What will sustain your business in 2009? Whatever label we attach to the current economic situation - recession, depression or reset button - it will surely take herculean effort to weather the next 12 months.

Perhaps you, like many business owners, find yourself planning for hard times ahead or even in survival mode: searching out cost savings and fighting for the next sales dollar. Once your business is leaner and positioned to do more with less, what comes next?

Businesses must move forward if they are to thrive. While there’s no doubt that cost control is an essential driver of profit, days spent hunkered down in defence can sap us - and our teams - of energy and enthusiasm.

Strong leaders create and communicate their vision of success as well as dealing competently with the tactical necessities of business life.  In the current climate confidence and a sense of realistic optimism and possibility will help everyone stay engaged and motivated to find solutions to problems.

Yet when plugging through the daily to-do list it can be hard to remember why we started the business in the first place making it little wonder if we find it harder to show up ready to tackle the day’s challenges with creativity.

A franchise owner I met recently had diligently set - and missed - sales targets for several years. He had monthly goals and some action plans, yet nowhere did he reference the reasons those sales goals were important: to provide profit to repay his borrowing, create financial security for his family, and enable him to travel abroad. Simply acknowledging that he was in business to achieve these things made the sales goals more relevant -- and more likely to be achieved even in this challenging economy. Certainly he had renewed energy and purpose - a great starting point for success!

When the going is tough, those with a compelling and inspiring vision have something to focus on beyond the day-to-day routine and operational hurdles. Chances are, you started your business with a vision of the finish line. Thinking back, what did success look like for you?

Why did you make the decision to purchase your franchise business? For some it’s the goal of owning a dream home, to travel or fund their children’s education. For others the motivator is to control their destiny by being personally responsible for the outcomes in a business. Whatever your reasons, chances are they are still important.

Perhaps, if it’s been a while since you checked in on your vision, you might consider taking a moment to reflect.

• What it was that you sought to achieve when you started your business? 
• Do you have any new goals?
• How are you travelling compared to your vision?
• What needs to happen so you stay on track?
• Who can help you to stay the course? How can you take advantage of being part of a franchise with a ready-made network of support through your peers and franchisor?
• What’s your next step?

What’s your strategy for keeping your vision of success front of mind? We’d love to hear from you ...