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It’s Only Common Sense: Why Are You in Business?

Company owners can tell you what their company does; they can do that all night long. They can also tell how they do it, and who they do it for. But they can seldom tell you why they do it.

What is the purpose of the company? Why was it started? What is its mission? Please don’t say that it’s to make money because in the end that is the most self-incriminating admission you can make. Companies that are in it solely to make money will rise to mediocrity at best.

All great companies have a reason why they started. All great companies were started with a mission–a mandate–in mind.

Apple wants to change the world. That higher purpose is what makes it great. When he started years ago, Steve Jobs wanted to make a “dent in the universe.” As he famously asked John Scully when he recruited him, “John, do you want to sell sugared water all your life, or do you want to change the world?” Interestingly, Scully should have kept selling sugared water because he certainly had no idea or passion about changing the world.

When you think about your company, go back to the beginning. Why did you start it? Sure, there are basic reasons, such as working for yourself, being independent, and of course, making some money. But if you look back to your very beginnings, there was the time when you left the security of a salaried job and benefits, and you took the risk. You went out on your own. You decided to fly without a net. What drove you? When you sat alone at night thinking about the future of your company, what was your vision? Did you aspire to make the best product ever made? Did you want to do something that no one had ever done before? Did you want to show your previous employer that you could do it better, had a better idea, or a new and improved system that would make the world better?

What were you dreaming about at the very beginning? What was your cause, your mission? What was the dent you wanted to put in the world? Here are some of my favorite game-changers:

Fred Smith had a dream of getting packages from here to there in 24 hours or less. Pretty crazy, right?

Elon Musk has had plenty of these dreams, and he does not care who thinks he’s nuts. He’s already produced more than anyone thought possible, and he is still going strong.

While we either scratched our heads in dismay or laughed them off in amusement, Jeff Bezos went through millions and millions of dollars before he made a red cent by building the biggest online business in the world, even before we knew we would need it. And thank God it was there during the pandemic.

Steve Jobs led them all with his pocketful of miracle, from the iPod, which put 1,000 songs in your pocket to the Mac, iPhone, and iPad. He not only changed the world, but he seemingly invented change. He not only wanted to change the world, but he also convinced us to follow up while he did it. He invited us to be a part of it, which is why people will stand in lines around the block for hours to get their hands on Apple’s next new thing on the day it’s launched.

Bill Gates not only created a great common computer language, but he is also taking his money and making the world better by focusing on eradicating diseases all over the world. He is also focusing on education as well.

Marie Curie suffered sexism and ridicule while she upheld her mission of taking world health into the future by leaps and bounds.

Henry Ford changed the way we build cars.

Thomas Edison dedicated his life for the benefit of humankind.

These people were focused on the “why” of what they were doing, not just the how or the what. They wanted to make the world a better place, and it’s why today they are household names.

Now it’s your turn. What is your cause? What is the purpose of your company? Who are you trying to benefit?

Without even knowing each one of you, I can guarantee that if you sit down and take a quiet moment to think back, you will remember the reason you started your business. You will remember why you started the business, what your own plan was, and how you wanted to put a dent in the world. Look for it. I bet you can find it. And when you do, revisit that reason. Bring it back, tell your team about it, and you’ll be giving your company a great fresh start.

It’s only common sense.

Dan Beaulieu is president of D.B. Management Group.