Why having a vision and mission is so important
This blog is part of the Brand Foundation Series. Ok, so let start with the first topic; your vision and mission.
What is a vision statement?
Your vision is how you would like things to be in the future. You can see this as your big dream for your business. What success will look like for you? What do you aspire your business to be? So your vision is not about how you are going to do it, but about what you want your business to become.
So, whats the difference between a vision and a mission statement?
Where your vision is related to the future, your mission statement is about what you currently do by combining what you do and who you do it for.
Why you need a vision and a mission statement
When you are completely clear about what you want to do, you can use this as your compass. You can keep coming back to this to keep you on track. But besides this, if you share your mission with your audience you can take them on the journey with you. And you will see that you will attract a like-minded audience.
And I will go more into your Why in the next blog of the Brand Foundation series. But I want to quickly share 1 quote with you that hopefully makes it super clear why this is so important. The quote comes from the book Start with why* from Simon Sinek (if you have not read it, I highly recommend it)
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”
So if you have a clear mission, this could actually help you attract your ideal clients. And clients that have a shared vision or goals in their life are more likely to be clients you actually want to work with.
How to define your vision
One of my favourite exercises to help business owners develop their visions for their brand is using a method that Carrie Green describes in her book’ She means business’* where you finish the sentence; I want to…
Just make a list and write down this sentence as many times as you can. To give some examples;
I want to inspire and empower
I want to have the freedom to work flexible hours and raise my kids
I want to be a girlboss.
I want to help women undo any limiting beliefs and break free from any socially constructed stereotypes.
I want to enable excellence in women
Another exercise I have seen to develop your vision is to write out adjectives that you want your brand to represent. But I think this fits in better when talking about your brands core values and believes that will help you to make your vision come true. So I will use this but will come back to this later in the Brand Foundation Series.
How to create your mission statement based on your vision
Use all the sentences that you have written when answering the above question and combine this into one statement.
There are some different ways to write this;
I am going to…
My business does [action] to help [ideal customer] do [desired result].
I am ___. I help [ideal customer] do/make/create [desired result] so that they can ___
[Your business] offers (what you do and how it’s different) for (who you serve). I/we do this through a unique approach of (reasons why your ideal client should trust you). This line is from B is for Bonnie Design
To get some inspiration I have included examples of mission statements of companies you will probably know
Now write your mission statement down. Don’t be too hard on yourself. It does not have to be perfect but should give you direction.
When you have your vision you can use this to:
Create an ideal week and structure it with theme days and time blocking
Create a product suite that will help you to get closer to your vision
And price your design packages for the profit you need
Up next
Next up in this Brand Foundation series is defining your why. And it might seem logical to start with this one instead of your mission and vision. But I have found that business owners do have at least some idea of where we see ourselves in the future. But when asked about your why there is a block. And I guess this is why a lot of businesses skip these steps. It’s such a ‘large’ thing too narrow down and can be so overwhelming.
And I feel that because of this, it is good to start with something that is familiar and, at least, partly known before diving into something that requires a bit more work and thought.
But once this second step is clear, we will go back to this first step and refine and make it more powerful if needed.
And while this is something we do at the beginning of our business it does not mean it needs to be set in stone. Your mission might be changing over the course of your business as it grows or because you, as a person, have changed. And that is fine. If it does not fit anymore, if it does not excite you, then re-do this exercise and reposition your business.
How do you feel about your current vision and mission? Does it still fit? Does it still excite you?
Are you not sure about your answers and do you feel you are overwhelmed and need focus and direction? Then let's chat.
I help you to go from overwhelm to clarity and take action in my 3-month mentor program. The program includes weekly calls and email support in between the calls. There is also some 'homework' involved so that you can directly practice what you have learned and feel empowered.
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