Over the years, I've worked with businesses large and small. I've started countless projects (web development, marketing, etc).
A great website for a small to medium business can be built in 8-12 weeks. In fact, you'd be amazed at what you can do in 90 days if you just focus.
Very often, when I've seen web development and marketing campaign projects fail, it almost always comes down to one key issue… a lack of focus on the primary objective.
Every successful business I've worked with in the last 20 years has been successful because they have been able to set a goal and stay focused to achieve that goal. They have been able to put aside new ideas for the right time. Each time a company has had a new idea and required immediate implementation of that new idea, the project would stall and fail.
Harley Davidson
Let's put a practical example with this concept.
I am not sure that anyone would disagree that Harley-Davidson is a pretty incredible brand. At one point, like many brands, Harley lost its way. It found its way back, almost by the skin of its teeth and has emerged more powerful than ever.
Among all this, one of the key reasons it is a successful brand is because they are careful to remember their primary objective... their primary mission. Harley's mission is:
We ride with our customers and apply this deep connection in every market we serve to create superior value for all our stakeholders.
It is through this commitment to one, single, defining objective that makes businesses successful. When businesses forget who they are and try to split their focus, they find themselves in a position of losing power and heading for a great fall.
What About You?
What is your primary objective? What is your mission? Are you doing everything you can to focus on your one key thing that will bring you success or are you like a leaf in the wind and shifting the moment the wind changes direction?
I don't care if you are running a small business or a large business. I don't care if you are creating a marketing plan or setting a home budget. I don't care if you are tasked with running a country. If you don't know what your primary objective is, you are going to flounder. If you don't get to the point that you can finally figure it out... well, then you will fail. And when you fail, you will fail spectacularly.