out there so that your why, your story behind why you started the business, is known and resonates with those that you seek to serve. There is a community of people waiting for you to share your why that also have your similar beliefs to support your cause.

Conclusion

Knowing the why of your business is what will help you stay focused on your goals and achieve them. You will understand what you are fighting for and how to act towards that. It is important to understand that having a strong why also means that people are buying into your beliefs and vision of being the best at what you do. It is the foundation of your company and the purpose for your actions.