The Fortune Cookie Principle summary

Making loads of money is a pleasant side effect of running a successful business, but money alone is rarely the reason for a company’s existence. So, ask yourself, why are you in business?

For your company to thrive, you’ll need to define a clear purpose that’s central to all your operations. A purpose will guide you in everything from decisions about product design and hiring to the details of your overall business model. If you fail to set and follow a purpose, you’ll lose sight of why your company exists and start making poor decisions.

Have you heard of the Californian non-profit, Room to Read? This organization helps communities in the developing world construct schools and libraries. Their purpose is guided by a compelling vision of helping build a world in which all children have access to a decent education that enables them to reach their full potential and contribute to their communities.

The purpose of any good company is backed up by a bigger vision that details the impact the company wants to have on the world. That’s why defining a strong vision is so important in successfully marketing your business. To find your vision, ask yourself these questions:

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if your customers proudly showed themselves off on YouTube while featuring your product? You can take steps to make customers identify strongly – even showing-off-on-YouTube strongly – with your product. It all begins with demonstrating how you stand for something that your customers believe in.

In this way, your values are fundamental to building your brand story and, if you truly believe in something that shapes the way you do business, make sure people know it. After all, if your brand can stand for a value that consumers share, they’ll use your product to express these common beliefs.

Everybody knows the saying “location, location, location.” Location matters when buying and selling property and the same goes for running a business.

That means the space you choose must align with your brand story. If it doesn’t, the story will be lost.