What drives you?

In the summer of 2004, when I was developing the business plan for my "dream business" - which was one of the first spas in the world for men - I was out for dinner with a friend and his wife. I told them about my plan for a business which would offer personal care services exclusively for men, designed to help them look and feel their best. My friend's wife replied that she had just heard about a new idea for a fast food restaurant - offering cheese steaks. "Why wouldn't you start a business like that?", she asked. "Because I'm trying to help people", I answered, "not kill them."

Okay - this is not about the health benefits or lack thereof of a fast food repast consisting of steak and cheese - it is to say that if you have a personal mission - a passion, if you will - to help men look and feel their best, you are not likely to be start up fast food restaurant - or, at least I didn't. I started a spa for men.

So, right from the start - the very beginning - I was driven by passion. And I continued to be - every single day. And I tried - every single day - to instill the passion that I had to help men look and feel their best into my staff - to ensure that a visit to my spa was the best part of every client's day.

If you are not driven by passion in your business - what are you driven by? The money? If so, how long will you stick with it? How will you get through the tough times - because there will be tough tmes. If its just about the money - and there are lots of other businesses you could start to make money - how quickly will your business have to develop to keep you interested and motivated?

Passion was my motivation. If I had been motivated simply by money, I'd have needed to be in a business that developed a lot more quickly - but what business does that? Cheese steaks? Well, maybe.

I believe that many, if not most of the iconic businesses of the world are driven by a passionate belief in the value of the product or service being offered. Behind many of the most successful companies, there is a passionate, visionary entrepreneur - not someone simply looking for the fastest, safest buck.

If you have an idea for a business that you are really passionate about - your passion will likely be what sustains you.

Unless you make the mistake of bringing people into your business who don't share your passion.