There are three things a business must focus on if it to be sustainable over the long run namely:

• Financial stability,
• A solid organization structure that exhibits great leadership
• Its product or service must make a difference to the community it serves.

A business which lacks any of these components will lack sustainability over the long run.

Financial

At the very bottom of the pyramid is financial suitability: In the beginning phases a business owner has to prove his or her idea is viable. Viable ideas are rewarded with profits. However, once profitability is attained a business cannot stay there if its goal is to achieve long term sustainability.

Organization structure

Once financial sustainability is obtained, a business needs a vehicle to deliver its mission. The business can no longer depend on the founder as this limits growth. By forming an organization, the business can better divide work, reduce transaction cost and better manage the external environment.

Community (making a difference)

To attain long term sustainability, a business must understand and build a relationship with its market. This many include building strategic alliances to better serve the market, focusing on social responsibility, and develop a long term view of the business.

In summary, making a profit in your business is not the same as sustainability. Sustainability looks beyond today and demands that the organization understands the role it plays in its market. By pursuing strategies that not only keep an eye on today but also tomorrow, the organization will reap payoff in the form of growth and sustainability. A business does not exist in isolation, and continuous learning must happen to remain relevant.

In the beginning, I asked who or what determines the success of your business? While long term success is not the result of only one factor, great leadership is the thread that ties the pieces of success together.