How to write a company mission? 5 important principles

What is a company mission?

Beyond identity, in many cases it also determines the position in relation to competition and the values embraced. For this reason, it constitutes one of the important benchmarks when making long-term business decisions.

When creating a company’s mission, it is worth answering the following questions:

• What does the activity consist of? What value does it provide to others?
• How does the company respond to the needs of customers?
• What is the goal of the company’s operation?

In most cases, the company’s mission is represented by 1-2 key sentences that capture the essence of the entire operation. It remains unchanged throughout unless there are significant changes within the company. While not legally required, creating such a statement is certainly worth including in your business plan, as it brings clear benefits.

Why is it worth creating a company’s mission?

Although seemingly the company’s mission statement may appear insignificant, in reality, this document plays a very important role in the daily functioning of the enterprise. Specifically:

• it emphasizes the uniqueness of the company and sets it apart from the competition;
• facilitates daily communication and building a strong team;
• inspires trust in customers and increases their loyalty;
• can have a positive impact on sales results;
• increases employee motivation and helps them strive towards specific goals;
• is helpful in creating a marketing strategy as it reminds of the key principles.

Having clearly defined goals makes it much easier to achieve success in business. After all, before starting a journey, it is worth knowing what its direction is.

How to write a company’s mission?

To write a company’s mission, it is best to follow the following guidelines:

Take care of the appropriate length of the text

In the future, the mission of the company should be a short description that will stick in customers’ memory. For this reason, it is necessary to limit it to a maximum of 3 sentences. Other elements such as values ​​or achieved goals can be placed below the mission statement or on a separate webpage.

Describe the main goal of the activity

Every brand should have its leading goal that all employees will strive for. Find something valuable or inspiring also for potential customers (e.g. care for the environment or healthy child development).

Specify the values of the company

One of the ways to build a positive brand image is to consider the values that it represents (such as promoting knowledge or safety). Writing them down will set the direction for development and help the company stand out from the competition.

Determine the target group

Defining the target group is of great importance when creating a company’s mission. It is difficult to communicate effectively without knowing who the recipient will be. When determining the target, it will be helpful to define the age, gender, education, income, and values ​​of potential customers, among other factors.

Show that what you do is your passion

Great businesses often emerge from passion, which is why it is a good idea to show potential clients that what you do brings you joy and satisfaction. Such positive energy will surely be noticed.

In a mission, it is possible to achieve specific results in terms of activities, relationships with clients and contractors, development of modern technologies or individual values.

What is the difference between a company’s mission and vision?

Mission and vision of a company are often confused with each other. In reality, however, they refer to two distinct issues. While the first one defines a set of values that guide daily operations, the second one is an image of the ideal that the brand strives for.

The basic assumption of the company’s mission is a kind of manifesto that shows the most important goals of the enterprise. It presents the brand in a simple way and distinguishes it from the competition, as well as sets the direction of actions.

On the other hand, the company’s vision is intended to visualize the state that the company, along with its employees, strives for. It should be concise and specific, while also being achievable. It includes an image of an ideal business situation, taking into account the characteristic features of the brand and the entire industry. Its main goal is to motivate the staff.

The difference between vision and mission can be seen in the example of Coca-Cola company, which clearly describes these two elements on its website.

• for the mission, it accepts giving refreshment to the world, inspiring, standing out through building lasting values, invoking smiles of happiness;
• for the vision, it accepts, among others, being a good workplace that inspires people, building and supporting local communities, producing high-quality products, maximizing long-term returns for shareholders.

Company mission – examples

• “To give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.” – Facebook;
• “To continuously improve the quality of Internet information.” – Content Writer;
• “To bring the best user experience to customers through innovative hardware, software, and services.” – Apple;
• “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” – Google;
• “To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.” – Microsoft;
• “To unlock the potential of human creativity – by giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by it.” – Spotify.