In two years, Aly transitioned from being employed as a makeup artist to being a business owner. As a brand-new entrepreneur, she developed and launched her initial products and services, forged significant strategic alliances that have boosted her company’s profile, provided a diverse sales channel, attracted pay-for-performance team members, got tremendous media exposure (she was invited to do makeup at the Emmys), and is on track to generate six digit revenue - with a lot more coming after that!

What is the key to Aly’s snowballing success?

She started by envisioning what she wanted her business to look like after a specific period of time. And today this top business consultant is going to show you how to the same…

By Christine Comaford - Business Accelerator and CEO of Mighty Venture

I’ve helped 153 entrepreneurs grow million-rand businesses. In every case, one of the most important steps they took was to establish a clear end game at the outset. You see, you’ve got to know where you want be before you can understand how to get there.

When you have a clear, compelling vision of the future of your business, it informs every choice you make. It determines how you set it up, how you run it, and who you bring into it. That vision is an image that inspires you, that you feel deeply passionate about, and that you are willing to work toward. It articulates your heart’s desires and your values. And it motivates you to take the actions that are necessary to realise your dream.

Be bold in creating your vision. Reach not just for what you want, but also for what you want for your loved ones. Make your vision so powerful that each time you revisit it, you are reconnected with your reasons for wanting to have your own business in the first place - the financial freedom, the ability to work from anywhere in the world, and the control over your future security.

What is your dream business? Take a moment right now to imagine your end game - what it would be like to have that business up and running. Then answer the following questions:

•      How does it feel to achieve this vision?
•      How do you and your loved ones benefit?
•      How are you celebrating the success of this vision? Can you now afford things you couldn’t afford before? A waterfront home in a gorgeous location? An exceptional education for your kids? Taking your spouse on exotic vacations? Making a large donation to a non-profit cause that means a lot to you?

Now… what hurdles might stop you from achieving this vision, this glorious end game? What strategies can you implement now to prevent, blow through, jump over, walk around these hurdles? Write down the answers to these questions and look at them every day. They will guide you in shaping and growing your business.

Here are some examples of the power of knowing your end game…

Dave was selling software. As a solopreneur, working alone, he hadn’t built a business. He just sold a product here, a product there. He wasn’t getting anywhere, was frustrated and a bit bored. Based on the end game he developed, he repurposed some of his existing software, designed a new product, launched a business, rolled out a robust sales and marketing campaign, and is on track for six digits in revenue. I can see millions in his future. Oh - and he LOVES his job now. And it shows.

Henry had built and sold a company before, but it hadn’t gone as well as he had hoped. With the help of the end game strategy, he designed and launched a company from scratch, forged more than 24 key alliances, acquired a competitor for peanuts, went from zero to 500,000 unique website visitors per month, spun off a separate company from the technology he developed, and was named one of the TechCrunch 50. Henry’s businesses will reach $1 million in revenue this year (that’s around R8-million) - and several huge companies are interested in acquiring them.

Now that you know where you want to go, it’s time to take action to get there.