Not your vague hopes. Not “grow the business” or “work less one day”.

I mean an actual, thought-through picture of where the business is heading.

Because when I ask business owners this question, most hesitate. Some dodge it. A few answer confidently. That split tells you a lot.

If you don’t have a clear medium-term goal, decision-making becomes more difficult than it needs to be. Priorities blur. Everything feels important. And the business ends up reacting rather than moving.

That shows up in all sorts of ways:

  • Teams waiting for direction instead of taking ownership

  • Projects starting because they sound interesting, not because they matter

  • Decisions taking longer because no one knows what “right” looks like

None of this is about intelligence or effort. It’s about clarity.

Vision isn’t inspirational. It’s practical.

A clear 5-year goal gives context. It helps people understand why certain things matter and others don’t.

People follow leaders who know where they’re going. Not because they shout louder, but because they remove uncertainty. Vague goals don’t inspire. They confuse.

Your vision also shapes how the business is perceived. Internally and externally.

If I asked someone in your team what the business is trying to achieve in the next few years, would I get a clear and consistent answer?

If I asked a customer what your company stands for, would they describe it the way you’d want them to?

If the answer is “it depends who you ask”, that’s a signal.

It’s bigger than your employees

Your business isn’t just the people on payroll.

Your accountant, bank, web agency, key suppliers. They all make decisions that affect you. If they don’t understand where you’re heading, they can’t properly support you. At best, they’ll do their job. At worst, they’ll pull you in a different direction.

When your wider network understands your goals, decisions get better. Progress gets quicker. Friction reduces.

What clarity actually gives you

A useful vision isn’t a slogan. It’s a filter.

For any meaningful decision, you should be able to ask:

  • Does this move us towards our goals?

  • Does it move us away?

  • Or does it make no real difference?

It’s surprising how many businesses struggle because they can’t answer that question consistently.

If you want to get practical, start here

This doesn’t need to be perfect. It does need to be written down.

  • Describe where the business will be in 5 years. Revenue, profit, size, structure, services. Be specific.

  • Be clear on why the business exists beyond making money. Not for a website. For decision-making.

  • Define 5 measurable 5-year goals, then work backwards to measurable 4, 3, 2 and 1-year goals to get there.

  • Write down your values. Only include what you’re prepared to live by, even when it’s inconvenient.

  • Communicate the essence of this to the people who matter. Internally and externally. Different detail is fine. Contradictions aren’t.

You don’t need a glossy strategy document. You need shared understanding and inspiration.

The payoff

Businesses without a clear vision don’t usually fail dramatically. They drift. They waste time. They make slower decisions than necessary.

Clarity doesn’t guarantee success, but it does make progress cheaper, faster and less stressful.

And that’s usually what business owners are actually after.