In the business world, we talk about a or unique selling proposition (USP), finding your target market, and developing a sales funnel. These are all excellent things you need. However, I think really successful companies take these ideas a step further and create a business mission statement.
The most successful businesses have a “mission” that goes beyond these marketing concepts. A mission is something that you're committed to and focused on in all aspects of your life and business.
I have worked with hundreds of home business owners over the years. I've interviewed dozens of very successful online business owners. Over time, I noticed a couple of things about these businesses:
1. The very successful businesses (or ones who soon became successful) had a mission statement that went beyond marketing. For example, one owners mission was to develop an alcohol-free hand sanitizer. She spent 10 years working on this out of her kitchen sink. When I talked to her, Walmart had just started selling her sanitizer.
2. Less successful companies were merely interested in earning some extra bucks. Whether for the kiddos,”mad money,” or just wanted a creative outlet, this isn't enough.
So what's the difference? Perhaps it's passion. The business owner who took her line of baby slings all the way to Target had a passion for helping moms. She targeted those moms who needed a baby sling that fit them, was easy to manage and stylish. Why? Because she'd needed something different and developed it for herself. She had a mission to create something that worked for her. This translated to a mission statement that guided her company to serve moms like her.
Publish for Prosperity owner, who I've known online since 2002, Alice Seba, makes the mission of her company very clear on her “about” page:
People who are on a mission think outside the box to solve problems instead of letting them get in the way. They are committed to going above and beyond what their competitors do. They stick around when everyone else quits.
Business owners with a mission also have a story to tell. The narrative they create around their mission gives the customers a place in the story, a way to connect, and feel like they're a part of something greater than any one of us.
What is your business's mission statement — and its story?
Not sure how to answer that question? Enter your name and email address and I'll send you advice and resources to help you grow the business you love with your mission in mind.
