Getting Started on Your Mission Statement and Vision Statement

Yup! It’s a blank piece of paper alright. You have been staring at it for at least a half hour. You are not alone. Writers paid and otherwise, habitually face that same white screen or paper. In your case though, it is important to get on with it.  You are approaching an important milestone in your life, your business, your future.

It can’t be that hard – so many people have their mission and vision statements. They are posted everywhere, in businesses, schools, press releases, articles, brochures, marketing literature, and used in many ways. Some sound a little lofty for you, you say. That could be true in some cases. That makes it all the more important for your mission statement and vision statement to be genuine. Genuine means you must work looking inward at who and what you and your business, dream or goals are.

How to begin? First you need to acknowledge what your service or product is and how it will serve or benefit others. Say your dream is to own an auto repair shop. Why? You are gifted in repairing cars, you enjoy the work, you know the value of having a good and honest car repairman and you know you can have a successful business. This begins your mission statement-what your purpose and reason for creating the business is.

So what does this business look like? Do you have employees? Who is your market?

What makes your business dream different from your competitors? Here’s a hint: make sure your statement is broad enough to add more products/services to your business but also detailed enough to be realistic. In other words, it should not be necessary to change your mission statement because you now want to include foreign cars but if you become a state inspection station it will make a change in your business strategy.

Now that white space or paper has ideas. Spend time on refining those ideas. How will you convey them to your employees, suppliers, customers and yes, even family? You sure want everyone to know who you are and to want to join your team, to help you grow and be life long customers. Right? When you have the statement down it will energize you and your business, your goals, your future. No loftiness here, it’s genuine.

Your vision statement is next. So what is your long range dream for this business?

Describe what you would like it to be. Do your actions align themselves for a successful future in your dream business? To create a vision, you need respect for the future, attention to the present and an understanding of the past.

Take a moment to analyze what you desire to accomplish. Don’t worry if you haven’t all the “hows” or the details for making those desires a reality. The hows will unfold when you understand your “why.” Say you are the owner of the auto shop and you want to expand the vision for your customers: you want to increase your customer returns. Make sure you have included follow-up reminders for your customers, oil change needed, tire alignments, mileage check-ups.  This small action can produce a part of the increase you desire in your business. Start today on your mission and vision statements. Get the help you need at www.missionvisionstatement.com now.

About the Author

Since 1986 Don has dedicated his expertise to helping business owners understand how to use clear, effective mission and vision statements, success goals and strategic planning to grow their businesses. With additional skills in leadership development, organizational dynamics and teambuilding, Don has extensive experience ranging from government agencies, (including a White House Commission for Small and Minority Businesses), new business owners, and to privately and publicly held companies. Don personally helped a prominent government organization turn around a multi-million dollar loss in less than 12 months by implementing a vision-driven strategic planning and leadership process.

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