Success is the combination of numerous elements coming together.

One of the most important factors in a company’s success is having a clear vision of where your business is headed and how it will compete and win in your chosen marketplace. 

Successful companies don’t just “luck out”, they have a vision for success.  Just think of some of the most successful companies and their long term vision:

• Microsoft was founded in 1975 with the vision of having a PC in every home and office.  This was a time when few businesses even had personal computers for their employees, let alone consumers. Since the average US household now has 2-3 PCs/laptops, this is one case where it’s safe to say “mission accomplished.”
• American Online (AOL) was founded in the early 1980s when most of the country wasn’t online and there was no commercial Internet.  The company’s vision and mission was actually captured in the company name, and prior to the commercialization of the internet, AOL was more responsible for helping people get online than any other company.
• Amazon was founded in 1994 with the vision of becoming the world's largest online store (starting with online book selling).
• Starbucks' vision was focused on ‘changing the game’ in the coffee industry by selling high-quality, differentiated coffee creations, while the rest of the industry competed on price and cost cutting.
• Salesforce understood and anticipated that the market was moving away from packaged goods software, toward software-as-a-service. Salesforce was one of the first SaaS-based CRMs.

The list goes on and on…

Keep in mind that your vision doesn’t need to be as grandiose as Microsoft’s or Amazon’s. It could be something like, B&G Deli intends to become the leading, high-quality, natural food deli in town.  Or AI Inc., intends to create the world’s most helpful, retail electronics store, AI-enabled, point-of-sale robotic sales assistance.

Regardless of whether you’re a new startup business, a new real estate project, or a business that’s been around for 5 years, make sure that your business has a clear long-term vision of success that is in step with market trends and customer needs.