Achieving business success is a journey and your company's mission
and vision statements are your compass and without them, you are not likely
to get where you actually want to go.
In today's video you'll learn the difference between a mission statement
and a vision statement and why it's important for your business to have both.
We'll also look at four great examples from successful companies who have
strong statements that inspire their teams and direct their decisions.
Ready to learn from the best?
Let's get into it.
Hi everyone.
And welcome back to Learn with Shopify.
Every week, we bring you new videos and resources to help you start
and grow your online business.
I'm your host, Stephanie pellet.
I'm a creative coach and consultant for small business owners like you.
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below so that you never miss an episode.
No matter what stage of business you're currently at, it's important to take
the time to define your company's mission and vision for the future.
As your business grows, you'll need to be able to inspire a team
stakeholders and most importantly, customers with a clear and compelling
vision of who you are and where your.
Even if you're just a company of one as Paul Jarvis would say, knowing what
you stand for and what you're working towards can help you clarify your
purpose and make better decisions.
In today's video, I'll be walking you through the key features that all strong
mission and vision statements share.
I'll explain the differences between these two important statements
and share some tips that you can use when writing your own.
Finally, we'll look at four examples of successful companies who have
used their missions and visions to become prominent industry leaders.
By the end of this video, you'll have the knowledge and inspiration you need
to create your own statements that will shape the future of your business.
Speaking of which, mission and vision statements are an important
part of any strong business plan.
So once you finish watching this video, be sure to check out our
content on writing business plans.
Click on the link in the description below to download your copy of our
comprehensive business plan template so that you can see the big picture and put
what you learned here today into action.
If you think that writing mission and vision statements is a make-work
project or a waste of time, think again.
These are not just nice to have documents that look good on paper.
They're incredibly important in shaping the future of any successful business.
Here are a few reasons why you should define your mission and vision, regardless
of what kind of business you may have.
First, both of these kinds of statements, help to clarify your
company's purpose and direction.
When you're crystal clear about why your business exists and what you're
working towards, it becomes faster and easier to make choices that align with
your values and goals, and they keep you focused instead of feeling confused
or overwhelmed by any decision, you'll have a clear set of criteria for your
company's strategy and next steps.
Second, your mission and vision should inspire your employees and unite
your team around a shared purpose.
That way, everyone knows what they're working towards and understands how
they're contributing to a larger goal.
When people feel aligned with the business and excited about their projects, they're
less likely to feel unmotivated and more likely to bring their best selves to work.
And lastly, your mission and vision statements communicate to your customers
and clients, what they can expect from your brand now and in the future.
Customers are increasingly intentional about the companies
they choose to support.
So sharing your values clearly and consistently is a great way to set
yourself apart from your competition.
With all of that said, there are some important differences
between mission and vision.
Let's define what makes them unique and how you can create
your own mission statements.
As I mentioned before, your mission statement is like the
compass for your business.
If it's calibrated correctly, it will always point you in
the right direction to do that.
Your mission statement should clearly and simply describe why your company was
created and what you provide to your.
As the name suggests, what is your mission in the world?
What contribution are you making and what differentiates you from your competition?
Ideally, your mission statement should answer all of these questions
in three sentences or less.
Here are a few tips to help you write a mission statement of your own.
Write what's true.
Mission statements should feel timeless and enduring because they don't change
much over the lifetime of your business.
So when you write a mission statement, your goal is to share
your company's values without getting too grandiose or aspirational.
One easy way to write your mission statement is to start with the words
our mission is and complete the sentence with a message you know to be true for
your business now, and for the longterm.
Don't be vague.
Your mission statement should be as clear and specific as possible.
If it's too wordy or ambiguous, it's not going to be effective.
For example, if you run a yoga studio, don't say that you
provide movement solutions if you actually provide yoga classes.
Your mission statement doesn't have to use fancy words or be overly
broad in order to sound professional.
In fact, using simple and concrete language means your mission
statement is much more likely to be understood and applied.
Do the t-shirt test.
Erica Olsen of the virtual strategist recommends a great
exercise for determining the strength of your mission statement.
Ask yourself a simple question.
Can your mission statement fit on a t-shirt that you and your
team would be proud to wear?
If so you can feel confident in knowing that you're communicating
a valuable and meaningful message.
If it's too long to fit on a shirt or not a statement you'd want to walk
around wearing, it's probably time to craft something more compelling.
Don't create with a committee.
Working on a mission statement in a group brainstorming setting is a great
way to create a bland, vague paragraph that communicates virtually nothing about
what your company actually believes.
Instead, approach the process with more intention.
If you work alone, try creating the statement on your own and then run it
by a few trusted advisors for feedback.
If you have employees, ask some of them to write a sentence that summarizes what
they feel the business stands for and use their input to create a statement
that feels honest and authentic to you.
Either way, don't dilute your message by asking for too many opinions all at once.
We want to make the launch of your online business a huge success.
So we created a free brand storytelling worksheet to help you get started.
Use this handy exercise as a guide to help you craft a compelling brand
story and build a loyal audience through the power of storytelling.
Click the link right here or in the description below
to claim your free download
now.
Vision statements.
If your mission statement is your compass pointing you toward true
north, then your vision statement is the map that shows the bigger
picture of where you're hoping to go.
A strong vision statement describes the future that you hope to create
through your business and who you want to become as a company.
It communicates what success would look like for you and what
problem you plan to solve for your customers and your community.
Just as with your mission statement, this will only be a few sentences
long and should succinctly outline the goals that you're working to achieve.
Put simply your mission statement explains why your company was created
and your vision statement describes where your company is planning to go.
When you sit down to write your own vision statement, here are
a few things to keep in mind.
Write for the future.
Unlike the timelessness of a mission statement, your vision
statement has yet to be achieved.
It describes what you're working towards.
So it's okay to be aspirational here.
Look ahead several years into the future and describe the situations
and outcomes that you dream of creating with your business.
Try using prompts like, we plan to or we envision to get
your vision statement started.
Be bold.
Chances are that you started your business because you wanted to solve a problem or
create a meaningful change in the world.
Tap into that energy as you draft your vision statement, and don't
be afraid to reach for the stars.
If you want to become a leader in your industry, you'll need to start by creating
a bold and compelling vision that inspires and motivates others to join your costs.
Be intentional.
While it's great to be bold, your vision should also reflect the values and
aspirations of your specific company.
It's okay
if your vision is local, rather than global or deep, rather than wide.
Bigger is not always better.
For example, maybe your vision is to become the most beloved
taco joint in your city.
Rather than the most popular restaurant chain in the world.
In essence, just make sure that you choose your vision carefully,
according to your company's mission, rather than simply defaulting to
the biggest goal you can think of.
Don't be too detailed when you first write your vision statement.
You probably won't know how to make it happen, but don't let
your fears or your practicality stop you from dreaming boldly.
When we get too bogged down in little details, we can't create a vision
that will motivate and inspire.
This statement will eventually lead to lots of specific goals and
strategic objectives, but those can all come later at this stage.
Let your imagination take the lead and capture the most
exciting future you can envision.
Okay.
Are you ready to see what these statements look like in action?
Here are four examples of companies who have created mission and vision statements
that are purposeful and intentional.
Google.
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it
universally accessible and useful.
In just one sentence
we instantly learn what matters to Google - the accessibility
and usefulness of information.
We also learn who they're serving with their business.
In this case, everyone in the world.
Their mission is clear and simple to understand and would
certainly pass the t-shirt test.
Their vision is to provide access to the world's information
in one click.
This vision is obviously aspirational because as of right now, it usually takes
more than one click to find what we're looking for, but having this kind of
bold and streamlined vision makes it very clear what Google is working towards.
By keeping it so simple they can ensure that everyone within the company is on
the same page about what is important for the future of your business.
Tesla.
For Tesla the mission is to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy.
There is a kind of laser focus to this mission statement that would
probably act as a very strong compass when the company is deciding what
goals and projects to take on.
It is also a statement that is sure to inspire employees, shareholders,
and customers who feel aligned with this simple but powerful mission.
Tesla's vision for the future is to create the most compelling car
company of the 21st century by driving the world's transition to electric.
When we read their vision, we see where they're going.
Tesla wants a future in which the whole world drives electric vehicles
and uses sustainable energy.
This is an audacious goal, but one that clearly reflects their
values and mission as a company.
Nike.
Here's Nike's mission.
Create groundbreaking sports innovations,
make our products sustainably, build a creative and diverse global
team and make a positive impact in communities where we live and work.
This is a more lengthy mission statement than the other two we've looked at so far.
But I think this comprehensiveness is a good thing.
They're defining several areas that matters to them, including
diversity, sustainability, innovation, and community impact.
By including all of these values in their mission statement, they're ensuring
that none of them can be ignored or compromised as they grow and scale.
Their vision is bolder, to bring inspiration and innovation to
every athlete in the world, with an asterisk that says, if you
have a body, you are an athlete.
I think this is a beautiful vision that is inclusive and inspiring.
For some businesses, the idea of providing inspiration and innovation
would be too vague, but in Nike's case, it actually makes sense.
Not only do they provide innovative products, but they have also branched
out into workout programs, apps, and running clubs to support and
inspire athletes around the world.
They've created a clear aspirational vision for the future that leaves some
room for growth and new directions.
Shopify.
Lastly, let's look at yours truly.
Our mission is to help people achieve independence by making it easier
to start, run, and grow a business.
Our vision is to make commerce better for everyone
so businesses can focus on what they do best, building and selling their products.
Both of these statements are simple, but they're at the heart of every
project this company takes on.
This channel, for example, was created with the specific aim of providing you
with the skills, knowledge, and resources you need to start or grow your business.
This project not only aligns with our mission, but also brings us
closer to our vision of making commerce better for everyone.
So there you have it, four examples of company mission and vision
statements that help direct their goals and inspire their communities.
I hope you're leaving here today with a clearer idea of why vision and mission
statements are so important and how to create your own versions to bring your
business more purpose and direction.
Once you know where you're going,
our team here at Shopify would love to help you get there.
If you need a complete e-commerce solution that will help you take care
of orders, integrate with thousands of helpful tools and make it easier for
you to achieve your business goals, then Shopify is a great solution.
Click the link right here or in our description box below to sign
up for our two week free trial to see if Shopify is right for you.
Now that you know the differences between a mission statement
and a vision statement, which one do you think you'll write?
Chances are you probably already have some idea of your company's
mission and vision, but it's really helpful to write them down in a simple
format that you can reference often.
And if you want some accountability in this process, I'd love to actually read
your mission and vision statements.
So drop them down in the comments below so we can all get inspired
by the business you're creating.
Until then., I want to thank you so much for watching.
I'm Stephanie Pellet and I'll see you next time.