I was reading this good selection of business tips compiled on the Justworks blog and it got me thinking. If you could give just ONE piece of business advice what would it be?

I think and talk allot about the lessons I have learnt over the years as a 3x founder. I have also learnt loads, more recently, as an investor and from the great entrepreneurs and companies I've been lucky enough to be involved with. It's valuable to try to make sense of this and try to pass on advice where you can.

I probably have around a dozen lessons learnt that seem to be core and keep cropping up in one way or another. These usually come from my own experiences - the mistakes I've made or things that have had a big impact on the success one of my businesses.

If I was forced to chose just one, that is really difficult. But I'm a big believer in trying to distill things down so right now this would be it.

I think that you need to believe in a purpose for your business beyond simply making money. You need to be able to answer the question - "Why are we doing this?"

This then gets infused into everything you do. It makes the business more meaningful, more authentic, more sustainable and, ultimately, more successful.

If you just want to make money and everything you do is focused on that I think your customers will eventually find you out. 

We are all demanding more from those companies we choose to give money too. We want to know what they stand for and why they exists outside of turning a profit.

Having a clear purpose gives your business a heart and soul. I think that means allot. It'll make you healthier. It'll make your business healthier. It might even make the world healthier.