What does your business aspire to be?

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At entrepreneurette we’re running a business mission / purpose competition… tell us in six words (yes six words, no more, no less!) what your business is all about. Go here to find out details how you can share your mission with the world!

What is a mission statement?
A mission statement is your business’ reason for being, a proclamation of why it exists, a clarification of who it serves, and an expression of what it hopes to achieve in the future. A carefully crafted mission statement accurately describes the business and inspires the people who contribute to its success.
It should be clear, short, understandable and memorable. Think of the famous mission statement in the 1960s to ‘put a man on the moon, and bring him back safely, by the end of the decade.‘ This mission staement was clear, powerful and visionary. Unfortunately stirring mission statements are the exception, and the very term itself has become demeaned by many mission statements that are long-winded, incomprehensible and definitely forgettable. Often, the larger the organisation the worse the mission statement.

Dreaming up your mission statement:
Just as important as the mission statement itself is the process of writing the statement. Thinking and writing up your mission statement will help you clarify questions such as:
• What business are we really in?
• What type of business do we want to be?
• What is our target market?
• What inspires us?
The writing process and the statement itself both provide clarity of purpose and motivation for business success.

A mission statement has the following key characteristics:
• Visionary: Above all else a mission statement offers a vision of what a business aspires to be. A visionary mission statement helps people understand what the business is about and how they can contribute to the achievement of the vision.
• Broad: A company cannot be all things to all people, but a mission statement should not limit a company’s area of service or expertise too narrowly. A mission statement should be broad enough to allow the company to meet those needs without annual revisions of the statement.
• Realistic: The broad vision needs to be tempered with realism, to be both practical and workable. Mission statements that include everything or over promise will not give a clear indication of what the business is about. A lofty, unrealistic mission statement will not have great credibility. Instead the best statements are direct and powerful.
• Motivational: The statement should be written in such a way that it inspires commitment among employees, customers, partners, and shareholders about what this company will do or produce. Some organisations emphasise the inspirational value of their mission statement above all else, using it to express the company’s philosophy and values.
• Short and concise: The mission statement should be no longer than 25 words; short enough that an employee can easily remember it and readily repeat it or as management guru Peter Drucker suggests, it should be able to fit on a t-shirt.
• Easily understood: The statement should use plain language that is convincing and easy to understand. For example, a technology company’s mission statement should not include jargon or technology concepts that are unfamiliar to people outside the area. Consider using the "grandmother test" on your mission statement — would your grandmother understand what your company is about if she read your mission statement?

Here are some examples of famous mission statements:

Ford Motor Company (early 1900′s):
"Ford will democratize the automobile"

Sony (early 1950′s):
"Become the company most known for changing the worldwide poor-quality image of Japanese products"

Boeing (1950):
"Become the dominant player in commercial aircraft and bring the world into the jet age"

Wal-Mart (1990):
"Become a $125 billion company by the year 2000"

3M:
"To solve unsolved problems innovatively"

Mary Kay Cosmetics:
"To give unlimited opportunity to women."

Merck:
"To preserve and improve human life."

Wal-Mart:
"To give ordinary folk the chance to buy the same thing as rich people."

Walt Disney:
"To make people happy."

Skype:
“Call anyone on any phone anywhere in the world at local rates”

McDonalds:
"McDonald’s vision is to be the world’s best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile."

Levi-Strauss:
"We will market the most appealing and widely worn casual clothing in the world. We will clothe the world."

Microsoft:
Was: “A Computer on Every Desk and In Every Home”
Now: “To enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential".

Revlon:
"In the factory, we make cosmetics; in the store, we sell hope."

:::: we’d love to read your mission statement!