How to craft the perfect Vision Statement for your small business

Your small business vision statement should answer this question:
How is the world made better because of your small business?

Are you currently running your small business without a vision statement? You’re not alone.

In the early days of the summer I had the opportunity to serve as communications coordinator for the evening during the Honoring Our Black Wall Streets Business Mixer & Chat, a kick-off event ahead of the annual Summer of Soul series by Africatown Community Land Trust. The purpose of the event was to bring Black business leaders together to connect and share resources, ideas, and encouragement. My role behind the scenes also gave me a front-row seat to receive some incredible wisdom.

The keynote speaker for the evening was the esteemed Luis Rudd of Ezell’s Famous Chicken. He shared the incredible story of Ezell’s beginning, the challenges they faced early on, and the many ways community in the Central District of Seattle and beyond participated in making Ezell’s the beacon it is today. You may have heard of Rudd’s R.U.B.B. Initiative, a program designed to financially empower Black-owned businesses in the Pacific Northwest.

Mr. Rudd made time to take a few questions after he shared.

He called on Mr. Wyking Garrett who asked, “What do you see as the future for Black businesses here in Seattle?”

Without a pause, Mr. Rudd gestured toward the room full of leaders and said, “This right here, times a thousand. Times ten thousand. I see you, all of you, thriving and expanding your businesses so that our Black young people see their futures here, thriving too.”

Then he came back with a question for the audience. He asked, “Maybe you’ve heard this before, but let me ask you, do you know the hardest target to hit?”

Some murmurs came from the audience, people giving their best guesses, “Maybe a moving target? A small target?” some whispered.

“An invisible target,” Mr. Rudd said, “It is impossible to hit an invisible target. How many of you have a Vision Statement for your business? I mean, you have it written down?”

Many hands went up, some hands did not.

“Your Vision Statement is the target, and if you haven’t taken the time to write it down and make it clear, you will never hit that invisible target. Our vision for Ezell’s is simple; We want to make it as easy for you to get an Ezell’s Chicken Sandwich as it is to get a Big Mac anywhere in the world. Now, are we there yet? We’re not. But that vision informs how we do business today, it helps us keep an eye on setting up the framework so that it can happen in the future. So, what is your vision for your business? If you haven’t written it down yet and shared it with others, I think that’s a great next step.”

What makes a powerful and effective vision statement?

Clarity.

Your vision statement should paint a picture in the minds of those who hear it about the future you are working to create. Other people should be able to see it, imagine it, right alongside you. What have you given them to imagine? How will the world be better because you accomplished your mission, creating your vision?

What is the difference between a Mission Statement and a Vision Statement?

Your Mission Statement declares who you are, describes the problem you solve, and the people you solve problems for.

Your Vision Statement is future-oriented and describes the positive impact your small business will have on the world when you accomplish your mission.

When Mr. Lewis Rudd of Ezell’s Famous Chicken shared the aspirational vision for the company he co-founded, the statement that drives their business and informs their current processes, it was so clear I could see it with my mind’s eye. His vision? To make it as easy to get an Ezell’s Chicken Sandwich anywhere in the world as it is to get a Big Mac.

Is your vision this clear?

I spent the rest of the summer drafting and seeking feedback, and even a weekend retreat with some of the women I admire most, just to get as clear as possible on my own Mission, Vision, and Values for Michelle Peterson Marketing. Let me know what you think and reach out if you need help clarifying your own Vision and Mission Statements for your small business.

Learn more about Africatown Community Land Trust’s Building Black Wall Street Mixer + Chat - Converge Media

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