Purchasing Resources for Mission Statement Development

Writing a Business Mission Statement

Take the time to define your company's identity and direction
By Jennifer Baljko, Freelance Writer and Editor We're all searching for that spark of inspiration that makes us more passionate, driven and empowered. For businesses, that often comes in the form of a mission statement that helps your company chart its course and deal with the ebbs and flows of an ever-changing business climate.

A mission statement may have the look and feel of something in-between a catch-phrase slogan and a long-winded executive summary but it should say what your company stands for, what it hopes to achieve and how it plans to achieve those goals. A good mission statement:

1. Defines your company's reason for being. It clearly lays out what your business intends to do and how it will perform better than the competition.
2. Serves as a "call to action" to get things done. It often elaborates on ways that critical tasks, from the initial launch phase to subsequent new offerings, will be executed.
3. Provides strategic direction and shapes future goals. It not only says where you want to go, but how to get there.

Ask the hard questions

Coming up with a mission statement that encapsulates everything you want your company to be requires some self-reflection, and posing questions like "Who are we, who we serve and how do we stand out?"
Try:  CCH, The One Page Business Plan Company and ZeroMillion.com provide questions your mission statement should try to answer.

Make it a team effort

Coming up with a mantra you want employees to live by shouldn't be created in isolation. Invite key employees and managers to brainstorming sessions and ask customers for feedback.
Try:  Entrepreneur and My Tutorials have ideas for getting more folks involved.

Use the Web for fine-tuning

Software and e-books available on the Internet can help you craft succinct and powerful mission statements.
Try:  Bplans.com, Mission Experts and Nightingale-Conant have the tools to help you build a statement.Compare your statement to samples from other companies at the Family Business Institute.

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