How to Write an Impactful Mission Statement for your Business
If you’d have asked me what I thought about company mission statements a few years ago, I’d have told you I thought they were load of fluffy words that didn’t mean anything.
And that, my friends, is the result of 12 years working in corporate for large companies who have lots of flouncy statements, words, values and initiatives and yet never seem to live by any of them.
HOWEVER, since launching my own businesses and working with other small business owners, I’ve come to realise the power and impact a well-crafted mission statement can have for us small-business owners. You see ~ at the risk of sounding like a certain supermarket ~ we’re not just regular business owners, are we?
We are passionate, resilient and value-focused business owners who are dedicated to providing the best possible services or products for our clients.
And, in order to this, we need to have made sure we have set the right foundations, and a well-crafted mission statement is part of those foundations.
It really is more than just a string of words, it’s distilling the essence of your brand into a clear, concise, and inspiring declaration and a pivotal guiding principle that outlines our business purpose and values, and distinguishes us from others in our industry.
In this post, we'll explore the steps to develop an effective mission statement for your brand. Stick around until the end for a simple formula to craft your own brand mission statement!
1. Understand your “why” + your values
Firstly, identify the core purpose of your business. Consider these questions:
Why did you start this business? What inspired or motivated you?
What problems are you solving?
What values do you want your brand to embody?
By answering these questions, you can define the fundamental purpose and values that will form the backbone of your mission statement.
2. Keep It short + succinct
A really good mission statement should be no longer than two sentences and be easy to understand by everyone (employees, clients, suppliers… all stakeholders!).
That means no complex language or industry jargon that might confuse people and make it difficult to remember.
Remember, it’s something you’re going to want to include in your elevator pitch, and so keeping it clear and concise is key.
3. Highlight the Benefits
Here are some more questions for you to answer ~
Why should people choose to work with you or purchase from?
What separates you from other brands in your industry?
What do you want your customers to gain from choosing your brand?
How will your business enhance their lives?
Exploring the answers to these questions will not only give you clarity over your mission statement, but help you attract your ideal clients who align with your answers.
4. Make It Timeless + Adaptable
You need to think long-term with your business and mission statement. While this might be a scary thought and you might not want to jinx anything, you don’t want to be chopping or changing your mission statement every year as this will just get confusing!
So, make it something that is relevant to your business now, but will also be relevant to your business as it grows.
The Formula
Here’s a simple template to create your own brand mission statement:
What you do + how you do it + who you do it for + the value or transformation you provide.
By following these steps and using this formula, you can develop a mission statement that clearly communicates your brand’s purpose and values, setting a strong foundation for your business’s future.
