Defining Your Business's Purpose
Lettering Works is ready to tackle just about any branding project that comes our way. We find branding projects to have the perfect balance of a need for strategic creativity and artful execution. Before you contact us or any potential designer to help bring your brand to life (or refresh your current brand), it’s key to have a grasp on your business’s purpose.
Let’s start by acknowledging the fact that defining your business’s purpose is no easy task. It might even be something that you need to hire someone to help with - this could be a designer, coach, or mentor.
To help me refocus my business’s purpose in light of my recent move to Chicago, I attended a Sunnyside Chats workshop at Indigo & Violet Studio. I needed to carve out time and space to gain clarity on my top values and the mission that drives my work. Tina Olsen and Julie Breckenfelder of CORelement led the intimate workshop. They brought their positive outlooks, energy, and guidance into a room full of passionate female entrepreneurs and business owners.
A couple key takeaways that I’d like to share that I hope will spark progress in your own journey to defining your business’s purpose:
It is important to consciously know your values. They provide clarity, focus, and direction. Make a list of them - try to narrow it down to 5 or less.
Think deeper. Here are a few thought-provoking questions Tina and Julie shared to get you started:
When you are at your best, what is going on?
When you are feeling exhausted by your work, what’s going on?
What impact do you hope to make?
A great purpose is focused, simple, aims high, and is understandable. It is not generic, a tagline, or lengthy.
If you are curious as to what values I’ve identified for myself and Lettering Works - they are: creativity, kindness, compassion, validation, and passion. I am still working through developing my own definitions of each (as we were recommended to do in the workshop) and fine-tuning my business to align with what is most important to me. Taking time to be introspective is key to growing and evolving as a business.
Don’t forget to work on your business, rather than just in it. Invest in yourself by connecting with outside sources - like workshops, coaches, and mentors - who can help you better understand your purpose. The better defined your business’s purpose, the easier it will be to stay true to it and ultimately achieve the life you imagine for yourself. If you’d like to utilize Lettering Works’ services to help you build an authentic brand rooted in your values, reach out via our contact form.
