A merchant who approaches business with the idea of serving the public well has nothing to fear from the competition. James Cash Penney
Entrepreneurs must keep their fingers on the marketplace’s pulse by understanding current trends and how they impact their customers’ experiences. For example, in the 1980s many companies focused on quality, brought to the forefront when sales of American-made car plummeted and imports – perceived as higher quality - were all the rage.
In the 1990s companies that demonstrated suppleness and flexibility dominated the business world as the old "company-first-customer-later" model disappeared under the weight of increased worldwide competition. Business leaders finally understood how a "can-do" spirit – one which translated into a "Yes, we can help you with that!" mindset – could transform their companies.
Now in the 21st century, companies are focusing much time, effort and money on discovering ways to become more innovative and collaborative using emerging technology and systems. This is particularly evident on the World Wide Web where the Internet’s accessible technologies and fast-growing Web 2.0 culture allow small businesses to compete on level playing fields with the "big guys."
That’s why it’s more important than ever to differentiate yourself in today’s marketplace and articulate your commitment – internally and externally - to your target audience’s key concerns.
One of the best ways to communicate your company’s insight into the future and key responsibilities is with a vision and mission statement.
Simply put, a vision statement provides inspiration. Think of it as a painting that depicts your company’s ideal future.
Effective vision statements use colorful, vivid, and vibrant yet, concise language to:
Now, here are some good real, and not-so-real, examples…
If you’d like more ideas, go to google.com and type the keywords "Vision Statements" into the search field and hit "enter." You’ll be amazed at the number of resource links you’ll receive.
A mission statement is a declaration that outlines the specific actions that will be used to accomplish a business’s goals. It addresses how the vision will be attained and is therefore narrower in scope.
Remember, it must be actual representation of your beliefs… not some fancy words on paper. And it’s a good idea to develop your statement using input from everyone involved in your business – particularly employees. After all, they’ll be called upon to make it a reality.
The best ones include a company's:
If you prefer a list format, that’s fine as well:
Once again, if you’d like more ideas, go to google.com and type the keywords "mission statement" into the search field and hit "enter."
The most important thing to remember is that your vision and mission statements shouldn’t be merely pretty words and fluff. Rather, they should be developed only after a great deal of thought and consideration and echo your loftiest ambitions and central undertakings.
Mary Eule Scarborough, an unassailable marketing expert and thought leader, helps businesses of all sizes get and keep more profitable customers. She is also:
Log onto her website: www.StrategicMarketingAdvisors.com for free marketing articles, tools, tips and templates…or to learn more about her books, products and services.