What is a mission statement?

A simple statement that when worded with thought and precision defines your business or personal goals.

Why create a mission statement?

A mission Statement clarifies the why’s where’s and how’s of what we do, this statement simplifies and defines a thousand thoughts, ideas and motives.

Mission statements help you to stay aligned with the values you find most important and help to ensure that you are staying focused on the way you want to make an impact within a space, a community or the world. It will also help to attract customers who share the same values.

In this post, I want to talk to you about two different types of mission statements. The first is a personal mission statement. I believe every entrepreneur should have one, it acts as the driving force as to why we get out of bed each morning and do what we do.

The second is a business mission Statement. This is the one I refer to in The Fashion Marketing Manual. This once again clarifies ’s all your business goals in one simple statement, that will make it easier for you to share your vision with employees or investors. 

Writing a personal mission statement 

Every business has a mission statement and infact, businesses spend thousands of pounds perfecting them, surely this means they are important and fulfilling the purpose they are set out to do. So why is it that so much emphasis is on writing a mission statement for your business yet many of us entrepreneurs overlook writing one for ourselves. We may think, it’s all in my head, I know what my mission is, or maybe I’m not totally clear so don’t know what to write, or that we are simply too busy with everything else in our lives to possibly give a thought that we too deserve a mission statement. 

You know that saying that there is a good woman behind every good man, well, there is also a good person behind every good business. So with this being said please take my advice to start with your own mission statement first especially as an entrepreneur the two areas of business and personal life are tied so closely. My personal mission statement is the driving force behind what I do every day and why I do it. It acts as a constant reminder and motivator. As an entrepreneur, my mission statement reflects my business as much as it does my lifestyle choices.

My personal mission statement

I will create a life where I am free of time and place, I will be all the things I want to be and do all the things I want to do resulting in abundant happiness, success and wealth, I will do this by helping and educating others to run and market successful fashion businesses and every day be I will be filled with gratitude to work in a job that I love.  

Writing a business mission statement

Your business mission statement should define your vision so well that it almost feels like a strategy, it should exuberate passion and authenticity. It should not feel generic, lacklustre, or be useless.

You might be writing your first mission statement for your brand, how exciting! or you might be thinking about writing a new mission statement for your existing brand, either way, our workbook will be able to help you. 

If you are considering creating a new mission statement for your already established business then I can tell you now that you are already on the right track. If you are starting to feel that your original mission statement is no longer fitting or you’re simply not getting the right vibe when you read it then be brave and bold and change it. It may be that you only need to change the wording slightly or add some new power words. As good practice, I still believe it would be a good idea to go through the process I suggest and see what you come up with. You will never lose any integrity by changing your mission statement you will only strengthen your brand so it can move forward.

Some of you may be confused between some different terminology used in marketing. A mission statement, a vision, a manifesto, a philosophy, a positioning statement ??????? Wow, that’s a lot of statements I hear you say!  Now while they all have their place and I’m sure many might argue as to what information goes into what and what each one is used for, I believe that it’s totally up to you how you use them and which ones you choose to use, which do you feel would be useful for your brand? 

Mission statement – an official document that sets out the goals, purpose, and work of an organization.

Vision statement – An aspirational description of what an organization would like to achieve or accomplish in the mid-term or long-term future. It is intended to serve as a clear guide for choosing current and future courses of action.

 A manifesto – A statement publicly declaring ideas, intentions, motives and views. 

A philosophy – A brands philosophy is a combination of its culture, ambience and standards put into a group of core values that inform all aspects of its business practices. it is important to create a philosophy that your business can proudly stand behind. A major reason as to why it’s important to know your brand philosophy is because you’ll need to know the appropriate channels for your marketing.

A positioning statement – A positioning statement comes from the process of identifying your market area and USP and describing how your product, service or brand fills particular consumers needs in a way that its competitors don’t.

You may think that many of these models overlap and some do, We shall in this instance though, continue to stick to the main principles of writing a mission statement. I have put some examples below of what other fashion brands are calling their “mission statement” you will see however that they are quite different. I would suggest for you to do some research on your competitors and see what they are sharing or not sharing. Some brands may want a mission statement to stay internal, to be used as a model for its employees and investors to understand and then choose to share its philosophy with the world. Whichever way you choose to do this, I don’t believe that there is a right or wrong way, you need to do what is right for your brand and I am here simply to guide your process. 

Stella McCartney

We are agents of change. We challenge and push boundaries to make luxurious products in a way that is fit for the world we live in today and the future: beautiful and sustainable. No compromises.Each decision we make is a symbol of our commitment to defining what the future of fashion looks like. From never using leather or fur and pioneering new alternative materials to utilising cutting-edge technologies, pushing towards circularity, protecting ancient and endangered forests and measuring our impact with ground-breaking tools.

GAP

Create emotional connections with customers around the world through inspiring product design, unique store experiences and competitive marketing.

Urban Outfitters

Lifestyle merchandising is our business and our passion. The goal for our brands is to build a strong emotional bond with the customer. To do this we must build lifestyle environments that appeal emotionally, and offer fashion correct products on a timely basis. Our customers are the reason and inspiration for everything we do.

Nike

To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.

H&M

Our vision is to use our size and scale to lead the change towards a circular and renewable fashion industry, all while being a fair and equal company.

How to write a meaningful mission statement.

I have tried to make this as simple and strategic as possible for you by creating a short printable workbook. This workbook will help you to look at your business in depth, figure out your real values, your USP and your goals and objectives. It will help to get your mind thinking about all the areas of your business and help you to start finding your keywords so you can write the perfect mission statement for your brand.

Many guides on writing a mission statement will say to conclude the following:

1. What the company does for its customers
2. What the company does for its employees
3. What the company does for its owners

This is great to bear in mind and answer the questions if you can, however if you are a startup this might not actually be at the centre of your mission statement, you may not yet have employees, I will approach the subject in what I believe to be a more creative manner that whilst allowing you to express your vision will allow you to pivot if necessary, and really nail down the vision and values that are at the centre of your brand. The writing a mission statement workbook will guide you through the process of establishing your brands best mission statement yet!

Please comment below and let me know how helpful the workbook was, and don’t forget to share your mission statement with us!

Mission Statement 

WORKBOOK

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Author

Kerrie is the founder of Fashion Marketing Thread, helping fashion startups with their marketing needs. With an entrepreneurial background, Kerrie’s strategic thinking and knowledge in the innovative world of fashion marketing is an asset to any new brand. Needless to say, she’s a fashion lover and serious shopper. A single mum to two teenagers Kerrie knows how to keep all the balls in the air. Alongside this, she is a sun worshiper, boat lover, Balleric traveller and believes in veggie power. But most of all Kerrie is totally passionate about helping fashion startups.