Very few career paths require the same amount of courage as launching a new business. Risking everything and setting out for a brave new world requires plenty of the right stuff. A laser-sharp trajectory, concentration, and focus are the essential trappings of a successful mission.

And one Big Idea. As outlined last week, The Big Idea is the gravity that keeps your entire voyage on course. It is just the jet fuel you need to help your business reach new heights. No other fuel comes close to packing the same punch.

The Big Idea is not focused on sales. It is beside the point that massive sales are more likely to occur from The Big Idea than from any other business model. That is not the goal. The goal of The Big Idea is to align your activities with Purpose. Making a living is the afterburner. Purpose comes before Profits in this dictionary.

But what if you do not have a Big Idea? How do you go about finding it? You may think me naïve, but I still believe that every person exists on earth for a particular purpose. I believe we have to work to discover this purpose while we are here so that we might make use of our gift, and then give it away. Horace Mann said that we should be ashamed to die until we have won some victory for mankind. We are not here for ourselves. We exist to give back and to leave the world better than we found it. Sounds like something your Mom always said to do, when you visited a place of great importance, doesn’t it?

Anyone can begin to unearth The Big Idea by asking the right questions. We will start by doing a quick sketch. Start by drawing three overlapping circles, like this:

The first circle represents things that fill my heart and soul. What can our business do well? What kind of work am I doing when I feel most alive? What do I care about? What activities cause me to lose track of time? If you asked your best friend to identify your strengths, what would they say? Your Big Idea must fill your heart and soul like a cup of cold water after a long workout, or your Big Idea will turn into Massive Monotony. But this is only looking on the inside of your business. Which is why we need to look outside.

The second circle represents the Wants and needs of your customers.Calibrate your internal desires with the outer reality. Just because we have a passion for something does not mean everyone loves it, or wants to pay me to do it for them. Passion is only part of the story. How long has it been since you have taken the time to ask your customers what they are passionate about? About what they really want? Take them out for coffee. This coffee break is not about pitching. It is about listening. Experience their world from their perspective. What is it like to be there? What do they believe about the world? Walk a mile or two in their moccasins. Think long and hard about how you can make the world better for your customers.  Concentrate on those desires that your business is most suited to fill. But this information is still limited. It does not tell me whether someone else is already doing what we want to do, only better and faster.  And this is why we need to take a look at the third circle.

The third circle represents where my business is completely Unique in the marketplace. This circle calibrates our trajectory with our environment. Is it hostile? Friendly? Where are the meteorites? A very common error of newbie entrepreneurs is to assume rather than prove assumptions. It is human to believe that because an idea is new to us, it is new to everyone. I heard a story of a man who lived long, long ago, who invented a wonderful device for getting about. It had wheels and handles and a seat and pedals. You could get on the thing and pedal it around. One day he pedaled it into town, only to find other people were already pedaling around on similar things, and they called these things bicycles. He discovered his invention was already common knowledge. You may believe your methods are different from everyone else. Only by investigation will you discover who has already made landing where you are still seeking to go. Your uniqueness must go beyond the expected quality. What can you say that your competitors cannot say?

Think these discoveries are easy? Not on your life. But do you see that tiny shared spot in between the circles? The value of that spot is inestimable.

This “overlapping magisteria” represents your sweet spot. It is the space where your business can serve the best, and are most likely to earn the most. It is a place where you can accomplish the most with what you have on hand. It is the place where you can serve your customer in a way that your competitors are unable to serve. When you have found a spot to fly where there are fewer competitors, and when you have spent the time to make your product unique, you will have made your whole journey a bit easier, way more exciting, and more profitable.

This little sweet spot will begin to shine a light on the stuff you were born to do.

Many people live to work and work to live. Life was meant to be so much more. Wouldn’t you like to win some victory for mankind in your business? Spend the time and effort to locate your own sweet spot. It will be like adding astrophysics to your trajectory and help you boldly go where no man has ever gone before.

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Why do we at etc!graphics inc, a graphic design company, care about your business strategies?  Because no matter how beautiful we make your visuals, your graphics will never make more sense than the clarity of your own vision. The clearer your target, the more lucid your marketing will be, and the better connection your visual graphics will make with your target customer. We want to help you become the best you can be. Join us all this month as we share ways to help your small business sustain and grow in a crowded marketplace. Etc!Graphics is devoted to helping you, the small business owner, think like a marketer.