Writing Your Mission and Vision Statements

Writing Your Mission and Vision Statements By Denise Willms The hardest part of any journey is getting started, and your small or home-based business is no exception. If you’re getting bogged down in the details of starting your business, the Get Started!! business guides are for you. Each ebook in the series is designed to do just what it says – get you started on a specific task. The ebooks are created with an easy to follow, fill-in-the blank format. Just print the book, fill in the blanks, follow the steps, and you’re done! For some small business owners, the results will be sufficient to last them for the life of their small business. For others, the results will get them off to a good start, and will change and develop as their business grows. The Get Started!! business guides are created and written by Denise Willms, the owner of Willms Business Solutions. Denise helps small businesses succeed with her writing, editing, and other virtual assistant services. If you enjoy this ebook, tell a friend and visit http://www.dwillms.com for more of the series. Lets get started!! Copyright © Willms Business Solutions 2006. All rights reserved. Table of Contents Introduction Mission Statements What is a Mission Statement? The Four Questions Do You Really Need a Mission Statement? Mission Statement Examples Writing Your Mission Statement 1 2 2 2 2 3 4 Vision Statements What is a Vision Statement? Do You Really Need a Vision Statement? Vision Statement Examples Writing Your Vision Statement 8 8 8 8 8 In Summary 10 Introduction Mission statements and vision statements are often as short as a single sentence or paragraph, but don’t be fooled. They can be as powerful as they are short. In fact, your mission statement and vision statement are among the most valuable documents you will create for your small business. Taking the time to write them well is a n important first step towards success for your business. Mission and vision statements are easily confused with each other and are often used interchangeably. In reality, they are very different. Each has a n important and unique - function in your small business. A vision statement defines where you are going. A mission statement describes how you’re going to get there. They work together like a car and a roadmap. One without the other won’t get you very far, but with both you can go almost anywhere. Page 1 of 10 Copyright © Willms Business Solutions 2006. All rights reserved. Mission Statements What is a Mission Statement? According to Webster’s Dictionary, a mission statement is “a summary describing the aims, values and overall plan of an organization or individual.” In other words, your mission statement is your statement of purpose. It defines the purpose for your business by answering four important questions . The Four Questions When a mission statement clearly answers the following four questions, it becomes an effective and essential tool for developing your business: 1. Who are we? It tells what business you’re in. 2. What do we do? It describes what your business does. 3. Why do we do it? It states your values. 4. Who do we do it for? It defines your target audience. The important thing to remember is that, if it’s done right, your mission statement states the reason why your business exists. Do You Really Need a Mission Statement? We’ve seen that your mission statement defines what your small business is, what it does, and why it exists. We’ve also described your mission statement as your “car” on the road to success. It’s how you’re going to achieve your business goals. These two reasons alone mean that a well-written mission statement is essential for any small business. But they aren’t the only reasons you need to have one. Here are some more reasons why you can’t develop a successful business without first developing an effective mission statement: The process of writing a mission statement is as important as the statement itself. Writing clear answers to the four above questions will force you to clarify your values and ideas about your business. For this reason, it isn’t useful to copy someone else’s (especially since that also constitutes plagiarism) or have someone write your mission statement for you. However, Page 2 of 10 Copyright © Willms Business Solutions 2006. All rights reserved. it may be beneficial to have a coach or mentor work with you to write your mission statement. Your mission statement reminds and motivates you. All business owners go through times when they wonder if the work of running a small business is worth it. In those times of uncertainty, your mission statement will remind you of your business’s purpose and motivate you to keep going . It may also remind you when you have strayed from your intended purpose and need to refocus your efforts. If you’re i n a business partnership, writing a mission statement together will ensure that all partners understand each other’s goals and ideas for the business. Your mission statement will also communicate your values to future employees. Employees cannot represent your company values effectively unless they understand them and adopt them for themselves. A memorable mission statement will provide your employees with a means to do this. Mission Statement Examples Before you develop your own mission statement, it might help to read some reallife examples. Some are listed here to inspire you: J. Sainsbury At Sainsbury's we will deliver an ever improving quality shopping experience for our customers with great product at fair prices. We aim to exceed customer expectations for healthy, safe, fresh and tasty food making their lives easier everyday. Mary Kay Mary Kay’s mission is to enrich women’s lives. We will do this in tangible ways, by offering quality products to consumers, financial opportunities to our independent sales force and fulfilling careers to our employees. We will also reach out to the heart and spirit of women, enabling personal growth and fulfillment for the women whose lives we touch. We will carry out our mission in a spirit of caring, living the positive values on which our Company was built. Page 3 of 10 Copyright © Willms Business Solutions 2006. All rights reserved. Google Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally useful and accessible. Writing Your Mission Statement Now it’s your turn! When you write your mission statement, keep the following in mind: It must be achievable. It must be clear. What good is a car that you can’t figure out how to drive? It must be optimistic. Your mission statement is meant to motivate and inspire you. It should be written in a memorable way. This will make it easier for you and your staff to remember and personalize it. Your mission statement is only effective if it is meaningful. To be meaningful, it must be personal. To facilitate this, everyone involved in your small business should be involved in writing the mission statement. Step 1 Get together with any others involved in your small business and brainstorm some answers to the following questions. 1. Who are we? Ask yourself “What business am I in?” List some words or phrases that describe your business. Page 4 of 10 Copyright © Willms Business Solutions 2006. All rights reserved. 2. What do we do? List the market opportunities or customer needs that your business will address. List the services or products your business will provide to meet these needs and opportunities. Page 5 of 10 Copyright © Willms Business Solutions 2006. All rights reserved. 3. Why do we do it? Ask yourself “Why is what I do important? What inspires me?” List your values and reasons for meeting your customers’ needs. (Here’s where you use words such as “professional”, “efficient”, “outstanding quality”, ”great service”, “faster”, “better”, “old fashioned”, “world class.”) 4. Who do we do it for? Who are my customers? List your target markets. Page 6 of 10 Copyright © Willms Business Solutions 2006. All rights reserved. Going through this process will also reveal how clearly you understand and envision your small business. If you find one or more of the above four questions difficult to answer, your ideas about your business may not clearly developed. For example, a business owner who doesn’t have a clear picture of her target audience won’t be able to defi ne who her customers are. A business owner who hasn’t defined his niche will have trouble clearly describing what services he provides. This brainstorming process also provides an opportunity for you to clarify your ideas and vision. Step 2 After you’ve written down your thoughts and ideas, go back and review your answers. Highlight what you think is the most important information in each section. Step 3 The information you highlighted is what your mission statement must contain. Now it’s time to take those ideas and put them together in a meaningful way. Take your time with this step. You might need to do several rewrites before you’re satisfied with the result. Business gurus disagree on how long mission statements should be. Some say a good mission statement should be three to four sentences long; others say 25 words or less is the ideal length. The important thing to remember is that your mission statement needs to be clear. For this reason, writing 25 or less may be helpful. The shorter length will force you to choose your words well. Page 7 of 10 Copyright © Willms Business Solutions 2006. All rights reserved. Vision Statements What is a Vision Statement? A vision statement defines success for your small business. It is time bound , meaning that it has a defined goal to be accomplished by a set date. While a mission statement will probably not change much over time, your vision statement should. When you’ve achieved your goal, it’s time to set another one. Do You Really Need a Vision Statement? We’ve mentioned that your vision statement defines what success for your small business looks like. We’ve also described your mission statement as your “road map” to success. Basically, it tells you when you’ve reached your goals . For these reasons, a well-written vision statement is essential for any small business. Vision Statement Examples Before you start developing your own vision statement, read some real-life examples to get ideas for your own. Some are listed below to help inspire you: Wal-Mart To become the worldwide leader in retailing. Levi’s People love our clothes and trust our company. We will market and distribute the most appealing and widely worn apparel brands. Our products define quality, style and function. We will clothe the world. Writing Your Vision Statement Now it’s your turn! When you write your vision statement, keep the following in mind: It must be specific It must be achievable It must have a set date for completion It should be written in a memorable way. This will make it easier for you and your staff to remember and personalize it. Just like your mission statement, a vision statement is only effective when everyone involved with your small business supports your vision. Therefore, Page 8 of 10 Copyright © Willms Business Solutions 2006. All rights reserved. it’s a good idea to have everyone involved in your small business participate in developing the vision statement. Step 1 Get together with the others involved in your small business to brainstorm and list three to five measurable indicators of your business’s success. 1. _____________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________ 4. _____________________________________________________ 5. _____________________________________________________ Step 2 Now that you’ve written down your thoughts and ideas, go back and review your answers. Highlight what you think is the most meaningful and significant measure of your success. What is a reasonable time frame for you to achieve this goal? Write it down below. Step 3 The indicator you highlighted is the information your vision statement must contain. Now it’s time to take that idea, and your target date for achievement, and put them together in a meaningful way. Rewrite the selected indicator(s) into a meaningful vision statement. Again, take your time with this step. You might need to do several rewrites before you’re satisfied with the result. Page 9 of 10 Copyright © Willms Business Solutions 2006. All rights reserved. In Summary For the small business owner, it’s worth taking the time to write your mission and vision statements well. The ideas you clarify and define in these statements will eventually become the basis of your business plan, your marketing strategy, and your website copy. These two statements identify everything you need to know to market your business and meet your customers’ needs. With your mission statement and vision statements in hand, you will always know where you’re going, and how you’re going to get there. Page 10 of 10 Copyright © Willms Business Solutions 2006. All rights reserved.