Most businesses have mission statements that help their customers and employees understand their goals and values. As a small business owner, the more you can connect with your customer and clarify the mission of you team, the more chance you have at building an impactful and profitable business. Follow along for more information on how to create a mission statement.

What Are Mission Statements?

Your company’s mission statement is a single-sentence summary that includes why your business exists, what your goals are, and who you want to serve. A good mission statement captures your company’s purpose, and the best mission statements reflect your company’s core values. 

Think of a mission statement as the human spirit of your company, its reason for existing, and what it strives to accomplish at present. Your mission statement will be the customer’s first impression of your business. It is your first foot forward, so you want it to be strong, concise, and authentic.

Why Do Mission Statements Matter?

You should use your mission statement as a compass. It’s the “true north” that will always guide you in the direction you meant to go when you started your business. When you put your mission statement out there, it also guides your customer and helps them understand the heart of your business. People want to know your values and how you can serve them. 

What Should You Consider When Writing Your Mission Statement?

When writing a mission statement, you should consider a few things. 

1. First, you need to remember the reason you started your business in the first place. 
2. Then, envision your goals and what you want to accomplish. 

1. Who do you want to serve and what do you want to be known for? 
2. How do you want to make an impact on your industry or community? 

Here are some examples of powerful and motivationalmission statements:

• Nike — To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.

*If you have a body, you are an athlete.

• Tesla — To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
• Starbucks — To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.

How Do You Write a Mission Statement?

1. Brainstorm Ideas
2. Draft Your Mission Statement
3. Finalize Your Mission Statement

The old saying “put pen to paper” isn’t always as easy as it sounds when it comes to the writing process. When sitting down to try and write a strong mission statement, you can easily get stuck before even starting. If writing a mission statement all at once feels daunting, stick with us for a few strategic plans that can help get the job done.

Brainstorm Ideas

When you started coming up with ideas for your small business, you probably did some form of brainstorming. This is a great skill to hone and one to put into practice when writing a mission statement. 

Brainstorming helps you get all of your ideas out there without the pressure of having to make everything perfect right away. 

Here are some brainstorming techniques:

The “W-H” Method

This method of brainstorming prompts you to answer important facts about your business:

• Who you are.
• What you do.
• When you’ll do it.
• Where you’ll do it.
• Why you’re in business.
• How you conduct business.

Not every single one of these is necessary for your final mission statement, but it’s a great way to get you thinking about who your business is, what you do, and why you started. 

Reminding yourself of this might spark some ideas about how you want your business to be known.

Mind Mapping

This technique is a wonderful option for visual learners. If you like to see things physically written out, this could be the method for you. 

Grab a piece of paper or a whiteboard. Start with a word that you think represents the core of your business. Circle it and branch off from there. It might look like a mess at first, but this can help you see everything in one place, so you know what you’d like to include in that final mission statement. 

The Commentator

If you are a verbal or kinesthetic learner, this could be for you. Think back to when movie trailers had narrators or Vin Scully was the Dodgers’ commentator. Those iconic voices could make anything sound good. 

When brainstorming, it’s easy to doubt your ideas or wonder if they are good enough. But try picturing your ideas being read aloud by Morgan Freeman (or try reading them aloud yourself in your best imitation voice), and they will probably start to sound pretty powerful. 

This might seem like a silly strategy, but hey, whatever works, right?

Draft Your Mission Statement

After you have finished the brainstorming process, it’s time to create a rough draft. Here are some templates to draft your ideas:

1. We strive to ____________ because ____________, and serve our community by ____________.
2. We ____________ by ____________ with ____________ in mind, always.
3. We create ____________ for our customers because our mission is to ____________.
4. To inspire ____________ through ____________ for ____________.

It’s always a good idea to have more than one option. Sit with your drafts for a couple of days and take them in. (You could even try reading them in a commentator's voice.) Then, once you are happy with your choices, it’s time to make a final decision.

Finalize Your Mission Statement

Once you have finished your drafts, ask someone you trust to look over them. It’s always helpful to have a second set of eyes to offer an opinion. You’ve likely read over your statements hundreds of times, so having a fresh perspective can be helpful in decision-making.

Once you’ve gotten your second opinion, you should choose your favorite, too. Maybe they’ll match up, perhaps they won’t, but now it’s time to make an executive decision. 

Look back over the two final options. Double-check that they include the heart of your business and its core values. Then, go with your gut. As an owner, you know your business better than anyone. Choose the one that speaks to you, and be confident in your choice. What Is a Vision Statement?

A vision statement is a distilled version of a business plan or roadmap. It is a common goal that reflects your company culture. However, it’s worth worth noting that your vision statement does not represent your immediate business strategy.

For examples of strong, effective vision statements, check out companies like:

• Nike — Do everything possible to expand human potential.
• Tesla — To create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world’s transition to electric vehicles.
• Starbucks — To establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow.

How Is a Mission Statement Different from a Vision Statement?

Remember that a mission statement differs from a company’s vision statement. A mission statement focuses on the purpose of your business, whereas vision statements center around the company’s future and how it will achieve that mission. 

Where Should You Include Your Mission Statement?

• Website Homepage
• Your “About” Section

You have a couple of options when deciding where to include your mission statement. If you don’t have a website, you should at least consider creating a Google Business Profile and including your mission statement there. If you have a website, you can place your mission statement on the homepage or in the “About” section. Read below for the pros and cons of both types of placement.

Website Homepage

When thinking about inserting your mission statement on the homepage of your website, keep this in mind:

• Pro: Your mission statement is one of the first things customers will read when visiting your site. This can be a huge benefit because new customers will see what your business is all about, and it can remind returning customers why they loved your business in the first place.
• Con: Sometimes, customers like a homepage that gets straight to the point. This means they want to see products first and foremost, so having your mission statement on your homepage might distract a customer from getting to the product straight away. 

Your “About” Section

If you have or might create an “About” section for your site, it’ll be an excellent home for your mission statement. Before you make your decision, take stock of the pros and cons:

• Pro: If you do not include your mission statement on your homepage, this leaves more space in your “About” section to include your mission statement and further explain it to your customers. Customers who take the time to visit your “About” section are likely to genuinely care about your business’s story and want to know more about its origin and journey.
• Con: If you want customers to see your mission statement, you cannot guarantee they will visit this section of your site. You have taken the time to write a mission statement that encapsulates the core values of your business, so if you want that to be seen, you might rethink placing it in the “About” section.

Takeaways

Mission statements are a way to connect with your customer and empower your team. As a small business, you have the unique privilege of being able to make customers feel as though they know you. Providing customers with more information about who you are, the goals of your business, and your overall purpose is an excellent way to create a relationship. 

Make sure your mission statement is true to who you are. Throughout the journey with your business, use your mission statement as the compass that reminds you why you started in the first place.

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Sources:

How to Brainstorm New Business Ideas in 6 Steps ⎸ MasterClass

Corporate Mission Statements Don't Really Matter, Unless You Want To Be A Great Leader ⎸ Forbes

How to Write a Strong Rough Draft | Grammarly