Imagination as a Business Building Tool

Business building, in our capitalist framework, often “starts” with research, writing a business plan, figuring out financials. All these practical things that feel like you’re truly starting the biz. Just like creating our values ecosystem, we often just zoom right past (or don’t even know about) the dreaming phase. The big, bold, imagination stage that will shape the real-life (…) of your business.

Imagination is a business building tool. It’s as strategic and critical as writing your business plan or finding your perfect brick and mortar.

Generally this phase happens before you start any of the traditional business planning aspects of building your business - but I would also suggest you give yourself imagination retreat time, where even if you’re in year 2 or 15, you allow yourself time to dream and explore the vision of your business beyond physical limitations.

Here are some questions and tools to start the Dream Stage:

1. How does your business feel?

   Close your eyes for a moment and picture it – your small business, brimming with innovation, passion, endless possibilities. Imagine walking into your space: maybe it’s a shop, maybe it’s a studio, maybe it’s a little house next to a waterfall. What is your first thought when you walk inside? What does it feel like, look like, smell like? Who is there - groups of customers, a few clients, or just you? What is the lighting like, or the wood floor under your feet? Give yourself 10 minutes, and just settle into this space. I like to record this in my voice notes - just tell the story of walking through your business. What is there (and what isn’t)? It doesn’t have to be perfect and you can describe the entire place, or just say a few words – this process can help to set the tone for your space, your values and expectations.

2. Experiment with Limitations

   Try setting limitations on your imagining to come up with new ideas: what if you created your business with the goal to just make money? What if your only goal was to build community in your business’ neighbourhood? If you’re a service based business, what if you had to create a product?

3. Build Your Vision:

   Think of your business building like world-building: let yourself build out the story, the landscape, the flag – let it be fun and creative,  it doesn’t have to lead anywhere or be “productive”, but it might solidify your confidence about your project, or you might notice an idea or phrase that keeps coming up. Let yourself look at what you created and notice all the threads of what you’ve created.

4. Embrace Collaboration and Inspiration:

   Collaboration is a potent a tool of imagination: allowing ideas to grow as they are reflected back to you, and combined with other worldviews or new approaches. We often look to similar-minded folks to collaborate with – but what about collaboration outside of our typical community? Talk to neighbours, your kid’s friend’s parents, anyone who might have a different approach then you might usually take. Try this as well with your inspiration: look to businesses doing something totally different than what you’re planning – look through their insta or website and find inspiration outside of your typical aesthetic or biz type.