Should Your Business Have a Mission Statement?

By Anne Shaw
The Hartford Small Biz Ahead
Originally Published: August 24, 2022 | Updated: August 22, 2023

An authentic mission statement can help business owners on several fronts. It helps focus business efforts on the right behaviors and goals while also attracting and keeping the right employees. A great mission statement also represents your business to the public, helping your target customers understand not only what you do but how and why you do it.

What Is a Mission Statement?

A company’s mission statement explains the purpose it serves for customers. In simple language, it explains not only what your company does, but also why and how. When you land on the right wording for your mission statement, it will inspire and nurture your employees, unifying them around a single purpose. It can also spread ideas among potential customers about why your company exists and how it could impact their lives, strengthening your brand identity.

Think about the companies you choose over and over as a customer. Why do you continue to shop with them or use their services? It’s likely that their mission statements guide their employees to deliver the experiences and products you enjoy. Visit their websites to see whether their mission statements align with your experience.

How to Write a Mission Statement

If you need to write a mission statement for your company, there’s good news: It can be a simple, four-step process. While crafting mission statements sounds like an easy process, make sure to give it some real thought. What separates a good mission statement from a great mission statement is clarity and brevity. Everyone should be able to read it quickly and understand it easily.

Wondering how to write a mission statement? It starts with three main questions: What, how and why. Before you delve into the answers, keep in mind that the best mission statements are short and written in a clear style.

Step 1: What Does Your Company Do?

Write down what your company does. Start by identifying your main product or service — whatever you produce, sell and/or provide to customers. Try writing it in several ways. Choose the clearest description and consider how you can make it even shorter or clearer. Test it out on a few employees to see if they agree.

Examples:

• Make and sell body scrubs and lotions
• Provide social media advertising strategy for small businesses
• Help parents and guardians hire babysitters

Step 2: How Does Your Company Do It?

Explain how you do what you do. While the answer may feel complicated, try to keep the language as simple as possible. Rather than detailing day-to-day operations, consider whether there’s something about your process that’s unique, that matters to your customers or that otherwise differentiates your company. It may be helpful to consider your core values while working on this step.

Examples:

• Handmade in small batches with all-natural ingredients
• Understanding client goals and identifying their customers’ demographics and behavior
• Keeping a database of background-checked babysitters, their experience and their availability

Step 3: Why Does Your Company Do It?

Consider why you do what you do. It may help to remember why you started your business in the first place (beyond making money). What need did you want to serve? This is potentially the most impactful part of your company’s mission statement. It should resonate with your customers and may even be the reason they choose to support your business over competitors. Perhaps your customers are a specific niche that fit into why you do what you do. Once again, write down a…[MORE]

+

To read the entire article by Anne Shaw at The Hartford Small Biz Ahead website, visit: Should Your Business Have a Mission Statement?