Embracing a Heart Centered Business - Customer focused business planning

As you sit down to plan your business, pay attention to your heart. Where does your passion lie? What is the message you are sending out to the world?

I’ve gone back and forth for years regarding my business idea. Is it really a business or just a hobby? My ideas don’t seem to fit into the typical business models. I continually argued with myself that my right brain thinking was like the square peg trying to fit into the round hole of left brain business structures. 

Until I discovered the term heart-centered business.

Almost simultaneously, the internet led me to a class and subsequently to a book “The Art of the Start 2.0” by Guy Kawasaki. I am still reading it, but the attention grabber was in the 1st chapter.

Making a Mantra

I have had a mantra all along, however I fell into the trap of trying to explain my vision and mission, which became the trees, not the forest.

The mantra has been and always will be to “Empower Your Mind & Muse” It is my why, that Simon Sinek so passionately reminds me I should focus on as I create my products, services, and presence.

Empowering the mind and muse boils down to perspectives and creativity. The term "business mindset" often means the capacity to analyze situations from a business perspective and make strategic choices. That is how the SWOT analysis came to be. 

Looking at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to your business or idea. You plan, determine your mission, vision, and value statements. You create goals and objectives to guide you as you start your adventure into the world of business. 

But, what about the customers? 

Planning, marketing, product designs, financial forecasting, branding, and social media presence is not the key to success. Relationships are. 

Customer service is becoming a lost art form. Businesses are relying on technology and artificial intelligence bots to meet the needs of cost savings, efficiency, and quantity. 

Have you gotten stuck on a phone tree and had to wait 20 minutes to over an hour sometimes just to talk to a “real” person? Perhaps you have attempted to use their chat bot and spent your time running in circles to end up back at square one with your question unanswered. 

More and more, it feels as if we are just a number in an analytic ping-pong game.

The customer is always right,but that mindset comes usually after they are angry and complaining.

Although identifying and targeting a specific audience is helpful for niche planning and creation, it's crucial to recognize that, when conducting business online, there could be unexpected visitors or observers. 

The network of people you touch isn’t based solely on an algorithm. They have faces and feelings. The key to customer loyalty and satisfaction lies within the why behind your business, rather than the specific offerings or methods you use. 

Being mindful of your words, especially in business, comes with awareness and focused attention of the person behind the transaction. Being present by actively listening to their questions and concerns builds a relationship with them. Addressing their perceptions about your product or service cultivates trust. 

Word of mouth is still the most successful or detrimental form of advertising. Being authentic to your purpose can allow the customer to feel comfortable with you, whether in person or online.