Defining the North Star for Your Business
Defining the North Star for Your Business
AKA: How to finally stop spinning your wheels and start making clear-headed moves
Let’s rewind to last Tuesday. You were halfway through your third cup of coffee, eyes blurry from your laptop screen, bouncing between a client email, Canva design, and an idea you swear could be the thing that finally brings in consistent revenue.
But by 5 pm? You felt like you got nothing done. Again.
If you’re nodding and feeling just like our girl Leslie: welcome. You’re in the right place. That day wasn’t a fluke. It’s what happens when your business doesn’t have a North Star.
So...what is a North Star?
Think of your North Star as the one big thing your business is working toward. Not a fluffy mission statement that collects dust in your Google Docs or sits quietly on the About page of your website. It’s a real, guiding principle that makes everything else clearer: what to say yes to, what to drop, and where to pour your limited time and energy.
Let’s say you run a small bakery. You’re juggling custom orders, social media, bookkeeping, and trying to figure out how to get more foot traffic.
If your North Star is “more people starting their day with us,” that’s your filter. Suddenly, you know which promos to run, which products to highlight, and what not to waste your time on.
If it doesn’t support the goal of getting people in the door for their morning fix, it’s not on your radar.
Why does it matter for your small business?
You don’t have time to chase shiny objects. Or follow every marketing “tip” some dude on YouTube swears will triple your revenue.
You need a filter.
Your North Star is that filter.
If a decision doesn’t support it, skip it.
If a strategy feels unclear, measure it against the North Star.
If you’re lost in “Should I post more? Offer something new? Lower my prices?” the North Star gives you clarity.
Airbnb’s North Star? More nights booked. Not fancy branding. Not social media likes. Just a single idea that drove everything as the company scaled quickly.
You can do the same for your business, on a scale that makes sense for you.
3 Things your North Star has to do
Your North Star has to pass the vibe check. If it does these things, you’re on the right track.
1. Give you purpose
You’re not just making candles or spreadsheets or smoothies. You’re helping people feel something. Figure out what that something is. Why do you wake up in the morning and do the thing you do?
2. Keep your focus tight
Without a North Star, everything feels urgent. With it? You finally know what’s important. If your North Star doesn’t give clarity and make decisions feel easier, it’s not quite there yet.
3. Rally the troops
Your customers. Your team. Even your late-night overthinking brain. When everyone knows what you’re aiming for, they’re more likely to get behind it.
What happens when you don’t have one?
Let’s paint a picture of a life without a North Star. (Don’t be afraid, this is fictional, surely you haven’t experienced this…we haven’t either🙃.)
You wake up on Monday full of ideas. By noon, you're knee-deep in a half-written sales page, three social captions, and a client question about changing their package. You spend the rest of the week reacting to the chaos you accidentally created.
And then you wonder why you’re exhausted and still not growing.
No North Star means:
You’re always busy, but not always better.
You overthink every little thing.
You confuse your audience, and sometimes yourself.
You burn out. Fast.
It’s like hopping in the car with no GPS and hoping you end up somewhere cool.
What if instead of doing that and wandering aimlessly through the desert, you spent the next 10 minutes focusing on a few little words that can have a huge impact on your business?
Yes, you say? Ahhhhmazing, let’s do this.
How to create your North Star in 5 easy, real-people steps
Let’s clear something up real quick: your North Star isn’t a goal. It’s not “make six figures” or “get 100 newsletter subscribers.” Those are outcomes. And that kind of talk is best for a goal-setting exercise.
Your North Star is directional. It’s the steady throughline that helps you make decisions, prioritize your time, and focus your energy, even when things feel chaotic.
Here’s how to build one that actually works:
1. Start with what your business is really about
Go deeper than “I sell candles” or “I run a bakery.” What role do you play in your customer’s life? What kind of experience are you creating? That’s the seed of your North Star.
Here at Big Bad Marketing, we offer marketing coaching, but what we’re really doing is alleviating the overwhelm of marketing a small business.
2. Look at what drives sustainable growth
What types of interactions or patterns tend to lead to repeat business or word-of-mouth? Is it connection? Consistency? Convenience? Look for the theme.
3. Find the common thread
What do your happiest customers have in common? What’s the moment when people get it and keep coming back? That moment probably points toward your North Star.
4. Say it like a focus, not a finish line
Your North Star should sound like a direction you’re always heading in, not a finish line you hit and forget. Think “More people starting their day with us,” not “Sell 500 muffins per week.”
5. Gut-check it
Does it light you up a little? Do you feel peaceful when you say it? Can you frame your next big decision using it? If yes, that’s the one. If no, head back to the drawing board.
Big Bad Example: Let’s say you’re a local florist. If your mission is “spreading joy through floral arrangements,” your North Star might be:
More people making us part of their celebrations. (may lead to a focus on partnerships, special occasion marketing, and easier online ordering for special days)
More people dropping by to feel inspired. (may lead to more focus on the physical shop and increasing foot traffic through marketing)
More stories told through flowers. (may lead to more creative arrangements, emotional branding, and attempts to get mentions in high-end publications)
Your North Star can guide your hours, your offers, your referral program, even your social media tone. And as you can see above, it can dramatically change the way you think about marketing your small business.
As you define and refine your North Star, you might look at leveraging different marketing channels to get the word out. That’s where our comprehensive list of marketing levers can help. Drop your info below, and we’ll send it to your email so you can get started today.
Our North Star at Big Bad Marketing
We’ll share our North Star so you can see how one works in the real world.
Our North Star is simple: empowering entrepreneurs.
Everything we do, from content to coaching to awkward dancing on Instagram, is in service of small business owners who want to market smarter without burning out.
If we’re chasing profit and it doesn’t serve that mission, we pause. If we’re stuck on a decision, we ask if it gets us closer to helping real people build businesses that work.
Simple. Clear. Feels good in our bones.
Okay, now use it for real.
The worst thing you can do? Write your North Star and forget about it.
Here’s how to actually make it stick:
🔥 Make it loud
Put it on your wall, in your planner. Say it out loud when you’re feeling lost. Mention it before every team meeting and use it as a lens through which you look to make each decision.
🔥 Use it as a gut check
Before you chase a new idea, ask: Does this move me toward the goal? Here at BBM, you’ll hear us ask, “Is this going to empower entrepreneurs to market their small business more effectively and cost-effectively?” If that answer is no, it’s a no for us, dawg.
🔥 Let it evolve
You’re not a robot. If things shift, update your North Star. It’s a compass, not a cage. It’s 100% okay to pivot, especially in the earliest stages of your business. Let the North Star evolve with you and point it to your new direction, but it shouldn’t be a constant evolution. Changing your company’s North Star too frequently could be a sign of fractured focus or uncertainty.
Test it: Is your North Star working?
Try this little self-check:
Can you say it in one sentence? (Bonus points if it’s less than 10 words)
Does it help you decide what to do next?
Does it light a fire in your gut?
Would your dream client care about it?
If you’re saying “meh” to more than one, it might be time to refine it.
The bottom line
You don’t need a 10-year plan. But you do need something to guide you.
Your North Star is how you stop chasing your tail and start building a business that actually works for you.
So go set yours. Keep it simple and let it lead. Then, drop us a comment below and tell us what amazing North Star you’ve come up with.
