A step-by-step guide for creating your entrepreneurial manifesto for 2020
When a company is born, there's usually an idea and a reason behind its creation. Then comes the company's values, beliefs, and comprehension of how to deal with things. This is created and developed by the newborn company's founders.
And usually, these values are wrapped up in a manifesto.
What is a manifesto? By definition, it's “a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer”, meaning that you can write basically anything in it as long as it represents the core values of your company.
Why would you need to create one? A written declaration that includes your company's goals and intentions is an excellent way to keep you focused without losing your purpose. In addition, it can help you to design your company's objectives for the short and long term.
What's best, there are no rules in writing a manifesto – it can consist of several volumes or just one page as long as it contains all the aspirations that matter to your company.
Sometimes, it's good to have a reminder of the company's goals for the year on print, web, or any other place where it can be available for everyone in case someone forgets for what they're striving for every day.
Look, if Tesla has one and Netflix has one, it may mean that there's a good reason to have one of your own. But, of course, better than the one created by Elon Musk or Reed Hastings.
How to write your company's manifesto for 2020
A manifesto functions as both a statement of principles and a bold, sometimes rebellious, call to action. By causing people to evaluate the gap between those principles and their current reality, the manifesto challenges assumptions, fosters commitment, and provokes change.
As we're no fortune-tellers, we cannot predict what will happen in a year. However, we can help you to distinguish goals or even set some rules that you and your company would have to follow this year.
Even though we previously mentioned that there are no rules for writing a manifesto, there are 3 basic things that you need to include to keep you focused on your goals.
What to include and/or state in your manifesto:
- Intentions – first, we need to get your game plan straight. Ask yourself – what do you want to achieve in 2020 and why
- Vision – think about how you can reach the things you've listed in the first step. Here you can be as pragmatic or idealistic as you wish. Ask yourself – how would you like to reach your goals?
- Opinions – ask yourself – where do you stand with certain issues and the goals you've highlighted previously?
Keep in mind that your company wants to stand out and maybe even be a bit rebellious in comparison to others. For that reason, when you create your company's manifesto you have to say goodbye to regular New Year's resolutions.
To help you take a step back from tradition and draw up your company's manifesto without any bumps, we've compiled a list of seven ideas that you can include in yours to be a successful badass in 2020:
1: Screw resolutions
People love to make resolutions. Especially for the upcoming year. But as we already agreed, you don't want to be like the others. That being said, screw resolutions.
First of all, it seems that people only seem to stick to their resolutions for less than a month. Imagine, you're making a firm decision for your company to do or not to do something and you cannot follow through with it. Not cool.
So, the best thing you can do is to take the pressure off and not make resolutions at all. Instead, try to set 3 to 5 straightforward goals you want to reach this year and think about strategies like mindset and performance analysis.
2: Don't waste opportunities
Let's start off with a quote from the writer William Arthur Ward:
"Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them."
And as opportunities indeed are as beautiful as sunrises, you won't want to miss them in 2020. That means that this moment is just right to reflect on how you deal with opportunities that come at you – how often you accept or decline them and what's the reason behind each decision, etc.
Opportunities in business can come in various shapes and sizes – it can be a proposition for collaboration, a proposal to sell your products at a pop-up store, or an investment offer.
And even if sometimes opportunities seem scary, a lack of confidence in your product is one of the basic mistakes that you can make in your business. To overcome any uncertainties, remind yourself how much work you put into your product, regain the trust in yourself, and don't be afraid to grab opportunities that come your way.
3: Don't complain
Did you know that most people complain once a minute during a typical conversation? That seems...a lot.
There are countless research and articles about complaining and how it can negatively affect you and your brain. As a result, this is an issue that you need to pay special attention to because you need to stay in a healthy state of mind.
On the other hand, it's really important that once in a while you let all the pressure out. But when it does happen, try to manage these emotions differently and don't use complaining as your first venting option. Here's how you can do that:
- Define what's bothering you
- Monitor how often you complain
- Remove the negative and toxic people from your life and company
- Turn complaints into action
So – no complaining this year!
4: Listen to what people have to say
NB! Be advised that this tip should be taken with a grain of salt.
Listening to what others have to say about your company can be a good way to find out how people from the sidelines see it. But on the other hand, if the advice is free, you might get what you pay for.
No matter what, it's important to listen and analyze what you hear in order to improve. To help you with filtering the information, get acquainted with some tips on when you need to listen to people and when you need to just turn a deaf ear to them. For example:
- Take context into consideration – think about the circumstances and people who gave you the advice and their intentions
- Know when the advice is unsolicited – even though the motives of the given advice are pure it, might not always help you or your company
- Beware the know-it-alls – because usually, they know nothing
How can listening to others help? You can make improvements for your business, turn mistakes into lessons, and learn to receive and improve from criticism.
And these things matter, right?
5: Don't forget to be human
Your company is like a living organism made out of several important parts that work hard to help you to accomplish your dream. These “parts” are the people in your team.
You as a boss need to treat people with respect and comprehension. Here are some things that you can do to show appreciation for your team:
- Publicly recognize their hard work
- Be honest and ready to have open conversations
- Encourage your team whenever you have the chance
- And, most importantly, learn to listen – even when you don't like what you hear (see the previous tip)
6: Make the difficult choices
Remember that good 'ol saying that time is money? Well, it also applies when we talk about difficult decisions.
No one likes to be the bad guy and fire someone, move your company to a smaller office or discontinue a product that you personally love. Unfortunately, sometimes making these difficult decisions can take up a lot of your time. Why would you waste time on being indecisive and do nothing?
Here's a tip: add this idea to your entrepreneurial manifesto with some extra encouraging steps to follow if needed.
Make time to think – define your choices – think about the options
7: Keep moving forward
There isn't a universal formula that will make your company more successful than it already is. But we can all agree that if you have a flourishing company now, it doesn't mean that things will be the same tomorrow.
To avoid as many unpleasant surprises as possible, you and your company need to take a steady course forward. And anyway, being stuck in one place takes all the fun away.
Remember staying at the same place and not evolving – not advisable. Moving forward and finding new and exciting things to try – advisable.
If you feel that your company is somewhat stuck, worry not! There are several strategies that will help you to keep on moving:
- Saying goodbye to the things that just aren't working
- Taking every decision step-by-step
- Not being afraid to reach out for help to keep going forward
Final words
2020 is going to be your year. For sure, especially if you commit to the things you've included in your manifesto.
The main lesson that you can get out of this – avoid being #basic, you have to work extra hard to maintain your cool. Therefore, committing to goals that are not traditional and being brave in your choices can be a real game-changer for both you and your company.
So, follow our tips and tricks and be ready to conquer the world!
P.S. If one of your goals for 2020 is to create your company's website, e-store, or better – a place where to publish your fabulous manifesto, know that Mozello is a good place to start.