Your Mission Statement: A Deeper Motivation for Business Owners

When times are tough, business owners and entrepreneurs need an emotional anchor to weather the storm. Writing a mission statement can help.

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An Emotional Anchor for Your Business

So I'm going to give you the number one strategy that's going to help you move forward in your business.

It's not getting a business loan. It’s not getting more reviews on Google. It's not changing your marketing strategy. All those things are important, but the number one thing that's going to help your business is writing a mission statement.

Okay, you probably weren't expecting me to say that, but it's really true. Just like boats use an anchor to weather a storm, so too can you use a mission statement to keep you anchored emotionally during tough times.

Even if your business is strong right now, a mission statement can help. It can remind you of what’s important, so you don't drift in the wrong direction.

Your Mission is Bigger Than You

When business challenges arise, it’s easy to think of worst-case scenarios. Typically those scenarios involve you and/or your employees. You worry about going bankrupt, or laying people off. The stress is centered on you, or those close to you.

A mission statement redirects your energy to the deeper reason why you started your business in the first place. It's a reminder that your business provides a product or service that helps people. You are making people's lives better.

So the mission statement keeps you emotionally anchored to a positive outcome, to the passion that inspired you to create your business in the first place.

Feeling burned out in your business? Read my post 3 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Beat Burnout

How to Write Your Business's Mission Statement

Okay, let's talk about how to write your mission statement. First, start by focusing on your ideal customer. What does your ideal customer want?

Next, envision how this customer feels after they enjoy your product or service. They're happy. They spread the good news to their friends and family. Their friends and family in turn recommend your business to even more people.

This is what's called the ripple effect. Your business literally ripples positivity throughout your community, and beyond. In fact, your business, the longer it’s around, impacts so many people that it ultimately makes the world a better place.

Okay, here is the template for your mission statement: My mission is to serve/provide [what my ideal customer likes] and it will benefit the world because...

Use this template to make several drafts of your mission statement. Right freely and quickly, stream of consciousness, and see what comes out.

When you have something that resonates with you, print it out on some nice paper, then frame it. That's right, frame it like a diploma and mount it on your wall where you can see it everyday.

An Example of a Mission Statement

Having trouble writing your mission statement? Let's start with an example of what your ideal customer wants. Pretend you are a restaurant owner, and I am your customer.

That's right, I love good restaurants! I love the entire experience: fresh ingredients, fantastic service, and ambience. And I like to bring my friends to good restaurants.

If I have an amazing experience in your restaurant, I am very happy, and so are my friends. We brag about your restaurant, tell our friends and family to go there, and soon your restaurant is packed full of happy customers. These happy customers then create a positive ripple effect, as I mentioned earlier.

So, applying the template, you, the business owner might write, "My mission is to provide the best ingredients, the best service, and the best ambience, and it will benefit the world because a fine dining experience is one of the greatest human pleasures. My restaurant creates happiness in the world."

Whatever kind of business you have, your mission statement should inspire you. In fact, it should inspire you almost in a spiritual way. Shoot for writing something that gives you goosebumps.

Here are some more strategies for writing a mission statement from business.com

Make Your Mission Your Duty

A mission statement reframes your business as your duty, instead of a personal endeavor. Duty has a different resonance. It is a "must" instead of a want.

You might be asking, "Hey wait a minute, this mission statement thing is actually adding more pressure!" Well, you're right. But it puts pressure in a different area. It puts it outside of you.

You see, when you're beholden to something beyond yourself, you're more likely to persevere. It might be easy to let yourself down, but to let down your customers, your community, the world? You're left with no other choice but to make your business successful.

Conclusion

So, write that mission statement! It's really going to help you. You may not buy into it at first, but if you keep looking at it every day, it'll start resonating with you, and you'll make more and more empowering decisions for your business.

By the way, you don't have to be a business owner to benefit from a mission statement. You can make your own personal mission statement for your career, for a sport you play, or for your family. Go for it!



Are you a stressed out business owner who is considering counseling? Check out my video 3 Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Can Benefit from Therapy.