Have you ever wondered why some business owners seem so calm and steady, while others are in a constant state of worry and panic?

Surprisingly, the difference between these two scenarios has nothing to do with the operation of the business-it is the vision of the owner.

Your vision for your business provides the foundation for its success, or failure.

Without a strong vision, your business will be buffeted by the winds and storms of life, and end up either precariously perched, or crashing down.

So, how can vision have such a profound effect on the success or failure of a business?

And what is a vision, anyway?

Working with small business owners over the last ten years, I have watched numerous businesses crash like the proverbial house built on sand.

A small percentage of these businesses have grown into successful, thriving enterprises.

Why?

What is the secret to a successful business?

The successful business owners I have worked with over the years had widely different backgrounds, education, and temperaments.

In fact, they did not, as a group, seem any different than the much larger group of struggling business owners.

But over time, I began to spot the one difference that was the key to their success.

They had a vision for their business, and everything they did was in line with that vision.

For some, it was simple. "What do you do?" I would ask.

"I sell metal." or "I just grow trees." they would answer.

Many times, their vision was encapsulated in just a few words.

But their vision did not falter, and their strong sense of who and what they were seeped into every aspect of their business.

Struggling business owners, on the other hand, always seem to lack a strong sense of purpose.

In fact, they would often complain over and over again about how they just didn't know what they were doing.

"I'm just trying to get through the day." they said.

The first step to a successful business is your vision.

You must spend some time with yourself, figuring out what you truly want out of life.

Your vision must be in line with your personal needs, and you must focus your business vision to meet those needs.

If your daily business activities do not mesh with who you are and what you want, you will constantly be struggling within yourself.

You will lack purpose, and that lack of purpose will invade your business like an infestation of termites in your home.

You don't have to have a complicated vision, just one that is in line with who you are.

In fact, the more complicated you make things, the less likely you will succeed.

Clarifying your vision is like building your foundation on bedrock.

When you know what you want, your sense of purpose and sense of self provides exactly what your business needs to succeed.

Your vision is the bedrock to the strong, successful business you were meant to own.