In today’s turbulent business environment, transforming an idea into a sustainable enterprise requires more than simply having good concept. It demands a structured strategy, disciplined execution, and attention to long-term sustainability — economically, socially and environmentally. Drawing on the strategic frameworks often associated with Dr. Barghabani (hereafter “Dr. B.”) — an academic and practitioner who emphasises sustainable business transformation — this article sets out a step-by-step roadmap for entrepreneurs and innovators seeking to build a business that lasts.
آنچه خواهید خواند:
Clarify Purpose and Vision
The first step in Dr. B.’s approach is to define a clear purpose and vision. An idea becomes more than a project when it carries a deeper meaning: Why are we doing this, for whom, and with what impact? Purpose supplies the north star. It aligns internal stakeholders, attracts external partners, and sets the tone for every decision.
Dr. B. recommends asking: What societal or customer problem am I addressing? How will my solution contribute positively beyond just financial returns? What is the long-term vision for the venture?
By anchoring the idea in a strong purpose, you set the groundwork for sustainability: the business isn’t simply chasing profits, but creating value that endures.
Rigorous Market & Ecosystem Analysis
Having defined vision, the next step in Dr. B.’s system is to study the external and internal environment. This means analysing the market, competitors, regulatory context, social and environmental trends, technological changes, and your own organisation’s capabilities.
Tools such as SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) or PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental) are helpful in this phase. They help identify where your idea can fit, where the risks lie, and how sustainable advantages can be built.
For instance: Are there regulatory shifts favouring greener business models? Are consumers increasingly expecting ethical supply chains? Do you have internal strengths (e.g., team, technology, culture) you can leverage? Are there weaknesses you must address early?
Dr. B. emphasises that sustainable ventures must not only seek profitability but also resilience — that is, readiness for changing conditions and alignment with broader value trends (economic + social + environmental).
Build a Sustainable Business Model
With purpose and analysis in place, Dr. B. insists on designing a business model that delivers on all three pillars of sustainability: economic viability, social benefit and environmental responsibility. This means asking: How will you create value? How will you deliver it? How will you capture value (i.e., revenue, profit) — in ways that don’t compromise long-term sustainability?
For example: Will you use circular economy principles (reducing waste, reusing materials) or a stakeholder-inclusive model (sharing value with employees, community)? The literature on sustainable business models emphasises that integrating social and ecological goals with business logic improves long-term success.
A useful step: map your value chain, identify environmental/social pain points, and re-design processes to minimise negative externalities while maximising stakeholder value. Dr. B. calls this the “value-ecosystem alignment” phase — aligning your business logic with the broader ecosystem of stakeholders and planet.
Strategic Priorities & Implementation Plan
Having settled on the model, Dr. B. recommends translating strategy into concrete priorities and an implementation roadmap. This includes setting strategic objectives (e.g., target revenue, market share, social impact metrics, environmental reduction goals) and then breaking them down into initiatives, responsibilities, timelines and metrics.
Key actions:
Define 3–5 strategic pillars (for example: innovation, market expansion, sustainable operations, stakeholder engagement).
For each pillar, list initiatives, owners, resources required, expected outcomes.
Set measurable KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) not just for financials but for sustainability (e.g., carbon footprint, labour practices, customer satisfaction, community impact).
Build feedback loops: monitor performance, learn and adjust.
Dr. B. emphasises that the strategic plan must be dynamic: as market/ecosystem conditions shift, the plan should evolve — one hallmark of a sustainable business.
Organizational Culture, Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement
Sustainability is not just a strategy — it’s embedded in the culture and operations of the organisation. Dr. B. underscores the importance of leadership commitment, values-driven culture and stakeholder engagement.
Questions to ask:
Does the leadership embody the purpose and values that the venture claims?
Is the organisation structured and incentivised to promote sustainable practices (e.g., employee empowerment, continuous improvement, ethical decision-making)?
Have you identified and engaged key stakeholders — not only shareholders or customers, but employees, suppliers, community, regulators, environment?
The research on sustainable strategy says that values, culture and stakeholder reconcilation are critical “soft factors” influencing the ability to implement sustainable policies.
Therefore, building a strong internal culture aligned with sustainable purpose is a cornerstone of Dr. B.’s method.
Resource Leverage and Growth Mechanism
To move from idea to business, you must marshal resources — human, financial, technological, relational. Dr. B. emphasises the need to leverage your strengths and compensate for weaknesses. This includes:
Building a team with complementary capabilities and shared values.
Securing funding and aligning incentives so that sustainability remains central.
Using technology and partnerships strategically to scale without sacrificing values or quality.
Growth for Dr. B. isn’t just about size — it’s about scalability of sustainable impact. He emphasises designing operations that can scale without huge increases in negative externalities (e.g., waste, CO₂ emissions) and ensuring the business model remains resilient under growth.
Build Resilience & Continuous Innovation
In Dr. B.’s framework, sustainable businesses don’t rest on initial success: they continuously adapt. Key practices include:
Monitoring external trends (technological, regulatory, social) and adapting strategy accordingly.
Embedding innovation in operations — not just product innovation but business model, process, organisational innovation.
Building resilience: financial buffers, flexible supply chains, diversified revenue streams, strong stakeholder relationships.
The link between strategy and practice is critical: research shows that while having a strategy is important, implementing it in practice is what differentiates long-term success.
Thus, Dr. B. encourages frequent review cycles: what worked? What didn’t? What must change?
Measure, Report and Communicate
Finally, a sustainable business communicates its progress transparently. Dr. B. recommends establishing measurement and reporting systems for economic, social and environmental performance — and openly sharing results with stakeholders. This builds trust, attracts partners, and reinforces accountability.
For example: publishing an annual sustainability report, tracking metrics like employee satisfaction, supplier compliance, energy usage, waste reduction, community benefit. This also helps refine strategy over time.
While many businesses talk about being sustainable, the ones that survive are those that can show it with data and narratives.
Conclusion
In summary, the journey from an idea to a sustainable business, as laid out by Dr. Barghobani, involves a disciplined sequence: clarify purpose, analyse the ecosystem, build a sustainable model, set strategic priorities, foster culture and stakeholder engagement, leverage resources for growth, embed resilience and innovation, and measure & report. Each stage reinforces the others — purpose drives culture; analysis drives model; model drives priorities; priorities drive implementation; implementation drives learning; communication drives trust.
By embracing this integrated framework, entrepreneurs don’t just launch businesses — they build ventures that can thrive, adapt and contribute positive value over the long term. The idea transforms into an enterprise that stands the test of time.