Branding Your Career Service: Importance of a Mission Statement
By CPC Mastermind, Christine Cristiano.
As a Career Professional, I have assisted in the delivery of business development training through various Self-Employment Programs for Youth at Risk, Adults, and Persons with Disabilities. One of the initial steps that we taught entrepreneurs in the business start-up process was the importance of a mission statement for their business.
The concept of a mission statement is vital in branding your business because it is a very important component of your business model and business plan. It is the first step to determining the purpose of your business, and what you are offering to your prospective market. The mission statement will also identify your business goals and the value that you are offering your clients.
Many corporations have gained popularity and notoriety via their mission statement. Try to guess whose mission statement these are before clicking on the links. Then, think about how they apply their mission:
Our brand mission is…
“ to be our customers’ favorite place and way to eat and drink.”
“To refresh the world in mind, body and spirit.”
“To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”
“To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”
Now, you have a starting point for your mission statement that you can polish and tailor to your needs. As you may have discovered, corporations revise their mission statement from time to time to reflect changes, directions and values of the corporation to meet the ever changing needs of the marketplace.
Creating Your Mission Statement
According to Forbes Magazine, a mission statement should answer four essential questions:
- What do we do?
- How do we do it?
- Whom do we do it for?
- What value are we bringing?
Start to create your mission statement by writing a first draft in which you can later fine-tune.
- Make a list of three to four of your business talents. For example, a list might say career focused, innovative communications, customer centric, environmentally friendly.
- Write a phrase explaining what you hope to accomplish. Here are a couple of examples: “help people to find the right job.” or ” connect people to the right resources.”
- Put your words together. Here are some examples of the final product:
“My mission is to use my customer centric approach to connect people to the right resources.”
“Our mission is to apply our innovative communications in order to help people to find the right job.”
Congratulations! Now you have a starting point for your mission statement that you can polish and tailor to your needs. As you will discover after reading through the additional resources below, businesses revise their mission statement from time to time to reflect their changes, directions, and values in order to meet the ever changing needs of the marketplace.
A Word About Vision Statements
Vision statements are often confused with mission statements; a vision statement provides a five to ten-year direction for the company and promotes the company values. A vision statement is a continuation of the mission statement and adds human values. It is also used to motivate employees and provide guidance for professional conduct and corporate expectations.
Additional Resources: