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@media(min-width: 1024px){.css-hqxvux{max-width:100%;}} 22 vision statement examples to help you write your own.

When launching a startup, founders typically have an idea of what they want to achieve — a vision of what success will look like. During the strategic planning process, it’s important to put this vision into concrete terms. Not only does a vision statement clarify your thoughts, but it helps employees and stakeholders understand what the business has set out to accomplish. No matter what the business, a good mission and vision statement can inspire and motivate employees to make that vision a reality.

Whether it’s your first or fifth business, writing a compelling vision statement can be challenging. Below, we'll share how to write a vision statement — one that inspires your employees and positively impacts your business — and we'll look at a few vision statement examples to help you get started. 

What is a vision statement? 

A personal mission statement and personal vision statement can be used to guide our decision-making and help us stay focused to meet our long-term goals. Company statements are no different. A company vision statement is one of your most important business documents, along with your mission statement and core values. Although it’s easy to confuse the three, each one is unique and serves its own purpose. 

Core values are the organization’s long-term beliefs and principles that guide employee behavior. A mission statement deals with “why” an organization exists, while a vision statement outlines “what” that existence will eventually look like. A mission statement has to do with what the organization is doing in the present, while a vision statement focuses on the future. Mission statement examples include L’Oreal’s “Offering all women and men worldwide the best of cosmetics innovation in terms of quality, efficacy, and safety.” Conversely, Disney’s vision for itself is “to be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information.”

Primarily intended for internal employees and shareholders, a vision statement describes what an organization aspires to be. It helps to think of a vision statement as part roadmap, part inspiration. By outlining a long-term vision, rather than just short-term goals, a vision statement helps give the organization shape and purpose. 

Why it’s important to have a vision statement.

Despite the importance of a vision statement, many companies choose to operate without one. Some simply combine their mission and vision into one general document. Others do away with the idea altogether, thinking that corporate visions are vague statements that serve no actual purpose. 

Furthermore, studies show that highly aligned organizations grow revenue 58% faster, and are 72% more profitable than ones that are unaligned. If an organization doesn’t have a vision or a clear idea of what it wants, it will greatly limit its opportunities and have a difficult time inspiring employees to stay committed.  

How to write a vision statement.

Writing a vision statement may seem like a daunting task. It’s read by every employee and shareholder, and greatly impacts the success of the organization. And a vision statement takes time and thought. When done well, a vision statement can provide the encouragement your company needs to achieve its goals. To streamline the process, keep the following steps in mind while crafting your vision statement:

1. Determine who will help write your vision statement.

When starting out, it’s likely you and your partners will be responsible for writing your company’s vision statement. Once you start hiring, you can ask managers and employees to contribute additional insights. Interviewing a range of individuals will help create a vision statement that integrates and speaks directly to the entire organization. 

2. Project your goals for the future.

Imagine your company five or ten years down the line. The outcome you envision — your dream for the future, your success as a company — should be captured in the vision statement. Keep in mind that the statement should only include the vision, not an actual step-by-step plan for implementing solutions. 

The following questions can help you clarify your vision: 

• Where do we want the organization to go? 
• What can we realistically achieve?
• What problem does the organization intend to solve?
• What are the changes we believe the organization can make for individuals? For the industry? 
• How will things be different if the vision is realized?
• What phrases or keywords describe the type of organization and outcome we want?

3. Stick to the specifics.

A generic vision statement — one that sounds like it could apply to any company — will not be enough to motivate your team. Vision works best when it’s specific and describes an end goal only your organization can provide. Don’t be afraid to dream big. A lukewarm vision will only yield lukewarm results. So it’s important to be bold, and even risky, when writing your vision statement. 

4. Keep it short and simple.

While it should be specific, a vision statement shouldn’t be overly detailed. It should be concise. Start by jotting down all of your ideas, and then pare those down to the essentials. Keeping just one or two key points helps create a clear vision that’s easy for everyone to focus on and fulfill. Stay away from technical terms and jargon, and use the present tense. Rather than trying to write something catchy, aim for clarity. A great vision statement works best when it’s simple, memorable, and inspirational. 

Revisit your vision often as your company evolves.

A vision statement sets an organization’s sights on the future. However, once that future is reached, the vision needs to continue moving forward. Your vision statement is a living document, not a set of static sentences. It plays an important part in your overall strategic plan for a certain time frame. It should therefore be regularly updated to reflect your organization’s current purpose. 

Constantly communicate your vision.

Once you have a vision statement that articulates your end goal, make sure it’s clearly communicated. A vision is more effective when your entire organization takes it to heart. Commit the proper resources and time toward realizing the vision you’ve set. This can mean investing in seminars and training or launching a new product. It can also include offering the lowest possible prices, entering new markets, or exploring other areas of opportunity. A good way to help everyone align with a company's vision statement is by inviting them into the process. Ask for employees’ input, and suggest ways to incorporate the vision into their work. Then, make sure to recognize or reward individuals for their standout contributions.

Vision statement examples.

Sometimes, seeing what works for notable companies is just the inspiration you need to create your own vision statement. Below are some inspiring vision statements from today’s top companies:

Concept-based vision statements.

Some vision statements are based on concepts of what the company hopes to be or achieve in the future. This can be a general statement focused on customers, or a position the company wants to hold within the industry. Below are a few examples of concept-based vision statements:

• BBC: “To be the most creative organization in the world”
• Disney: “To make people happy.”
• Google: “To provide access to the world’s information in one click”
• IKEA: “To create a better everyday life for the many people”
• Instagram: “Capture and share the world’s moments”
• LinkedIn: "Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce”
• Microsoft: “To help people throughout the world realize their full potential”
• Nike: “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world”
• Oxfam: “A just world without poverty”
• Shopify: “To make commerce better for everyone”
• Sony: "To be a company that inspires and fulfills your curiosity.”
• TED: “Spread ideas”
• Tesla: “To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy”
• Uber: “We ignite opportunity by setting the world in motion”
• Whole Foods : “To nourish people and the planet.”

Quality-based vision statements.

Other common vision statements are focused on internal goals. These include the type of products and services the company hopes to provide as they grow. Quality-based vision statements can also relate to company culture and operations. The following are some examples from actual United States companies in different industries:

• Amazon: “Our vision is to be earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online.”
• Avon: “ To be the company that best understands and satisfies the product, service, and self-fulfillment needs of women—globally.”
• Ben & Jerry’s: “Making the best ice cream in the nicest possible way”
• Ford: “People working together as a lean, global enterprise to make people’s lives better through automotive and mobility leadership.” 
• IBM: “To be the world’s most successful and important information technology company. Successful in helping our customers apply technology to solve their problems. Successful in introducing this extraordinary technology to new customers. Important because we will continue to be the basic resource of much of what is invested in this industry.”
• McDonald’s: “To move with velocity to drive profitable growth and become an even better McDonald’s serving more customers delicious food each day around the world.”
• Nordstrom: “To serve our customers better, to always be relevant in their lives, and to form lifelong relationships”
• Starbucks: “To establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow.” 
• Warby Parker: “We believe that buying glasses should be easy and fun. It should leave you happy and good-looking, with money in your pocket. We also believe that everyone has the right to see.”
• Zappos: “To provide the best customer service possible. Deliver 'WOW' through service”

Keep a clear vision.

Even if it’s just a few sentences, a vision statement provides a lot of value. Not only does it outline the company’s desired outcome, but it can communicate intentions and hopes for the future. The best part is that a vision statement changes with your organization. When a vision is reached or updated, it’s time to create a new vision statement. This encourages everyone toward greater goals, and opens your company to more possibilities.

@media(min-width: 1024px){.css-hqxvux{max-width:100%;}} Ready to bring your vision to life? Brex can help.

20 Powerful Vision Statement Examples for Success in 2023

Key takeaways.

Starting a business can be an exciting undertaking, reaping many promises of reward and economic benefit. Amidst this motivation and excitement, the temptation to jump right in and get started can be overwhelming. Navigating the new waters of a business successfully, however, requires thoughtful planning and strategy. You can be easily knocked off-course by the waves of uncertainty if you don’t know where you’re going, even if you have some of the finest tools and sailors. 

What Is a Vision Statement?

A vision statement is an organization’s guiding description of future objectives. The vision statement communicates what the organization’s existence strives to accomplish. Goals and strategies outlined within the mission statement lean on the vision statement for direction and alignment.

How Does a Vision Statement Differ From a Mission Statement?

A vision statement communicates future aspirations. Where does the organization want to be in ten years? What is it that the organization is working toward achieving? Rather than providing detailed plans, vision statements serve as a light post that inspires and guides actions. 

Examples of Vision Statements vs. Mission Statements

Vision Statement: “Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.”

Mission Statement: “To connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.”

Vision Statement: “To make the best products on earth and to leave the world better than we found it.” 

Southwest Airlines

Vision Statement: “To be the world’s most loved, most efficient, and most profitable airline.”

What Are the Key Components of a Good Vision Statement?

The purpose of a vision statement is to communicate an organization’s mission and direction to both internal and external stakeholders. To do this effectively, it must contain several key components.

A good vision statement:

Things to Avoid When Writing a Vision Statement

How to write a vision statement in 5 steps, 1. get clear on your “why”.

Identifying your organization’s “why” for existing is the first step in determining how to create a vision . In Start with Why , leadership and business expert Simon Sinek shares, “Very few people or companies can clearly articulate why they do what they do. By why, I mean your purpose, cause, or belief.” Yet, identifying and articulating your organization’s purpose is critical to its success. This is because people connect—as consumers, partners, clients, or employees—with organizations they trust and understand. Without clarity of purpose, there can be no trust or understanding. 

2. Visualize the Future

Questions to ask yourself while visualizing:

3. Draft Your Statement

The vision statement for Adidas, for example, is “To be the design leaders with a focus on getting the best out of the athletes with performance-guaranteed products in the sports market globally.”

4. Revise for Clarity

5. implement, communicate, and intentionally restate it.

Tips for communicating your vision statement:

5 Best Practices for Writing a Vision Statement

Top 20 vision statement examples, 3. make-a-wish.

“To build Calm into one of the most valuable and meaningful brands of the 21st century.”

9. Facebook

12. netflix, 13. habitat for humanity, 16. pandora music, 18. planet fitness, 19. audible, get started on your vision statement today.

“Business as usual produces predictable results. But if you want something fresh, something new, that takes vision. Greatness only happens by design.” Michael Hyatt , The vision driven leader

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How to Write a Business Plan Mission and Vision Statement [Sample Template]

Are you currently writing a business plan? If YES, here’s an in-depth guide and sample template on how to write a workable mission & vision statement for a business. A vision and mission statement are some of the most important requisite for business success and sustainability, but unfortunately, most entrepreneurs and small business owners run their business without these two thing out of ignorance.

What is a Mission and Vision Statement?

A mission and vision statement ( more commonly called a mission statement or a vision statement ) is a brief sentence that declares the goals that a business plans to achieve in the future. Like a compass guides a ship, it guides a business to success by providing continuously inspiring its stakeholders in their daily operations and strategic moves.

A mission statement helps you plan your business effectively. It provides the destination for your journey to business success. Of course, without a destination, you can’t plan a route. Before we discuss the steps involved in developing a mission statement for your business, let’s look at the components of a mission statement and why you really need a mission statement for your business.

Today, I will be sharing with you an underground secret to building a business from scratch. This secret is one of the contributing factors to the success of any business; yet, it’s often ignored. This secret is nothing more than a “ Business Mission Statement. ”

“The thing I really care about is the mission; making the world open.” – Mark Zuckerberg

The importance of a mission statement can never be over emphasized. I have seen so many startups without a mission; even some established firms also make the mistake of operating without a mission.

“Being an entrepreneur, I have come to realize that all successful businesses are driven by three fundamentals. One is the cash flow, two is the team and three is the mission. Of these three, the mission is the most important.” – Ajaero Tony Martins

Now what has a mission statement got to do with building a business? What’s the impact of a mission statement on an entrepreneur undergoing the entrepreneurial process? Is a mission statement a source of ? While I am not going to answer these questions directly, the following points will help you further understand why you need to develop a mission statement for your business?

Why Your Business needs a Mission Statement

1. The mission is the foundation on which your business will be built. It’s the true purpose of your business and that purpose is reflected in the mission statement. Without a strong mission statement, you don’t have a true business. All you have is just a profit making venture that will soon be wiped out with time.

“To turn really interesting ideas and fledging ideas into a company that can continue to innovate for years, it requires a lot of disciplines.” – Steve Jobs

2. The entrepreneurial spirit is found in the mission statement. When I look at the mission statement of any business, I get a peep into the life of the entrepreneur that founded that business. The entrepreneurial spirit is what drives the entrepreneur forward. If the mission is strong, your spirit will be strong towards the pursuit of your goal.

“The IKEA spirit is strong and living reality. Simplicity in our behavior gives us strength. Simplicity and humbleness characterize us in our relations with each others, our suppliers and our customers.” – Ingvar Kamprad

3. Your mission statement is the bond binding you, your team, employees and your customers to the business. Take away the mission and other key elements will fall apart. Your mission also has the power to attract other like-minded individuals and entities to your cause. The reason is that people with the same mission align together; more like birds of the same feather flocking together.

4. With a strong mission, your business will weather any storm. Take a look at businesses that has been around for over 100 years and you will see businesses with a strong mission. As an example:

• General Electric has stood the test of time because the spirit of its founder “ Thomas Edison ” continues to guide the company through its mission.
• Henry Ford’s mission statement was: “ To democratize the automobile ” and that mission has kept the Ford Motor Company going.
• Aliko Dangote’s mission statement goes: “ Providing your basic need ” and this mission drives the Dangote Group to dominate the commodities market of
• The Rich Dad Company; founded by Robert Kiyosaki keeps waxing strong because of its mission, which is “ To elevate the financial well being of humanity .”

By contrast; I have come to observe that when a company forgets its mission, its starts to lose its relevance. The bond holding the business will be broken and good customers will leave, employees will resign and the business will dwindle. Just as the case of the Dot com burst, many profitable Dot com companies went under because they forgot their mission.

3 Components of a Mission and Vision Statement

1.  a vision.

This, simply put, states the impact you envision your business having on the world in years to come. You can have more than a single statement in here, but don’t go beyond three. Gloss it over to make sure anyone who reads it feels at least one of inspiration, hope, commitment, and awe.

In addition, your vision statement must be compelling, detailed, and reflective of the intended end outcome. Avoid one that is bland, generic, uninspiring, or unreasonable. An example of a good vision statement is that of Amazon:

“Our vision is to be earth’s most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.”

2.  A mission statement

This is a brief statement that states the important goal or purpose that your business is poised to achieve. In other words, it’s a single sentence stating why your business exists in a convincing manner. Keep your mission statement specific and concise ( the shorter it is, the better ), make it connect with both employees and stakeholders, and make it highlight your value proposition. Don’t make it too long, generic, or confusing. An example of a good mission statement is that of Nike:

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

Here’s another example of a mission statement:

“To contribute to development of value-added agricultural businesses . ”

3. Core values

These outline the principles and values that the stakeholders in a business will follow in their bid to achieve their vision. They also specify the bounds or limits that the stakeholders must watch while trying to actualize the mission. The following are examples of core values:

• Respect and protect the environment
• Offer high quality products that are safe for consumers
• Meet the ever-changing needs of consumers
• Practice highly ethical business standards

If your business is going to stand the test of time, then you will have to build it upon a strong mission. With the above in mind, let’s now look at the steps involved in developing a mission and visions statement.

How to Write a Mission and Vision Statement for a Business Plan

Please bear in mind that you are learning as much of yourself each day as you are about your customer. So, don’t feel that anything you state here is etched in stone and cannot be changed. The more you understand your customer and the market, the more necessary it would become for you to shift grounds accordingly. But you need to state here what you have to offer at the moment. This will be a starting point for any changes you may need to effect later ( as your business grows ).

1.  Sit down in a quiet spot and reflect upon your thoughts

Ask yourself what drives you forward? What keeps you motivated? When you have figured out the answer to these questions, put it down in writing.

2.  Ask yourself how best you can serve your customers

What will your business stand for in the heart of your customers? What will be the ultimate benefit your customers can derive from your business? When you figure the answer to these questions out, put it down in writing.

3. Brainstorm for your vision statement

The vision is the most important component of your mission statement. Simply put, this is a picture or idea of what you plan to achieve in future . A vision statement is always concise and easy to remember, and for this reason, every stakeholder in a business can easily focus on it; and their decisions and activities are directed towards achieving the vision. Here is a good example of a vision statement:

“ Creating a vibrant rural economy driven by value-added agriculture. “

Once you get one down, then getting other components becomes very easy. To find the best vision statement for your business, simply ask yourself the question, “Why does this business exist?” Present answers from various angles, and you will find your mission statement among them.

4.  Get down your mission statement

As stated earlier, your mission statement is that action sentence that describes how you will achieve your vision. Finding this is much easier once you have found your vision statement. If you are stuck, just do it this way: If your vision is “A diabetes-free society” , then simply add the word “ To ” and another suitable verb to convert it to an action sentence. And there you will have your mission statement.

Using the same vision, you will get “To bring about a diabetes-free society .” You can go further by tweaking it, so that you will have something like: “To manufacture products that can cure diabetes effectively and permanently.” You get it now?

5.  List your core values

First off, you need to clarify your values. This means taking into account all the various stakeholders that your business is ( or will be ) accountable to—including investors, customers, employees, and suppliers. Now, consider how you would like to ideally conduct business with each of these stakeholders. Start making a list and your core values should start to emerge.

These are the various steps you will follow in your quest to achieve your vision. Brainstorm for as many as possible, list them down, and the prune your list down to as few as possible without leaving out any important ones. Now, let’s look at some additional tips that you will need to keep in mind when preparing your mission and vision statement.

4 Extra Success Tips for Developing a Business Plan Mission and Vision Statement

• Your mission statement must be brief and simple. Being succinct as demanded by a mission statement isn’t easy. And you may need to go through several hours of tweaking and editing before arriving at the perfect sentence. Though short, your mission statement must capture the very essence of what your business plans to achieve. The fewer words the better. Use just only the few words needed to pass the message without leaving out any vital details.
• Your mission statement must be in tune with your vision, and both sentences must blend to form a single thought.
• There’s no rule that says you must get it perfectly at once. You can keep review your mission statement later, if necessary.
• Your mission and vision statements must give the reader an insight, a covert one, at least into what you offer. This is more important if the name of your business doesn’t suggest what products or services you’re offering.

If you follow the guidelines I shared in this post, you will prepare a perfect vision and mission statement that will drive your business to success. Now I want you to know that no one can help you develop a mission statement. You alone can develop your mission and as a final note, it’s worthwhile you know that of the entire business system, the mission is the most important.

• Go to Chapter 8 Part C: Writing your Business Plans Goals and Objectives
• Go Back to Chapter 7 : H ow to Write a Business Plan Executive Summary
• Go Back to Introduction and Table of Content

More on Business Plans

Difference Between Mission and Vision Statements: 25 Examples

• Written By Britt Skrabanek
• Updated: August 13, 2024

Mission. Vision. Values. 

You’ve probably heard that phrase (or something similar) a thousand times. But they’re actually three distinct concepts.

The lines especially blur between mission and vision. And when it comes to the drive and direction of your company, it’s essential to know their distinction from one another. So what’s the real difference between mission and vision statements?

In this in-depth guide, we’ll compare and contrast mission and vision statements. We’ll break down each one’s definition and then discuss the best 25 brand examples that demonstrate their differences. Through that, you’ll be able to better understand and define your company’s essence and direction with confidence and clarity.

The Difference Between a Mission and Vision Statement

This is the easiest way to break it down:

• The mission statement focuses on today and what the organization does to achieve it.
• The vision statement focuses on tomorrow and what the organization wants to become.

While companies commonly use mission and vision statements interchangeably, it’s important to have both. Because having purpose and meaning is critical for any business, one doesn’t work without the other.

What is a Mission Statement?

Your mission statement drives the company. It’s the core of the business. From it stems your company’s objectives and what it takes to reach those objectives. Ultimately, it shapes your company’s entire culture.

Mission statement questions look like:

• What do we do?
• Whom do we serve?
• How do we serve them?

This trickle-down effect of a mission statement confirms its value at any company. A solid mission sets up your content operations for success by starting your team all at the same place and motivating them to work together to reach the same end goal.

On the other hand, a weak mission — or no mission at all — can have the opposite effect. Picture this: silos, miscommunications, flailing, feeling unmotivated. And, imagine what that does to a company. Scary, right?

For content marketers

Your content marketing strategy supports your company’s mission statement — think of it as the HOW of what you do.  It helps keep you on track. Through it, you stay true to your brand and your goals. Every piece of content you create should be rooted in your mission statement, from the tone of voice to the call to action .

What is a Vision Statement?

Your vision statement gives the company direction. It is the future of the business, which then provides the purpose.

The vision statement is aspirational- it’s about what you want to become.

Vision statement questions look like:

• What are our hopes and dreams?
• What problem are we solving for the greater good?
• Who and what are we inspiring to change?

The vision statement promotes growth, both internally and externally. A strong vision helps teams focus on what matters the most for their company. It also invites innovation. A purpose-driven company envisions success as a whole because they know what success means for their company.

On the flip side, a lack of vision is a road to nowhere for a business. Imagine this: stagnation, outdated processes, moving without purpose, feeling uninspired. Can a company even survive without a clear vision? You know the answer to that one.

The content vision supports the company’s vision statement — it’s the WHY of what you do. This helps you stay forward-thinking, true to your beliefs, and true to your purpose. Every piece of content you dream up should fly high with your vision statement, from the inception of an eBook to the lofty blog traffic milestone.

Brands That Get It: 25 Mission and Vision Statement Examples

So, what do great mission and vision statements actually look like? Here are 25 companies that get them right, with the brand loyalty to prove it.

Mission: To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.

Vision: To create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world’s transition to electric vehicles.

Why it works:  What better word than “accelerate” in a mission to serve as the driving force behind what Tesla does. While boldly stating “best in the century” reflects loftier dreams in the vision.

Mission:  We strive to offer our customers the lowest possible prices, the best available selection, and the utmost convenience.

Vision:  To be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online.

Why it works:  Amazon’s mission is cut-and-dry about what it offers to customers. The vision takes the offerings further, saying their company will offer “anything” customers want.

Mission:   We’re in business to save our home planet.

Vision: A love of wild and beautiful places demands participation in the fight to save them and to help reverse the steep decline in the overall environmental health of our planet.

Why it works: Patagonia’s mission and vision statements show a deep commitment to improving lives and saving the planet through its products. They do a great job of using the Noble Edge Effect .

Mission:  Spread ideas.

Vision: We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives, and, ultimately, the world.

Why it works:  The TED mission to “spread ideas” is a simple demonstration of how they serve. The vision is all about impact, and how spreading ideas invokes change in the world.

Mission:  To connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.

Vision:  To create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.

Why it works:  LinkedIn succinctly captures what they do (connect) and who they serve (the world’s professionals) in their mission. While the vision encompasses every working person in the world.

Mission:   To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.

Vision:  To provide access to the world’s information in one click.

Why it works:  Google may seem complex, but its mission clarifies that organization and accessibility are what they offer. Their vision statement is about improving accessibility in the future “in one click.”

Mission:  We reimagine the way the world moves for the better.

Vision:  Smarter transportation with fewer cars and greater access. Transportation that’s safer, cheaper, and more reliable; transportation that creates more job opportunities and higher incomes for drivers.

Why it works:  Uber “transports,” so it is the perfect actionable verb for their mission. The vision dives deeper into how their transportation services exist for the greater good of everyone.

Mission: To create a world where anyone can belong anywhere, and we are focused on creating an end-to-end travel platform that will handle every part of your trip.

Vision: Belong everywhere.

Why it works: The Airbnb mission says, “We help you feel at home,” while encapsulating the company’s goals for the future. They explore a deeper sense of belonging in the vision, tapping into the universal human desire their company aims for.

Mission: Delight our customers, employees, and shareholders by relentlessly delivering the platform and technology advancements that become essential to the way we work and live.

Vision:  If it is smart and connected, it is best with Intel.

Why it works: Intel promises to deliver the most technologically advanced products in its mission. Their vision uses more boastful language, illustrating great confidence in the future of their solutions.

Mission:  We build cars, symbols of Italian excellence the world over, and we do so to win on both road and track. Unique creations that fuel the Prancing Horse legend and generate a “World of Dreams and Emotions.”

Vision:  Ferrari, Italian Excellence that makes the world dream.

Why it works:  “We build to win” in Ferrari’s mission focuses on the strength and quality of their product. In this ambitious vision, their cars will reach the pinnacle of “Italian Excellence.”

Mission: Our mission is to empower entrepreneurs everywhere, making opportunities more inclusive for all.

Vision: Our vision is to radically shift the global economy toward independent entrepreneurial ventures.

Why it works: GoDaddy positions itself as the entrepreneur’s champion, making opportunity and success attainable for all.

Caterpillar

Mission: To provide the best value to customers, grow a profitable business, develop and reward people, and encourage social responsibility.

Vision: Be the global leader in customer value.

Why it works: Caterpillar explains both their “how” and their “why” in their mission statement: By providing affordable and high-quality products to customers, they will continue to grow their business, recognize and reward employees, and make a positive impact on the environment. Their vision reaffirms their commitment to providing value.

Mission:  To attract and attain customers with high-valued products and services and the most satisfying ownership experience in America.

Vision:  To be the most successful and respected car company in America.

Why it works:  Toyota’s mission and vision statements demonstrate what they are known for: products and services. Even in a highly competitive industry, their vision states that they will become the best car company in the country.

Mission: We will devote our human resources and technology to creating superior products and services, thereby contributing to a better global society.

Vision: To inspire the world with our innovative technologies, products, and designs that enrich people’s lives and contribute to social prosperity by creating a new future.

Why it works: Samsung wants to improve people’s lives by creating exceptional and innovative products, which they make clear in both their mission and vision statements.

Mission:  To empower and engage people around the world to collect and develop educational content under a free license or in the public domain, and to disseminate it effectively and globally.

Vision:  Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. That’s our commitment.

Why it works:  Wikimedia’s mission motivates its team to move toward a common goal of empowerment and engagement. Their vision paints a future world where their company’s commitment makes a lasting impact.

Mission:  To be the world’s favorite destination for discovering great value and unique selection.

Vision:  Our vision for commerce is one that is enabled by people, powered by technology, and open to everyone.

Why it works: When you break eBay’s mission and vision statements down, you see that eBay’s mission uses “destination” to show their virtual company as a real place people come to. An ongoing focus on people and technology gets into the “why” of their vision.

Mission:  Offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.

Vision: To create a better everyday life for many people.

Why it Works:  The mission here focuses on the functionality of IKEA’s products and the affordability of their customers. In the vision, the IKEA team has a true sense of purpose in “creating a better everyday life.”

Mission: Shape the future of the internet by creating unprecedented value and opportunity for our customers, employees, investors, and ecosystem partners.

Vision:  Changing the way we work, live, play, and learn.

Why it works:  Cisco decided to blend its mission and vision statements. Language like “shape the future” is more vision-oriented, but the mission talks about the people they serve.

Mission:  A company that inspires and fulfills your curiosity.

Vision: Using our unlimited passion for technology, content, and services to deliver groundbreaking new excitement and entertainment, as only Sony can.

Why it works:  Sony gives a customer-focused touch to its mission by using “your.” The “unlimited passion” and “groundbreaking entertainment” messaging in their vision demonstrate innovation.

Southwest Airlines

Mission: The mission of Southwest Airlines is a dedication to the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit.

Vision: To be the world’s most loved, most efficient, and most profitable airline.

Why it works:  Southwest Airlines tells us right up front that quality customer service is their mission. Their vision is highly aspirational across the board in saying they want to be “the most” of everything.

Mission: Our mission is to provide insightful solutions that drive value and success for our clients by allowing them to focus on their business.

Vision:  Be the world’s authority on helping organizations focus on what matters.

Why it works: ADP puts its clients at the forefront of its mission and vision statements. After all, their clients’ success is what makes them successful.

Kaiser Permanente

Mission: Kaiser Permanente exists to provide high-quality, affordable healthcare services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve.

Vision:  We are trusted partners in total health, collaborating with people to help them thrive and creating communities that are among the healthiest in the nation.

Why it works:  Saying “exist” sounds more like a vision statement, but the rest of the mission says what Kaiser Permanente does. In the vision, “thrive” and “healthiest” are big words that show their impact.

Mission:  The mission of Coinbase is to create an open financial system for the world.

Vision:  Digital currency will bring about more innovation, efficiency, and equality of opportunity in the world by creating an open financial system.

Why it works:  Coinbase didn’t sugarcoat what they do in their mission statement, did they? And, in the vision, their message speaks well to the change their company will bring one day.

Mission:  To give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.

Vision:  People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what’s going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them.

Why it works:  Facebook’s mission is focused on the community their platform promises. Their vision talks about why community matters, interweaving how they will “bring the world closer together” from the mission.

Whole Foods

Mission: Our purpose is to nourish people and the planet. We’re a purpose-driven company that aims to set the standards of excellence for food retailers. Quality is a state of mind at Whole Foods Market.

Vision: Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet.

Why it works:  This mission uses repetition throughout to reinforce the quality that Whole Foods is known for. Making everything “whole” in their vision binds their company to a set of beliefs that they complete people’s lives.

More Mission Statements From Top Brands:

• Adidas — To be the best sports company in the world.
• CalArts — CalArts is a multidisciplinary community of artists. Our ongoing educational endeavor is grounded in openness, experimentation, critical engagement, and creative freedom. Through artistic practice, we transform ourselves, each other, and the world.
• Coca-Cola — To refresh the world in mind, body, and spirit; to inspire moments of optimism and happiness through our brands and actions; to create value and make a difference.
• Dunkin’ Donuts — Everything we do is about you. From chefs who create exciting new flavors to crew members who know exactly how you want your drink—we prioritize what you need to get you on your way. We strive to keep you at your best, and we remain loyal to you, your tastes, and your time. That’s what America runs on.
• Goodwill — Goodwill works to enhance people’s dignity and quality of life by strengthening their communities, eliminating their barriers to opportunity, and helping them reach their full potential through learning and the power of work.
• L’Oréal — L’Oréal has set itself the mission of offering all women and men worldwide the best of cosmetics innovation in terms of quality, efficacy, and safety. By meeting the infinite diversity of beauty needs and desires all over the world.
• McDonald’s — Our mission is to make delicious feel-good moments easy for everyone.
• The Met — The mission of The Metropolitan Museum of Art is to collect, preserve, study, exhibit, and stimulate appreciation for and advance knowledge of works of art that collectively represent the broadest spectrum of human achievement at the highest level of quality, all in the service of the public and in accordance with the highest professional standards.
• Microsoft — Our mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more.
• MIT — The mission of MIT is to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century.
• NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) — NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.
• Nike — Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. *If you have a body, you are an athlete.
• Northwestern University  — Northwestern is committed to excellent teaching, innovative research, and the personal and intellectual growth of its students in a diverse academic community.
• Oprah Winfrey Network — OWN’s mission is to create multiple platforms for women, men, and their families with a purpose and a passion: to celebrate life, inspire and entertain, empower viewers around the world to live their best lives, and by doing so, lift the lives of those around them in ever-widening circles.
• Pepsi — Create more smiles with every sip and every bite.
• Shopify — Making commerce better for everyone.
• Starbucks — To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.
• Target — To help all families discover the joy of everyday life.
• Walt Disney Company — The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds, and innovative technologies that make ours the world’s premier entertainment company.

Know Who You Are and Where You’re Going

The mission statement focuses on today and what we do, and the vision statement focuses on tomorrow and what we want to become. Both are important to a company’s survival.

Call it the essence, beating heart, or the defining characteristic — whatever you call it, make sure your mission and vision statements are clearly defined and understood for the sake of your content and your company.

Get a content mission and a content vision statement down on paper. Share it with your team members. Then you can measure your future content efforts against the two. Although they are not slogans or taglines themselves , they should definitely help inform them and all your content.

Knowing who you are and where you’re going is the foundation of an organization’s success. So, who are you? And, where are you going?

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35 Noteworthy Vision Statement Examples (+ Free Template)

The vision statement is the North Star of your overall company strategy, it is where you want to be as a business in the future. A good vision statement acts as motivation for employees and provides guidance on long-term goal setting.

Wondering why it matters? A McKinsey research reveals that nearly two-thirds of U.S.-based employees have reflected on their life purpose due to COVID-19. Additionally, nearly half are rethinking the type of work they do because of the pandemic. What can you get from unmotivated employees? Well, probably wasted money and slower business growth. But that's a story for another day.

Let's dive into this article, where you'll discover:

What Is A Vision Statement?

Why do you need a good vision statement, vision vs. mission statement: what's the difference, how to write a vision statement, tips for creating your own vision statement, 35 vision statements examples from top companies.

• Vision Statement Template And Resources

Turn Your Vision Into Reality With Cascade 🚀

Before we dive into our 35 vision statement examples list, let's cover the basics - if you already know this, just skip to the examples !

In short, a vision statement describes the desired future state of a business within a 5-10 year timeframe and guides the direction of the business's efforts. It is essentially the future objectives of a business . The vision statement is also the first step in building a highly-effective business strategic plan, since it sets the foundation to understand the direction of your business in the long-term.

While this is more of a general definition, let's dig a bit deeper into it by looking at the difference between a vision statement and a mission statement.

Do you think the company's vision statement is just fluff with its only purpose to look good in the “About Us” section on the website?

Well, we beg to differ, and so does Ryan Saundry, a General Manager in charge of Strategy & Value Creation at Asahi Beverages. Here's why he believes a vision statement is crucial for business:

"If you look at many of the great examples of super successful companies over the last 10,15 or 20 years, there's one thing they have in common. And that's a really simple, clear vision their business and people can understand and coalesce behind."

The reason why a good vision statement matters is that the people you are leading want to know the “why” behind your decision-making before they follow you.

If you are a disruptive business, your vision will have to be bigger and more badass than any other. And you need to figure it out to create engagement and followership from your stakeholders and team members.

On top of that, a vision statement plays an important role in the strategic planning process.

Vision statements have a directional role , meaning they guide the organization's plans and strategies. In other words, a clear vision acts as your North Star that helps you set strategic initiatives and objectives while keeping the focus on the big picture. That's why a vision statement should be a part of the company's every strategic plan.

When you think about an organization's vision statement, it's not just about the business goals and how to achieve them (that's more like a mission statement). It's about looking at the bigger picture. Take Kellogg's vision statement, for example: " A good and just world where people are not just fed but fulfilled. " They're not only talking about sales here or about being the #1 company in their industry. It's about how they want to make a positive impact on society and improve people's everyday life.

The bottom line is that people follow leaders with vision, and customers are loyal to companies with good vision statements that deeply resonate with them . That's why your company's vision shouldn't be just an afterthought. After all, a memorable and engaging vision statement engages your people emotionally, causing them to work around and through obstacles, and inspires change.

📽️ Must watch : We’re sure you’ve seen it already, BUT if you haven’t, Simon Sinek’s TED talk “ How great leaders inspire action ” is a great resource to understand the importance of your vision statement, and the “why” behind your organization.

If you hear 10 different people talking about mission and vision, you will most likely hear 10 different definitions. Taking a look at some of the websites and social media accounts, it's clear that many people confuse one for another. 

But here's how Anita Stubenrauch, ex-Apple creative veteran, explains why you shouldn't ignore the difference : 

Here's what's at stake: if we mistake mission for vision, we just might accomplish what we set out to do — and then stop there.

In other words, mistaking the vision for a mission statement might just stop your organization from achieving its true growth potential.

Let's settle this battle once and for all: 

• A vision statement is a long-term, idealistic state of the FUTURE that doesn't exist yet. It's an inspiring, rallying cry that invites everyone who believes in it to contribute and become a part of it. 
• A company's mission statement is how the company chooses to pursue its vision - like a roadmap . It is more specific and relates directly to the company's products and services.

Sometimes it's hard to find a company's vision statement either because they don't share it on their website or because they combine their mission and vision statements into one, or even because they communicate their vision as their mission - a classic mistake we've seen. This happens even with very well-known brands. So when you see these on a company's webpage, just think about the definition and you'll be able to tell - this is exactly what we did while researching to bring the list of 35 vision statement examples in this article.

Let's take a look at a few examples to illustrate the difference: 

Vision statement example: 

• LinkedIn's vision statement: “Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce”  

Mission statement example: 

• Google's mission statement: “Our mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.” 
• Walt Disney's mission statement: “The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds and innovative technologies that make ours the world's premier entertainment company.”

So, let's repeat the key difference. A vision statement outlines a company's future , while a good mission statement represents a roadmap that tells what the company will do to achieve its vision.

Here at Cascade , we've come across a LOT of vision statements while working with thousands of teams of all shapes and sizes, helping them execute strategies . Some of these vision statements are good, some are bad, and most come somewhere in between.

And that's why we outlined a step-by-step process that will help you craft your own vision statement.

You can check our complete guide on "How To Write A Vision Statement", but here's a short recap of each step:

Step 1 - The outcome

Start by being exceptionally clear about what it is your organization actually does. Be careful to remain outcome-focused rather than output-focused.

Step 2 - The twist

Identify your unique selling point (USP) and incorporate it into your vision statement. This twist differentiates your organization from others and highlights what makes you special.

Step 3 - The quantification

One of the common problems with vision statements is that they are too specific. If we return to the basic definition, your vision statement should be a long-term, idealistic state of the FUTURE that doesn't exist yet. That said - don't be too specific or apply metrics at this stage. 

You might want to refine your target audience or target market, but avoid adding financial projections or any numbers.

Step 4 - The human connection

One final trick you can apply to help make your company vision statement even more memorable is to add a real-life aspect. This will allow people to conjure up a solid mental image to associate with your vision statement.

Below is a vision statement example we've created for a fictional bakery place using our vision statement formula !

Vision Statement Example

Our vision is to "produce and sell locally sourced cakes and pies that are so delicious and satisfying that every customer who leaves our store does so with a smile ."

Can you imagine yourself standing in the middle of the bakery surrounded by the smell of fresh pastry, and with a smile on your face? We certainly can! And that's the whole point. Your vision should be imaginable and desirable, like the one above.

Here are a few things you should consider when you start writing down your company's vision statement: 

• Keep it short - max 2 sentences.
• It must be specific to your business and describe a unique outcome that only you can provide. 
• Use the present tense . 
• Keep it simple enough for people both inside and outside your organization to understand. No technical jargon, buzzwords, or metaphors.
• It should be ambitious enough to be exciting but not too ambitious that it seems unachievable. Here at Cascade, we recommend thinking 5 years into the future.
• Vision needs to align with the company's core values that you want your people to exhibit as they perform their work. 

Following these tips and best practices should give you a solid starting point for creating a great vision statement. 

👉🏻 Check out our step-by-step guide on how to write a vision statement.

💡Pro Tip: Writing your vision statement is an iterative process, so don't worry if you don't get it right on the first try. A helpful practice is to brainstorm with a diverse group, welcoming various perspectives and refining ideas until you capture the essence of your organization's aspirations.

There are many great vision statement examples that have become widely recognized because they have some pretty amazing companies behind them. You should keep in mind that these are just a starting point. There is much more to the creation process of these vision statements than meets the eye. 

Let's look at some popular company vision examples:

Microsoft is one of the world's most renowned technology companies. On their website, you will find their mission statement: "To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more."

However, based on the definition we discussed earlier, this statement aligns more closely with the characteristics of a vision statement. It is broad, aspirational, and future-oriented, describing an idealistic state of the future that Microsoft aims to create.

Amazon doesn't clearly communicate their vision statement on their website, but they weave it into their "Who we are" section - can you spot it?

Remember, a vision statement describes the company's future aspirations. In this case, Amazon's vision statement would be: "Amazon strives to be Earth's most customer-centric company, Earth's best employer, and Earth's safest place to work."

Tesla 's vision statement is "to create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world's transition to electric vehicles." This vision encapsulates Tesla's ambition to lead the automotive industry through innovation and sustainable energy solutions.

Interestingly, Tesla no longer communicates their vision statement on their website, although they used to. Instead, the first thing you see on their website is their mission statement: "to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy."

IKEA's vision statement, "to create a better everyday life for the many people," emphasizes inclusivity, accessibility, and practicality in their products, ensuring they enhance daily living for a broad audience. This broad vision allows IKEA to innovate, focus on sustainability, and offer affordable, well-designed home furnishings globally.

Lego 's vision emphasizes the importance of play in fostering creativity, imagination, and educational development among children and adults alike: “A global force for Learning-through-Play”. 

The brand structures its core elements in a comprehensive and cohesive manner, as shown in the image.

Patagonia stands out among companies for consistently aligning its actions with its mission, the company's core values, and company culture around sustainability. Their mission statement is “We're in business to save our home planet.” However, they don't have any official release on their vision statement. 

If we asked you what TED's vision is, you'd probably know or at least imagine it. That's because TED's vision statement is short and sweet: “Spread ideas.” Though it doesn't follow the secret formula we've shared, we can say it's definitely memorable.

LinkedIn's vision statement, "to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce," and their mission statement, "to connect the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful," complement each other seamlessly.

The vision sets a broad, ambitious goal of global economic empowerment, while the mission statement outlines the practical steps to achieve this—by connecting professionals, enhancing productivity, and driving success.

There is no official release of Starbucks ' vision statement, but here's one example of what it could look like: “To become the world's most beloved coffeehouse that creates moments of connection, transforming communities and enriching lives." 

For inspiration, we are also adding their official mission statement: “With every cup, with every conversation, with every community - we nurture the limitless possibilities of human connection.”

Disney 's vision statement is “to be one of the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information.” This vision sets a high bar for Disney’s future aspirations, aiming to position the company as a global leader.

By striving to be a top producer and provider, Disney's vision aligns with its mission statement to entertain, inform, and inspire.

Nike 's vision is “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world” - and here's the brilliance when they add the commentary below “*if you have a body, you're an athlete.”

McDonald's

This multinational fast-food chain's vision statement is “to be the favorite place and way to eat for our customers.” Their mission statement is “to make delicious feel-good moments easy for everyone.” FYI, although McDonald's does not communicate this vision on their global website, we found it on their McDonald's Spain website .

Coca-Cola 's vision statement is "to craft the brands and choice of drinks that people love, to refresh them in body & spirit." It makes sense, right? Just think about Coca-Cola's famous ads like “Open happiness,” and you'll instantly see how they're aligned with their vision.

This is a great example to talk about the difference between purpose and vision. Coca-Cola's purpose is “Refresh the world. Make a difference.” This is all about why they exist and the impact they want to have on the world. On the other hand, their vision is about where they want to go and what they aspire to achieve in the future.

Together, these statements drive Coca-Cola's strategic direction and brand identity.

Netflix's vision statement is “To entertain the world.” On their website, they complement this vision with what we could say would be their “manifesto”:

Whatever your taste, and no matter where you live, we give you access to best-in-class TV series, documentaries, feature films and mobile games. Our members control what they want to watch, when they want it, in one simple subscription. We're streaming in more than 30 languages and 190 countries, because great stories can come from anywhere and be loved everywhere. We are the world's biggest fans of entertainment, and we're always looking to help you find your next favorite story.

🤔What's a brand manifesto? It’s a short, powerful statement that captures the essence and values of a brand. Its goal is to create an emotional connection with the target audience and inspire loyalty. A brand manifesto communicates the brand’s mission statement, personality, and the impact it wants to have on the world. Brand manifestos can take various forms, including written statements, videos, or visual representations.

American Express

American Express' vision is to “provide the world's best customer experience every day.”

Their mission statement, “become essential to our customers by providing differentiated products and services to help them achieve their aspirations,” outlines the practical steps to achieve this vision, ensuring a focus on customer satisfaction and value.

Remember we said some companies merge their vision and mission statements? Zoom is the perfect example. Zoom combines their mission and vision into one concise statement: “One platform delivering limitless human connection.”

While this unified statement is clear and focused, it lacks some depth. Separate vision and mission statements can offer more detail and clarity.

Warby Parker

Warby Parker doesn't share their vision on their website, but their mission statement feels a lot like a vision statement because it emphasizes long-term goals and global impact. They say, "Warby Parker was founded with a mission: to inspire and impact the world with vision, purpose, and style."

This focus on making a global difference and their commitment to creativity, empathy, and innovation is exactly what you'd expect from a vision statement.

Oxfam sums up their vision simply as "a just and sustainable world." They then expand on this by detailing what this world looks like providing a clear, detailed picture of their goals and the specific changes they seek to achieve.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airline's vision statement is “To be the world's most loved, most efficient, and most profitable airline.”

The Nature Conservancy

This nonprofit's vision is “A world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act to conserve nature for its own sake and its ability to fulfill our needs and enrich our lives.”

Astellas's vision is to be "On the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into VALUE for patients," with a clear emphasis on the word "value."

L'Oreal doesn't have a specific vision statement on its website, but they focus on a clear purpose: "Create The Beauty That Moves The World." This purpose captures their long-term goals and aspirations, acting as both their vision and purpose by showing what they aim to achieve and the positive impact they want to make.

NASA , the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has a bold and inspiring vision: "NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery."

This vision statement captures the essence of NASA's ambitions and the impact they aspire to have on the world.

The legendary New Zealand national rugby team embodies the indomitable spirit of unity, excellence, and Maori culture. Their vision is: “Inspiring and Unifying through rugby”.

As a global leader in the pharmaceutical industry, Novartis ' vision is "to be a trusted leader in changing the practice of medicine."

The British Broadcasting Corporation's vision is "to enrich people's lives with programs and services that inform, educate, and entertain by being the most creative organization in the world."

Leading global food company, Danone's vision is encapsulated in the phrase "One Planet. One Health." ignited by words from their founder, Antoine Riboud: "There is only one earth, we only live once." 

This company is committed to creating a better world through health and wellness, as shown in its vision statement: “To be the leading partner in reimagining local healthcare and wellbeing for all.”

Toyota 's vision statement is written slightly differently from the others we've seen. It's a little longer than we'd recommend, but it serves the purpose:

“Toyota will lead the future mobility society, enriching lives around the world with the safest and most responsible ways of moving people. Through our commitment to quality, ceaseless innovation, and respect for the planet, we strive to exceed expectations and be rewarded with a smile. We will meet challenging goals by engaging the talent and passion of people who believe there is always a better way.”

Forvia (ex Faurecia)

Forvia's vision is also a little longer than our recommendations on how to write a vision statement, but it thoroughly covers key pillars for the company.

In summary, we could say that Forvia's vision is to pioneer sustainable, safe, customized and affordable mobility experiences that improve people's lives and adapt to global challenges.

While Uber doesn't explicitly state a vision on their website, their focus is clear: "We reimagine the way the world moves for the better". They aim to improve how people move, connecting them to places and opportunities, and enhancing their overall transportation experience globally.

Kellogg's

Kellogg's vision statement is to create "A good and just world where people are not just fed but fulfilled." This vision reflects Kellogg's commitment to making a positive impact on global society.

Sanofi , the multinational pharmaceutical giant, envisions "a healthier, more resilient world." Although they don't explicitly communicate this as their vision, you can clearly see it woven into the "We Are Sanofi" section of their website.

Samsung’s vision, as outlined in their recent editorial, is "to improve the health of billions through connected care centered around the home by connecting devices, services and people".

Dorel Juvenile

Dorel Juvenile's vision is "Care for precious life," which they consistently pursue through their innovative car seats and strollers. This vision drives their commitment to creating safe, reliable, and high-quality products for children and families.

Vision Statement Template And Resources 

Feeling inspired to write your own vision statement? We have a collection of amazing resources that will help you create an inspiring vision statement for your business!

Need a bit more inspiration? Download our carefully curated collection of 100 world's best vision statement examples sorted by various industries, including:

• Retail vision statement examples
• Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals vision statement examples 
• Food & Beverages vision statement examples
• Automotive vision statement examples
• Vision statement examples for Financial Services
• Manufacturing vision statement examples
• Airlines, Aerospace & Defense vision statement examples

Start working on your own vision statement today! Download our vision statement toolkit , which includes all the resources you need to create an inspiring one. Inside, you'll also find a vision statement template and a special workbook we're using with our customers to align their vision with company values and strategic goals.

Need a step- by-step guide? Read our thorough article on how to write a vision statement with extra tips, best practices, and formulas.

As Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO of General Electric , said :

“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive it to completion.”

Every business needs an inspiring vision statement to spread ideas and make a difference in the world. However, even the greatest vision means nothing without execution.

Cascade is a global software company, consistently ranking as the world's #1 strategy execution platform . At Cascade, we make visions happen by acting as the strategic brain of your organization, remediating the chaos of running your business so that you can move forward. 

Do you want to learn how to bridge the gap between vision and execution? Sign up today for a free forever plan or book a guided 1:1 tour with one of our Cascade in-house strategy execution experts and get your team moving toward your vision.

What's the difference between vision statement and purpose?

A vision statement and a purpose serve distinct but complementary roles in an organization:

• The vision statement outlines the desired future state or long-term aspirations of an organization, providing a clear and inspiring picture of what the organization aims to achieve.
• Purpose refers to the fundamental reason for an organization's existence beyond financial gain, representing its deeper meaning, societal impact, and core mission. It goes beyond profitability and focuses on making a positive difference in the world.

How does the vision statement relate to company culture?

The vision statement sets the direction for the company's future and defines the core values that need to be aligned across the organization. It provides a clear purpose, guiding employee behaviors and decisions to foster a cohesive and motivated work environment. By aligning with the vision, the company culture ensures that all actions and strategies are consistent with the shared goals and values, driving overall success and unity within the team.

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• How to write a vision statement: Steps ...

How to write a vision statement: Steps and examples

The vision statement is designed to inspire employees, compel investors, and engage the imaginations of your customers. It paints a picture of your company's future and the impact you want your business to have on the world.

It takes work and creativity to write an inspiring vision statement. Here, we'll break down the elements of a great vision statement, guide you through the process, and walk through a few examples of excellent vision statements and explain what makes them great.

What is a vision statement?

A vision statement is your company’s guiding beacon. It zooms out to give perspective on the overarching reasons for your company's mission. Rather than articulating the specifics of your business operations, the vision statement describes how your company seeks to impact and improve the world around it.

Vision statement vs. mission statement

While both statements help define your company's character and personality, there are some key differences between a vision statement and a mission statement.

The mission statement describes what your company does in the present. It's comprised of three parts: what you do, how you do it, and why you do it. 

A vision statement outlines the company's long-term goals and aspirations for the future in terms of its long-term growth and impact on the world. Your mission defines what your organization does and what you stand for, while your vision statement speaks to your goals and ideals for the future. 

Characteristics of a great vision statement

Vision statements are like snowflakes—each one is unique to its company in length, form, structure, and scope. Your vision statement should reflect your company's personality. However, there are a few traits that all great vision statements share. No matter how unique a statement is in terms of size, shape, or structure, a good vision statement should be:

The purpose of a vision statement is to inspire employees, investors, and customers to believe in your company's mission. Great vision statements are aspirational and ambitious. They convey a sense of passion for the ideal future toward which the company is working.

Though your vision needs to be ambitious in order to be inspiring, it shouldn't be so far out of reach that it feels impossible. You want to choose something that your company will have to strive for, but a completely unattainable goal isn't a vision—it's a fantasy.

A vision statement connects your company mission to your goals, but it isn’t a goal in and of itself. If your vision statement feels too finite or specifically achievable, try to zoom out and broaden the scope of your vision.

Don’t try to cram every detail of your vision into your vision statement—be strategic in selecting the ideas that feel the most relevant and compelling to your stakeholders . You might dream of someday having offices in every major city in the world, but your vision statement should focus on aspirations that speak to your company's mission and purpose.

Vision statement writing tips

Here are a few best practices to keep in mind as you start writing your vision statement:

Collaborate. The vision statement should reflect the character of your entire company, and there's no better way to accomplish this than to write the statement alongside key members of your team. Gather leaders from across the organization to participate in vision statement brainstorms, and run drafts by these same people to get buy-in on your final vision statement.

Write first, edit later. Don't try to write a succinct, well-crafted vision statement right out of the gate. Put everything you think of down on paper, no matter how small. You may not see the value in a particular idea when it crosses your mind, but if you write it down anyway, it may spark better ideas later on.

Keep your own vision statement separate. Many people have personal vision statements that reflect their individual goals, and if you're a business owner, our own vision statement may overlap strongly with the vision of your company. It's important to keep your personal aspirations and your company's vision separate, so that your company's vision statement is something that your entire company can relate to and feel represented by. 

Avoid buzzwords and jargon. Using "industry-speak" makes a brand feel aloof and inaccessible, even to people within the industry. Plain language is always more powerful than jargon, so if you find yourself falling back on buzzwords, isolate the phrase in question and picture a friend or family member asking, "What does this actually mean?" Write or record the explanation you would give to that person and use that language to replace the buzzwords in your vision statement.

Avoid ambiguity. Vision statements don't have to be concrete the way a mission statement should be, but you want to avoid using words that could potentially be interpreted in a way that changes the entire vision statement's meaning. You won't be there to clarify or offer context to everyone who reads your statement, so it needs to be able to stand on its own.

7 steps to write your company's vision statement

There's a lot more to crafting a great vision statement than just writing a few sentences. In order to create a statement that's truly aspirational and inspiring, you're going to need to do a little bit of work. Here's our seven-step process to write a great vision statement:

1. Identify important stakeholders

Your vision statement speaks on behalf of your entire company, so make a list of co-founders, fellow executives, and high-level employees who can help you craft and refine your statement so that it represents your organization as a whole. Getting buy-in from company leaders is also a smart strategic move—the more they believe in the vision statement, the better they'll model it in their daily work and communicate it to their own departments and teams.

Make a second list of stakeholders that represent your vision statement's audience. This list may consist of personas rather than actual people, and should include:

Board members

Partner organizations

Different customer personas

Shareholders

Depending on your industry, this list may be longer or shorter; the main point is to write down a basic overview of the group of people you're writing for. If you're only thinking about your customers, your vision statement may not feel as relatable to employees or might not inspire potential funders to invest. Check your drafts against this list to make sure it feels applicable to all of your key stakeholders.

2. Start with a list of keywords

Ultimately, you're aiming to craft a few concise sentences—and the process of crafting those sentences will be a lot easier if you have a "word bank" of sorts to draw from as you write. Hold an open brainstorming session with your internal stakeholders to come up with a keyword list. 

Make sure your keyword list is comprehensive by subdividing it into smaller categories and making sure you have a good list of keywords for each. At a minimum, you should collect keywords related to:

Your product or service

Your mission and values

Your company's goals and initiatives

Your company's long-term strategic plan

Adjectives that describe your company, product, teams, community, and ideal future (e.g. expert, innovative, affordable, inspiring)

Adverbs that describe the way in which your company operates (e.g. flexibly, sustainably, cooperatively, fearlessly)

Just like your list of stakeholders, the number and type of keyword lists you should generate will vary depending on your industry and company. The important thing is to create a document filled with keywords that you can draw from as your writing, if you get stuck trying to communicate an idea, or if you need to replace some jargon-y text.

3. Answer foundational company questions

In addition to your keywords document, take time during your brainstorm to answer the following questions:

What is our organization’s main purpose?

What are our company’s main strengths?

What are our company values?

Why does what we’re building matter?

How do we want to make a difference as a company?

What is our vision for our company culture ?

What are our most ambitious goals?

What impact do we want our company to have on the world?

What are our company wants? What about company needs?

If our company succeeded in everything it set out to do, how would the world be different?

4. Sort your answers by importance

By the time you're finished brainstorming, you should have a lot of stuff written down.Put all of this content aside for a few days, so that your mind is clear when you return for the next step: deciding what goes in your vision statement and what gets left on the cutting room floor.

Sit down with your vision statement tiger team and a highlighter and review everything you have written down. Highlight ideas and phrases that your group feels are the most important to your company, and cross out items that you're ready to eliminate from consideration (however, don't throw this content out entirely—everything you brainstormed can be helpful in creating other important documents, like your core values, roadmap, or business plan). 

5. Write your company's vision out longform

At the end of step four, you'll have a smaller "word bank" of your most important phrases, ideas, keywords, and answers to foundational company questions. Your next step will be to organize these ideas into sentences that flow logically and are ordered according to your company's priorities.

Right now, don't worry about length—focus instead on communicating your vision in a way that makes sense, touches all of the key points you want to include, and feels relatable to your stakeholders and your audience. It's much easier to edit a long but comprehensive statement than it is to bulk up a statement that's missing pieces.

6. Step back and evaluate

Before you go through the work of editing your vision down to size, take a step back and look at your vision paragraph from afar. This is another point where you may benefit from setting it aside for a few days and returning with fresh eyes.

As you review your vision paragraph, check for the following things:

Is it ambitious enough? Your paragraph should feel aspirational, not like a finite goal to be accomplished.

Is it too ambitious? Make sure you strike a balance between idealistic and unrealistic.

Does it accurately reflect your organization? Run your paragraph by internal stakeholders who weren’t involved in creating it, and as for their feedback on what may be missing, what parts may be unnecessary, or how certain ideas may be phrased more effectively.

Does it make sense? Have friends and family members read your paragraph to confirm that it makes sense to the average reader.

7. Write your final vision statement

Once you've adjusted your vision paragraph and made the changes you wanted to make, it's time to edit your vision paragraph down to a vision statement. In many cases, your paragraph may naturally shrink as you solicit and implement feedback from others, and you may even want to specifically ask for opinions on how your paragraph could be more concise.

Here are a few ways to shorten your vision paragraph:

Eliminate what's unnecessary. Now that you've stepped away from your paragraph a few times and gotten a few rounds of feedback, are there any phrases or ideas that don't feel as necessary as they did when you wrote it? Cut any parts that feel lackluster or less impactful than the rest of the paragraph.

Look for synonyms. Are there any areas where you used several words to say something that there's already a word for? For example, you might replace the phrase "give people the ability to," with "provide access."

Edit each concept individually. Chop your paragraph into sentences and chop your sentences into phrases. Pick up each small segment on its own and see if you can come up with a shorter way to phrase it. It helps if you evaluate the smaller segments out of order—hopping around or going backwards piece by piece will help you notice things that your brain smooths over when you're reading a full sentence.

When your vision statement is finished, bring it back around to your stakeholders to get final feedback and make any finishing tweaks. 

Vision statement examples

There's no way around it—writing a vision statement is hard, especially if it's your first time doing so. Before you get started, or if you get stuck and need to spark some new ideas, take a look at some of these example vision statements for inspiration. 

Note that not all companies have both a mission and a vision statement. Some companies combine the two into a single small paragraph that touches on tangible objectives (mission) as well as more long-reaching aspirations (vision). In some cases, companies won't label either statement, encasing them in a broader page dedicated to "purpose," "who we are," or another similar title.

Here, we've gathered mission and vision statements for a few companies that have publicly set both. 

Mission: To act in the public interest, BBC serves all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain.

Vision: To be the most creative company in the world.

Mission: IKEA offers a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at low and accessible prices.

Vision: To create a better everyday life for the many people.

Southwest Airlines

Mission: Southwest connects people to what’s important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel.

Vision: To become the world’s most loved, most flown, and most profitable airline.

Mission: Hasbro creates the world's best play and entertainment experiences.

Vision: To make the world a better place for all children, fans and families.

Mission: To make things universally accessible and useful, Google organizes the world's information.

Vision: To significantly improve the lives of as many people as possible.

Mission: To harness the next wave of innovation and solve customers’ toughest challenges, VMware uses disruptive technologies like edge computing, AI, blockchain, machine learning, Kubernetes, and more.

Vision: To build a sustainable, equitable and more secure future for all.

Use your vision statement to help you grow

A company's vision statement is a living document—it should adapt and change as your company achieves its business goals and sets new ones, grows in size, expands its offerings, and updates its mission. Revisit your vision statement once every year or so to make sure it still accurately reflects your company's ideal future; if not, adjust it! 

But for now, enjoy the fact that your vision statement is written. Share it with your team, announce it to your customers, and use it to proudly guide your company forward.

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What Is a Vision Statement? 25 Vision Statement Examples

A vision statement almost sounds mystical. But it’s not supernatural, far from it. Rather, a vision statement is a foundational business document.

There’s a lot of paperwork that clutters the office of any organization, but the vision statement is unique from the rest. Often confused with a mission statement , the vision statement has a different purpose. A vision statement looks toward the future, but a mission statement talks about what the company is doing in the present.

What Is a Vision Statement?

A vision statement is a business document that states the current and future objectives of an organization. A company’s vision must align with its mission, business plan , strategic plan, and organizational culture. A vision statement isn’t only used in business; nonprofits and government offices also use them to set strategic goals.

Vision statements aren’t necessarily set in stone. They can be returned to, reviewed and revised as necessary. Any changes should be minimal, however, because a vision statement is a guideline for a company’s strategic plan , so it must be thoroughly reviewed.

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Vision Statement Template

Use this free Vision Statement Template for Word to manage your projects better.

The business vision of an organization might change over time, as companies adapt to their business environment and external factors that might affect their ability to achieve their mission. Using a SWOT analysis is a good way to gauge the internal and external factors that shape the business environment of a company.

A vision statement doesn’t have any particular length. However long it is, the vision statement is formally written and is used as a reference in company documents to serve as a guide for short and long-term strategic planning. The best way to learn about vision statements is to look at examples. We’ve gathered 25 vision statement examples from the best companies in the world to help you write your own.

What Is the Purpose of a Vision Statement?

As stated above, a vision statement is an integral part of an organization because it aligns with its mission, core values, and culture. It also guides the strategic plan because it sets future goals. Similar to a mission statement, a vision statement it’s a living document that’s referred to as a lodestar to lead a company to its next innovation and so, all the projects and programs executed by the project management office (PMO) should be aligned with it.

Related: Free Project & Tracking Templates for Excel

There are different approaches when it comes to writing a vision statement, as companies have unique core values. For example, a motivational vision statement will both motivate existing employees and also drive talent to the company. They’ll want to work at a place with a business vision that aligns with their personal values. A strong vision statement also works to help differentiate your company. All companies want to become profitable, but a company can create a unique vision statement that’s appealing to its customers and employees.

Free Vision Statement Template

Feel inspired? Ready to make your own vision statement? Download our free vision statement template for Word and start refining your vision. There’s even guiding questions to help you get started.

Why Is it Important to Have a Vision Statement?

Vision statements are one of the most important documents you can create for your business because they set a common goal for everyone in your organization. Once you get your employees on the same page, it will be easier to lead them toward success.

Types of Vision Statements

In addition to the traditional business vision statement, there are other types of vision statements, such as project, product and even personal vision statements.

Project Vision Statement

A project vision statement is used to guide a project, motivate the project team and further inspire those involved. Like any vision statement, it’s short but should be powerful to communicate the project’s aim. It’s not specific or directional but delivers the end goal of the project which must be aligned with the strategic goals of a company. In that sense, the project team can use the project vision statement as a guide to follow and help them make decisions that align with the overall project vision.

Product Vision Statement

A product vision statement is also a guide and a tool to motivate and inspire product development teams. It tends to look toward the future to expose where the product will be in a number of years. Therefore, a product vision statement goes beyond what the product is currently, but its vision shouldn’t be unrealistic. While there’s no standard length, like any vision statement, the product vision statement should be short and to the point.

Personal Vision Statement

A vision statement isn’t restricted to the realm of industry, you can make one for your own purposes. A personal vision statement simply focuses on your personal values, strengths and goals. While you can use a personal vision statement for your professional life, it’s also commonly focused on life-long goals. As with any vision statement, use it to keep you on track and make the right decisions to direct you to that transformational achievement. Then, you should make an action plan to make your personal vision come true.

Vision Statement vs. Mission Statement

The vision statement and mission statement are both equally important for a company as they complement each other and guide the direction of your company. The main difference between them is that the mission statement describes what your company does, while your vision statement explains what the company attempts to achieve in the future.

On the other hand, their main similarity is that they both need to align with your company’s core values and culture because all these elements make up your company’s identity and differentiation factors.

Vision Statement vs. Purpose Statement

The vision statement comes before the purpose statement and it outlines where you want to be. First, you have to conjure it. You’re not there yet, but keeping the vision in sight allows you to get there in time.

A purpose statement is the why, it’s the reason you want to achieve the vision that’s your goal. You have to answer the question of why you want to achieve this vision. Therefore, the purpose statement is about the overall values.

There’s also a mission statement, which often joins these other two statements. The mission statement is about how you’ll achieve your goals. This allows you to make a plan, create steps to implement it and track your progress towards achieving that vision statement.

25 Vision Statement Examples

The best way to learn about vision statements is to look at real-life vision statement examples. We’ve gathered 25 vision statement examples from the best companies in the world to help you write your own. These examples prove that a vision statement isn’t a templated document that only differs from other organizations by the branded logo on top of it.

• IKEA: “Our vision is to create a better everyday life for many people.”
• Nike: “Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. (*If you have a body, you are an athlete.)”
• McDonald’s: “To be the best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile.”
• Amazon: “We strive to offer our customers the lowest possible prices, the best available selection and the utmost convenience.”
• Walmart: “Be the destination for customers to save money, no matter how they want to shop.”
• Google: “To provide access to the world’s information in one click”
• Microsoft: “To help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.”
• Facebook: “People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what’s going on in the world and to share and express what matters to them.”
• Coca-Cola: “Our vision is to craft the brands and choice of drinks that people love, to refresh them in body and spirit.”
• Starbucks: “Treat people like family, and they will be loyal and their all.”
• Tesla: “To create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world’s transition to electric vehicles.”
• Samsung: “Inspire the world with our innovative technologies, products and design that enrich people’s lives and contribute to social prosperity.”
• Netflix: “Becoming the best global entertainment distribution service.”
• Zoom: “Zoom is for you.”
• Patagonia: “We’re in business to save our home planet.”
• Oxfam: “A world without poverty.”
• Disney: “To be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information.”
• Instagram: “Capture and share the world’s moments.”
• LinkedIn: “Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.”
• Meta: “Give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.”
• Shopify: “To make commerce better for everyone.”
• Uber: “We ignite opportunity by setting the world in motion.”
• TED: “Spread ideas”
• American Express: “Become essential to our customers by providing differentiated products and services to help them achieve their aspirations.”
• Sony: “To be a company that inspires and fulfills your curiosity.”

How to Write a Vision Statement

Every company has a unique vision statement, but the process is similar for most of them. Here are some steps to help you write your own.

1. What Are the Core Values of Your Company?

The core values of your company define its identity and how it interacts with the communities and the environment. It’s important to understand them to define your company vision.

2. What’s Your Company Mission?

Understanding what your company does and how it operates is essential to planning for the future.

3. Understand Your Company Culture

A strong company culture is an essential part of the success of any business. That’s why your vision must be aligned with it, otherwise, your strategic planning won’t work.

4. Identify Current Strategic Goals

Before you think about future goals, you must understand where your organization currently stands. Your vision might be a long-term plan that sets goals for the next 5 to 10 years, but those goals need to be realistic. You can use a SWOT matrix to get a better idea of the competitive environment of your business.

5. Define Future Goals

Think about what you’d like your company to achieve in the next 5-10 years based on the current status of your business and create a strategic plan to achieve your goals.

6. Write Your Vision Statement

Now that you have an idea of the main elements that are involved in the process of writing your vision statement, you can create one that fits your organization.

Best Practices for Writing a Vision Statement

There’s no template for writing a vision statement, however, a common structure for successful ones includes these traits:

• Be concise: This isn’t the place to stuff a document with fluff statements. It should be simple, easy to read and cut to the essentials so that it can be set to memory and be repeated accurately.
• Be clear: A good rule of thumb for clarity is to focus on one primary goal, rather than trying to fill the document with many ideas. One clear objective is also easier to focus on and achieve.
• Have a time horizon: A time horizon is simply a fixed point in the future when you’ll achieve and evaluate your vision statement. Define that timeline .
• Make it future-oriented: Again, the vision statement isn’t what the company is presently engaged in but rather a future objective of where the company plans to be.
• Be stable: The vision statement is a long-term goal that should, ideally, not be affected by the market or technological changes.
• Be challenging: That said, you don’t want to be timid in setting your goals. Your objective shouldn’t be too easy to achieve, but also it shouldn’t be so unrealistic as to be discarded.
• Be abstract: The vision statement should be general enough to capture the organization’s interests and strategic direction.
• Be inspiring: Live up to the title of the document, and create something that will rally the troops and be desirable as a goal for all those involved in the organization.

Because the vision statement is a foundational business document that will guide the company’s strategic planning direction for years to come, consider using project planning tools and brainstorming techniques to get input from everyone on the team. That way, you’ll get greater buy-in from the company, and you’ll widen your net for collecting business vision ideas.

Using ProjectManager to Write a Vision Statement

Writing a vision statement is a project in itself, and one that should be treated with some weight. A vision statement informs the direction, morale and spirit of the organization: you need it to be inspiring.

To help you craft the ideal vision statement, try ProjectManager . Our subscription model gives you several entry points. Then you can create collaborative task lists, so you can brainstorm with other leaders in the organization regarding your direction. Create a task, and add subtasks, so you can take everything into account when making your vision statement. Plus, you can add comments and files to tasks, so collaboration can stay focused and localized.

Once you’ve crafted a vision statement that inspires your team, the real work begins. To achieve that vision, you’ll need the right tools. ProjectManager is online project management software with tools like online Gantt charts, task lists and kanban boards to help you complete projects and make a name for yourself. Take a free trial of our award-winning software and see how it can help you realize your vision .

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What Is a Vision Statement?

Follow these tips, steps and examples to construct a meaningful vision statement.

Table of Contents

Writing a vision statement for your business can be challenging because it must define your company, values and future goals. While many established companies focus on their mission statement , a vision statement is a valuable tool for inspiring your team and forging a corporate identity. 

We’ll explore vision statements and their importance, as well as offer tools and best practices for crafting an inspiring vision statement that powers your growth strategy. 

What is a vision statement?

A vision statement is a written declaration clarifying your business’s meaning and purpose for stakeholders, especially employees. It describes the desired long-term results of your company’s efforts. For example, an early Microsoft vision statement was “a computer on every desk and in every home.” 

“A company vision statement reveals, at the highest levels, what an organization most hopes to be and achieve in the long term,” said Katie Trauth Taylor, owner and CEO of Untold Content, a writing consultancy. “It serves a somewhat lofty purpose – to harness all the company’s foresight into one impactful statement.” 

A vision statement matters because it outlines the common goal of everyone in the company. Businesses that are working toward a higher aspiration are more appealing to current and future employees. 

A vision statement can affect a company’s long-term success, so take the time to craft one that synthesizes your ambition and mobilizes your staff.

What’s the difference between a vision statement and a mission statement?

Mission statements are based in the present and convey to stakeholders and community members why a business exists and where it currently stands. Vision statements are future-based, and they are meant to inspire and give direction to employees. 

“The vision is about your goals for the future and how you will get there, whereas the mission is about where you are now and why you exist,” said Paige Arnof-Fenn, founder and CEO of Mavens & Moguls, a global strategic marketing consulting firm. “The vision should motivate the team to make a difference and be part of something bigger than themselves.” 

Mission statements and vision statements are both crucial for building a brand . “While a mission statement focuses on the purpose of the brand, the vision statement looks to the fulfillment of that purpose,” said Jessica Honard, co-CEO of North Star Messaging + Strategy, a copywriting and messaging firm that serves entrepreneurs. 

Although mission and vision statements should be core elements of your organization, a vision statement should serve as your company’s guiding light. 

“A vision is aspiration; a mission is actionable,” said Jamie Falkowski, chief creative officer at marketing and communications company Day One Agency.

Creating the perfect vision statement may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Follow these suggestions and best practices when crafting your vision statement. 

Determine who will shape your vision. 

The first step in writing a vision statement is determining who will craft it. In a small business, you may be able to ask everyone for their insight. In a larger operation, you may need to be more selective while still capturing a range of employee voices.

Evaluate your company’s published materials. 

Your company likely already has published goals and established values in its employee handbook , marketing materials and other publications. Use this information to guide your work, suggested Alison Brehme, an author and content, marketing and media strategist.

“A company’s mission, purpose, goals and values are all involved in the creation of a company vision,” Brehme said. “Weave these concepts and beliefs into your vision statement.”

Hold workshops to brainstorm your vision. 

Brandon Shockley, former vice president of market research at branding and marketing firm 160over90 and now head of investor research and insights at Vanguard, recommended hosting workshops with key stakeholders representing a cross-section of your organization. Then, he said, assemble teams and use collaboration tools to create alternate versions of the statement, and gather employee feedback about how each version resonates. 

Get individual input. 

Falkowski also suggested conducting interviews with individual stakeholders to encourage honest feedback. Employees can identify common themes, describe the organization’s future in words or use visual branding tools as a basis for the vision statement. 

Check out competitors’ vision statements. 

Look at your competitors’ vision statements to determine how you can differentiate your business from theirs. [Related article: How to Do a Competitive Analysis ]

Keep it short but meaningful. 

A vision statement should be concise – no longer than a sentence or two. You want your entire organization to be able to repeat it quickly and, more importantly, understand it. However, a vision statement must be more than a catchy tagline.

“[It] can be smart and memorable, but this is for your team and culture, not for selling a specific product,” Falkowski said. 

Create a longer version for leadership’s eyes only. 

Don’t fret if you feel that a short vision statement doesn’t fully express the intricacies of your vision. You can create a longer version, but it should not be the one you broadcast to the world.

“Let’s be honest – most business leaders, not to mention boards of directors, won’t be able to sum up their vision in a pithy sentence or two. That’s OK,” said Shannon DeJong, owner of brand agency House of Who. “Have a full-length version of your vision for the leadership’s eyes only. Think of the long version as your reference guide to why you’re in business in the first place.” 

Map out your business’s biggest goals. 

When you’re crafting your vision statement, start by mapping out your business’s most audacious goals, Taylor suggested. “Reviewing your long-term goals in a collaborative setting will help you then zoom out on what your organization and the world will look like if you achieve them. That zoomed-out view of your success is really the heart of your vision statement.”

Consider your company’s potential global impact. 

Ask questions that reflect your business’s eventual scale and impact, Honard advised. “Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ve created a roadmap between your present and your future.”

These are a few of the questions Honard uses in guiding clients to identify their vision statement:

• What ultimate impact do I want my brand to have on my community, my industry or the world?
• In what way will my brand ultimately interact with customers and clients?
• What will the culture of my business look like, and how will that play out in employees’ lives? 

Dream big. 

Don’t be afraid to dream big once you gather all the information and get down to writing. Don’t worry about practicality for now; what initially looks impossible may be achieved down the road with the right team and technologies. Work on shaping a vision statement that reflects the specific nature of your business and its aspirations. 

Be daring, not generic. 

Shockley said there’s nothing wrong with a vision statement that is daring, distinct or even disagreeable. “If a vision statement sets out a generic goal that anyone can agree with, it is likely to produce mediocre results. A goal like ‘delivering an exceptional experience’ applies equally to a hospital, bank or fitness club.” 

Consider creating a brand vision board. 

If you’re interested in taking your vision one step further, create a brand vision board, Taylor suggested. A vision board includes your company’s tagline, a “who we are” statement, a “what we do” section, a business vision statement, an overview of your ideal clients, client pain points, your content mission statement, advertising, products and SEO keywords.

“A vision board serves as a one-page business plan that anyone in a company can reference quickly to remember the key concepts that drive the work,” Taylor said.

Quick tips for your vision statement

Here’s a quick breakdown of what to do when formalizing your vision statement:

• Project five to 10 years into the future.
• Dream big, and focus on success.
• Use the present tense.
• Use clear, concise, jargon-free language.
• Infuse it with passion, and make it inspiring.
• Align it with your business values and goals.
• Create a plan to communicate your vision statement to your employees.
• Prepare to commit time and resources to the vision you establish. 

Your completed vision statement should offer a clear idea of your company’s path forward. Honard said many of her clients have used their vision statements to direct their overall plans for the future. For example, they’ve adopted new marketing initiatives to move them closer to their vision, pivoted their focus to clearly reflect their desired outcome, or doubled down on one particular aspect of their brand that is working to serve their vision.

What to avoid when writing a vision statement

• Don’t mix up your mission statement and vision statement. Mission statements are generally easier to write because they reflect what you’re doing now. Remember, a mission statement is what you are working to accomplish today, while a vision statement is what you want to accomplish in the future.
• Don’t overthink your wording. One of the hardest parts of creating a vision statement is coming up with the right wording. You may find yourself endlessly rewriting and fretting about getting it right. Does this sentence or two define your values and shine a light on your corporate identity without sounding too vague? Don’t get lost in the pressure of perfect wording; a specific and unique vision statement is a good place to begin distinguishing your business from the rest of the industry. 

How to use your vision statement

Determine where your vision statement will appear and what role it will serve in your organization. This will make the process more than an intellectual exercise, Shockley said. It’s pointless to hang a vision statement in the lobby or promote it via your business’s social media channels if you never genuinely integrate it into your company culture . 

“The vision business statement should be thought of as part of your strategic plan,” Shockley said. “It is an internal communications tool that helps align and inspire your team to reach the company’s goals.” 

As such, you should view a vision statement as a living document that will be revisited and revised. Most importantly, it must speak directly to your employees. 

“If your employees don’t buy into the vision, you’ll never be able to carry it out,” said Keri Lindenmuth, director of marketing with the Kyle David Group, a web and tech solutions provider. “The vision statement should be something your employees believe in. Only then will they make decisions and take actions that reflect your business’s vision.”

20 examples of inspiring vision statements

Some memorable and distinct vision statements may be all the inspiration you need to write your own. Here are some of the best examples of inspiring vision statements: 

• Amazon: “Our vision is to be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.”
• Ben & Jerry’s: “Making the best ice cream in the nicest possible way.”
• Caterpillar: “Our vision is a world in which all people’s basic needs – such as shelter, clean water, sanitation, food, and reliable power – are fulfilled in an environmentally sustainable way, and a company that improves the quality of the environment and the communities where we live and work.”
• Cradles to Crayons: “Provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive – at home, at school, and at play.”
• Google: “To provide access to the world’s information in one click.”
• Habitat for Humanity: “A world where everyone has a decent place to live.”
• Hilton Hotels & Resorts: “To fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality by delivering exceptional experiences – every hotel, every guest, every time.”
• IKEA: “To create a better everyday life for the many people.”
• Intel: “If it’s smart and connected, it’s best with Intel.”
• LinkedIn: “Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.”
• Oxfam: “To be a self-organized people actively creating a just democratic and sustainable world where power and resources are shared, everyone lives in dignity, and poverty and inequality are no more.”
• Patagonia: “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”
• Prezi: “To reinvent how people share knowledge, tell stories, and inspire their audiences to act.”
• Samsung: “Shape the future with innovation and intelligence.”
• Southwest Airlines: “To become the world’s most loved, most flown and most profitable airline.”
• Sweetgreen: “To inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food.”
• TED: “We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives, and, ultimately, the world.”
• Walgreens: “To be America’s most-loved pharmacy-led health, well-being and beauty company.”
• Warby Parker: “We believe that buying glasses should be easy and fun.”
• Wyeth: “Our vision is to lead the way to a healthier world.”

Can vision statements change?

Many companies benefit from having a vision statement from their inception, but it’s perfectly acceptable not to commit to one specific vision immediately. 

“Getting too tied into one master statement can really mess with the learning and creation process in the early stages,” said Sonia Elyss, president of marketing and communications collective Round Twelve. She encourages her clients to write a vision statement monthly, save the previous drafts, and see what sticks and what doesn’t over time. 

“After the first year, you can look back and see how much you have evolved,” Elyss said. “What parts or words within the statement stuck around, and what was dropped? Those key words tend to end up being major brand pillars you can always come back to and eventually become part of the brand ethos.” 

Tying yourself to a particular vision statement in the early days of your business may limit your opportunities for growth or blind you to the need for change. 

“At the end of the day, trust your gut; test and check; look at the analytics; invest in the feedback your customer is giving you,” Elyss said. “If you aren’t willing to step outside of your initial vision for your business, you might miss a huge opportunity!” 

Regardless of how many years you have been in business or how long you have had your vision statement, you’re not stuck with it. Don’t be afraid to change it – even if you spent time and money developing it – if it stops feeling right. 

The vision for your vision statement

A vision statement is a tool that can help your business grow and achieve brand success. Along the journey of growing your business, you’ll face good months, rough months, and every detour and roadblock imaginable. 

Above all, your vision statement should constantly remind you and your team of the end goal. This message is important to hold on to, especially on the most challenging days. 

Bassam Kaado and Paula Fernandes contributed to the writing and reporting in this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.

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Management Tools

Purpose, Mission, and Vision Statements

Purpose, Mission, and Vision Statements explain why a company exists, how it plans to achieve its goals, and what the business will ultimately achieve.

• January 31, 2023

What Are Purpose, Mission, and Vision Statements?

A Purpose Statement is an explanation of the company’s motivations and reasons for being, and why it works the way it does.

A Mission Statement is a definition of the company’s business, who it serves, what it does, its objectives, and its approach to reaching those objectives.

A Vision Statement is a description of the desired future state of the company. An effective vision inspires the team, showing them how success will look and feel.

Usage and satisfaction among survey respondents

How are purpose, mission, and vision statements implemented.

Typically, senior leaders will write the company’s Purpose, Mission, and Vision Statements with inputs from the broader organization. The development process usually begins by clarifying the purpose, then defining the mission, and then painting the vision. This requires leaders to:

• Clearly identify the corporate culture, values, strategy, and view of the future by interviewing employees, suppliers, and customers
• Address the commitment the firm has to its key stakeholders, including customers, employees, shareholders, and communities
• Ensure that the objectives are measurable, the approach is actionable, and the vision is achievable
• Communicate the message in clear, simple, and precise language
• Develop buy-in and support throughout the organization

Related Topics

Corporate Values Statements

Cultural Transformation

Strategic Planning

What Are Common Uses of Purpose, Mission, and Vision Statements?

Purpose, Mission, and Vision Statements are used both internally and externally.

They are used internally to:

• Guide management’s thinking on strategic issues, especially during times of significant change
• Help define performance standards
• Inspire employees to work more productively by providing focus and common goals
• Guide employee decision making
• Help establish a framework for ethical behavior

They are used externally to:

• Enlist external support
• Create closer linkages and better communication with customers, suppliers, and alliance partners
• Serve as a public relations tool

Abrahams, Jeffrey. 101 Mission Statements from Top Companies: Plus Guidelines for Writing Your Own Mission Statement. Ten Speed Press, 2007

Blount, Sally, and Paul Leinwand. “Why Are We Here?” Harvard Business Review , November/December 2019.

Collins, Jim, and Jerry I. Porras. “Building Your Company’s Vision.” Harvard Business Review , September/October 1996, pp. 65–77.

Kirkpatrick, Shelley A. Build a Better Vision Statement: Extending Research with Practical Advice. Lexington Books, 2016.

Knowles, Jonathan B., Tom Hunsaker, Hannah Grove, and Alison James. “What Is the Purpose of Your Purpose?” Harvard Business Review, March/April 2022.

Kotter, John P., and James L. Heskett. Corporate Culture and Performance . 1992. Reprint. Free Press, 2011.

Nanus, Burt. Visionary Leadership. Jossey-Bass, 1995.

Quinn, Robert E., and Anjan V Thakor. The Economics of Higher Purpose: Eight Counterintuitive Steps for Creating A Purpose-Driven Organization , Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2019.

Raynor, Michael E. “That Vision Thing: Do We Need It?” Long Range Planning, June 1998, pp. 368–376.

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More Like this

Vision statement template and 47 vision statement examples, a vision statement is a clear articulation of your organization’s bold future state—meaning where you want your organization to be in 5-10 years..

As you embark upon your strategic planning process, your company’s vision statement is the foundation of your organization’s long-term goals and day-to-day activities. Knowing where to start when creating your vision statement can be tricky, but we’ve got you covered! We’ll cover the basics of vision statements, how they differ from mission and values statements, and how you can build your own using our vision statement template. As you work through the creation of your own vision, browse 37 of our favorite vision statement examples and learn some best practices.

Pro Tip: Without a clear vision statement, you’ll have a difficult time communicating that vision of your future to your team and to the people around you.

What is the Purpose of a Vision Statement?

Your vision statement is the big, bold declaration that defines what you seek to accomplish or where you want to be in the next 5-10 years. It is foundational to your strategic plan and should not be overlooked in the planning process as a vision statement describes and crystalizes your future state.

What is the difference between a vision statement, a mission statement, and guiding principles?

While this is a common mistake, an organization’s vision can be confused with its mission statement and company’s core values/guiding principles.

Mission statements and vision statements work together, but they are not interchangeable. Mission and vision statements each have a clear purpose – missions express why you exist and what you do, a good vision statement paints a bold picture of your future, and company values outline how you expect your team to behave.

A company’s vision articulates where you’re going.

A company’s vision statement outlines your organization’s aspirations for the future, typically spanning multiple years. It asks (and answers) the fundamental question, “Where are we going?”

Your vision statement is your big, bold, lofty aspirations wrapped up in a clear and memorable sentence. It may feel, in some ways, a bit out of reach and overly ambitious. It’s okay; vision statements are supposed to be! The primary purpose of creating a vision statement is to provide direction and inspiration, setting a clear and ambitious target for what the organization aims to achieve.

Pro Tip: You need to create a unique vision statement! It needs to be distinct and paint a picture of the world if you reach your future goals. How will you change people’s lives? How will you change your organization? A great vision statement describes where you are going with clarity.

A company’s mission statement articulates why you exist.

Unlike a vision statement, which answers the question, ‘Where are we going?’ a company mission statement focuses on it’s core purpose. A mission statement asks the question, “Why do we exist?”. Think of a mission statement like a purpose statement. It should provide the context for all the decisions made within the organization and be useful for both internal and external audiences.

It describes the organization’s current purpose and reason for its creation. Your mission is essentially your statement that defines the purpose of the work you do. It should provide the context for all the decisions made within the organization and be useful for both internal and external audiences. To better understand the impact of a mission statement, consider various mission statement examples that clearly articulate a company’s core purpose and values.

Pro Tip: A good mission statement clearly communicates your higher purpose and reason for existing. It should also guide business’s vision!

Again, this statement would ideally be clear, succinct, and memorable, as it will be something that you’d share with your customers, employees, and stakeholders.

Guiding principles define how you will behave.

Your guiding principles or company’s core values are the uncompromising principles or standards by which you guide your decision-making. They inform your approach to growth and impact. These can also serve as the clear guardrails and principles that keep your organization growing with quality and integrity.

They define the clear behaviors you expect of your organization and your team as you pursue your big, bold vision.

These elements make up essential aspects of your strategic plan and are not interchangeable. Each element is foundational and has a clear purpose. Missions are what you do conversationally, visions paint a bold picture of your future, and values outline how you expect your team to behave.

In summary, you need a vision and mission statement to articulate where you are going and why you exist. Core values help define your company culture and how you expect your team to behave. All three of these are necessary to create your company’s future.

What are the Benefits of a Compelling Company Vision Statement?

There are several benefits to incorporating your vision statement into your strategic plan. Some key benefits that a well-defined business vision statement provides are:

• Directional Guidance: Your vision statement acts as a compass, guiding strategic planning and decision-making by defining the desired end state.
• Motivation and Inspiration: A compelling vision can inspire and motivate stakeholders, including employees, customers, and investors, by providing a sense of purpose and direction.
• Unity and Alignment: A vision statement helps align the efforts of all team members, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose.
• Strategic Framework: Your vision statement serves as a foundational element in the strategic planning process and helps to shape the objectives, strategies, and action plans that will drive the organization toward its envisioned future state.
• Decision-Making Clarity: With a clear vision, decisions can be evaluated based on their alignment with the desired future, ensuring that actions contribute to long-term success.
• Differentiation: A distinct and ambitious vision can set an organization apart from its competitors.

Does every organization need a vision statement? Absolutely!

A vision statement is not just a declaration of long term future intentions that is only shared during yearly board meetings or during fund-raising events; an inspiring vision statement is a strategic tool that benefits an organization by providing direction, inspiring stakeholders, fostering unity, guiding decision-making, and differentiating the organization from its competitors.

Vision Statement Template & Visioning Canvas

Coming up with a big, bold vision that encompasses your goals for the next 5 to 10 years may seem like a daunting task. Prior to drafting your vision statement, you need to go through a few ‘visioning’ exercises to determine what your vision for your organization actually is. To help you build a vision statement that matters, we’ve created a visioning guide and attached an easy-to-follow visioning template. Click here to download !

How to write a vision statement

The first step to narrowing down your vision for your organization is to ask yourself and your team these two questions:

• What does success look like for us in the future?
• How will that differ from how it looks today?

When thinking of your ideal future state, consider how your vision can impact a global workforce, connecting professionals and enhancing productivity on a worldwide scale.

These questions are a good way to put your team in the mindset of thinking about where you are today versus where you want to be tomorrow.

When thinking of your ideal future state, it may help to think about your team’s common goals in relation to four specific areas: people and organizational suitability, operational excellence and innovation, customer growth and retention, and financial results and impact.

Pro Tip:You may recognize these four areas in a balanced scorecard, which is exactly what it is. When you outline what the future would look like in these four areas, it will paint a clear and well-balanced picture of your overall vision for your organization and provides some guidance of where you want to focus your development efforts.

The best way to do this exercise is to follow this canvas to guide your exercise and with each matrix, ask yourself two questions; “What does success look like (in this area)” and “How is it different from today?” For each perspective you explore, write supporting vision descriptors, aka “min-visions,” that will ultimately support your larger vision of success.

These help your organization clearly understand your ideal future in all areas of your organization. Use the template provided in the canvas above to complete the following vision descriptors to include in your business plan and strategic plan.

People and Organizational Suitability

The first perspective is internally focused based on our equity in our people and organizational stability. This includes areas such as organization structure, size, and capabilities, as well as overall company culture and skills.

What does success look like for your people? Think about your organization’s structure, size, capabilities, and culture.

Mini Vision Statement: Have a growing team of 200 people who are passionate about changing our industry.

Operational Excellence and Innovation

The second area focuses on operational excellence, and innovation. This includes such concerns like facilities, processes, technology, innovation and environmental impact.

What facilities, technology, innovations, or environmental impact are needed to achieve that vision? How will it help you get there?

Mini Vision Statement: Scale our infrastructure to increase output by 50%.

Customer Growth and Retention

This area focuses on the market/customer-facing perspective of growth and impact. Areas of concern could include the services, customer service, products, benefits, and value proposition that your organization brings to the market.

What does the volume, number of customers, geographies, or products/services look like once you reach your destination?

Mini Vision Statement: Become a top player in our market, positioned as ‘innovators’ in the minds of our customers.

Financial Results and Impact

Finally, this perspective focuses on a financial perspective, and includes concerns such as social impact, sustainability, profitability, and revenue growth.

What is the revenue growth, profitability, or social and community impact achieving this vision will help achieve?

Mini Vision Statement: Achieve sustainable, profitable growth by increasing profits by 10% year over year over the next 5 years.

OnStrategy Vision Statement Example

Now that you have the four areas filled out, , you can use the vision statement template we’ve created as a guide to write your own . Begin by setting a target date or year to accomplish, followed by the phrase ‘we envision’ paired with your organization’s desired future state. Finally, end your statement with a ‘why’ to give your team vision a reason and purpose. Fill in the blanks to help write your own vision statement:

• By: Insert the year or timeframe

This doesn’t have to be explicitly stated in your vision statement, but you should have a timeline in mind as you draft it.

• We envision: A phrase that helps frame your vision statement.

Again, you don’t have to explicitly keep this phrase in your vision statement once you’ve drafted it. But starting your vision statement drafting process with this phrase can help put you in the right frame of mind.

• Verb: An action verb in future tense
• Impact: Description of future impact on the world

We envision being the #1 choice for premier organic, sustainable foods by changing the way produce is grown and sold in North America.

6 Characteristics of a great vision statement:

• An ideal vision statement at least five years in nature or longer, but no longer than 10 years. You need to have flexibility to pivot if your company or end goal changes, so 10-year vision might be too long.
• Your company’s vision statement needs to be unique to your organization, sound like no one else’s, and stays true to what sets your organization apart.
• Vision statements are set in the future tense and have a powerful action verb.
• A great company vision statement is directional. Again, we’re not there today but are moving towards our ideal future with forward momentum.
• A good vision statement is audacious. Visions are big and broad with high-reaching thoughts.
• Finally, a your company’s vision statement must be descriptive.

40 Sample Vision Statements

Now that you have a template to help create your vision statement, we’ve put together a list of 37 of our favorite vision statement from organizations around the globe. First, we will jump into some of our favorite vision statement’s from OnStrategy client’s:

OnStrategy Clients Vision Statement Examples

#1– Experience Kissimmee

To be the recognized leader in destination marketing by promoting Kissimmee and Central Florida’s tourism experiences to the world.

Get the Free Guide to Create a Clear Vision and Future State

#2– bright path labs.

Bright Path Labs’ vision is to bring our advanced manufacturing technologies to the entire pharmaceutical industry where our cutting edge and proprietary chemical production techniques can significantly contribute to solving some of today’s biggest healthcare challenges, including:

• Improving the resiliency of domestic supply chains and the affordability of medicine
• Reducing the risk of life-saving drug shortages
• Supplying increased access to medicine for underserved and overlooked patient populations.

#3– Keystone Health Care

To become the preferred provider of Emergency Medicine and Hospital Medicine services by embracing dynamic healthcare challenges and focusing on controlled growth in select markets.

#4– Patagonia’s Vision Statement

Making the best product matters for saving the home planet.

#5– Cleveland Metropolitan’s School District Engagement Division

CMSD is the number one choice in Cleveland; families enroll and remain with the District because they feel welcomed, valued, supported, and meaningfully engaged as partners in students’ success.

#6– The City of Reno

We are a thriving urban center known for our world-class colleges, vibrant culture, diverse outdoor activities, and innovative industries.

#7– City and County of San Francisco Department of Technology

We envision being a trusted leader and global example in providing innovative technology services and solutions to all CCSF agencies, the people of San Francisco and worldwide.

#8– Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department

We envision becoming the trusted, respected, and sought-after community partner by serving our citizens and taking care of our employees.

For-Profit Vision Examples

Serve people worldwide with the joy of expanding their life’s potential by leading the advancement of mobility and enable people everywhere in the world to improve their daily lives.

#10– Hyundai

Progress for humanity. We’re here do the right thing for humanity.

#11– Porsche

The brand for those who follow their dreams.

Providing a new space that makes life more convenient and enjoyable by realizing superlative mobility based on innovative people-oriented, eco-friendly technologies and comprehensive services.

#13– Microsoft

Microsoft’s vision statement is to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.

Lead the future of Streaming TV by creating new and familiar experiences for our viewers, amplifying bold voices, and challenging our diverse builders and creators to push the boundaries of storytelling and technology.

#15– Netflix

Becoming the best global entertainment distribution service.

#16– Verizon

We create the connections that shape the future. Verizon is transforming how people, businesses and technologies interact, setting the stage for the next Industrial Revolution.

…To create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world’s transition to electric vehicles.

#18– Google

Google’s vision is to provide access to the world’s information in one click.

To create a better everyday life for the many people.

This vision goes beyond home furnishing. We want to have a positive impact on the world– from the communities where we source our raw materials to the way our products help our customers live a more sustainable life at home.

#20– LinkedIn

LinkedIn’s vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce. Our Economic Graph insights help us achieve this vision.

Healthcare Vision Statement Examples

#21– Renown Health

Renown Health, with our partners, will inspire better health in our communities.

#22– Blue Cross Blue Shield Minnesota

Be the customer’s first choice by reinventing ourselves and the system.

We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world.

#24– Johnson & Johnson

To help people see better, connect better, live better.

#25– Mizuho

Our aim is to be a world-leading medical equipment supplier committed to meeting and exceeding the expectations of our clients.

Guided by our purpose, CVS Health® is building an entire world of health care around each and every person we serve, no matter where they are on their journey.

#27– AstraZeneca’s Vision

Driven by innovative science and our entrepreneurial culture, we are focused on the delivery of life-changing medicines that are fueling growth and contributing value to patients and society.

#28– Harvard

Harvard College sets the standard for residential liberal arts and sciences education. We have committed to creating and sustaining the conditions that enable all Harvard College students to experience an unparalleled educational journey that is intellectually, socially, and personally transformative.

We will be an innovative and adaptable community of educators that creates a seamless and transformative experience for all Brown students by equipping them to succeed academically, empowering them to be in community together as their authentic selves, and supporting them in developing skills for life after Brown.

#30– Stanford’s Vision

We are expanding avenues of discovery across all fields while creating new pathways for applying knowledge where it is needed in the world.

#31– Michigan State College of Literature, Science, and Arts

We are a diverse intellectual community, working together to reimagine the world and create positive, purposeful change.

#32– The University of Nevada, Reno

The University of Nevada, Reno ‘s vision is to educate and graduate the best-prepared, confident leaders for the state, national, and global community; to be a nexus for research and creativity that focuses on vital issues of our time; and to serve as a catalyst for the betterment of our society.

#33– Los Angeles Unified School District

L.A. Unified will be a progressive global leader in education, providing a dynamic and inspiring learning experience where all students graduate ready for success.

#34– Clark County School District

Our vision is for all students to graduate from high school having the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values necessary to achieve academically, prosper economically, and contribute in a global society.

Non-Profit Vision Statement Examples

#35– Global Fund for Children

The Global Fund for Children, envision a world where all children have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. This vision can be turned into reality with the help of grassroots organizations.

#36– St. Jude

To accelerate progress against catastrophic disease at a global level.

#37– Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

All youth achieve their full potential.

#38– Nevada Humane Society

Our vision is that all pets have a healthy, happy life.

#39– Boys and Girls Club of America

Provide a world-class Club Experience that assures success is within reach of every young person who enters our doors, with all members on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle.

#40– Habitat for Humanity

A world where everyone has a decent place to live.

#41– American Red Cross

The American Red Cross, through its strong network of volunteers, donors and partners, is always there in times of need. We aspire to turn compassion into action so that…

• …all people affected by disaster across the country and around the world receive care, shelter and hope;
• …our communities are ready and prepared for disasters;
• …everyone in our country has access to safe, lifesaving blood and blood products;
• …all members of our armed services and their families find support and comfort whenever needed; and
• …in an emergency, there are always trained individuals nearby, ready to use their Red Cross skills to save lives.

#42– The King’s Center Vision Statement

We envision the Beloved Community where injustice ceases and love prevails.

#43– St. Jude’s Vision Statement

St. Jude has the obligation and the ability to help children around the world. Because of St. Jude’s success, we have the opportunity and the responsibility to establish an agenda that is aimed toward achieving the mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

#44– One Tree Planted’s Vision Statement

We want to make it simple for anyone to help the environment by planting trees. Together we can restore forests, create habitat for biodiversity, and make a positive social impact around the world.

#45– Goodwill’s Vision Statement

Every person has the opportunity to achieve his/her fullest potential and participate in and contribute to all aspects of life.

#46– Special Olympics Vision Statement

To transform communities by inspiring people throughout the world to open their minds, accept and include people with intellectual disabilities and thereby anyone who is perceived as different.

#47– World Wildlife Foundation Vision Statement

We seek to save a planet, a world of life.

For a deep dive on Vision Statements, check out our Vision Statements post.

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How to Write a Business Plan

How to write a business vision statement in 8 steps

Steps to write a business vision statement

Pick your team and empower them, review your mission statement, examine other vision statements, be creative but clear, trim your draft, get buy-in from your stakeholders, use your vision statement.

The vision statement and the mission statement may sound similar. They are both important aspects of business planning , branding, and goal-setting. However, they serve very different purposes.

The mission statement is about your company’s commitment to its existing (or soon-to-exist) relationship with customers. Your vision statement is all about your company’s future dreams. Where the mission statement is actionable, the vision statement is aspirational.

There are lots of resources available online about how to create mission statements, but what about the vision statement? How do you go about creating one for your business?

Here are the 8 steps to writing a business vision statement

When creating your vision statement, it helps to take a group or team approach. Small businesses can seek input from everyone, while larger organizations need to be more selective.

Start by identifying stakeholders. These are people with a stake in your company’s future goals and how they’re met. Task them with attending a workshop or brainstorming session. If your organization is large enough, you might want to explore creating multiple teams, each representing specific segments of your company.

Power your business with online forms. Collect orders, payments, feedback, and more !

Good vision statements look at what you want to become, but those goals and dreams should be consistent with both the company’s values and its mission statement. The vision statement asks questions like

• How are we serving the greater good?
• Who are we inspiring?
• What effect do we want to have on customers, the world, and each other?

After identifying your team (or teams), ask them to review your company values, goals, and mission statement. The core values integral to your company’s mission statement should become part of your vision statement or at least inform it.

Look at the great vision statements of competitors or others within your industry. The idea is not to copy from other companies; in fact, quite the opposite. You want to distinguish your company’s vision from anyone else’s.

Use the drafting process as an opportunity to differentiate your business from competitors. Reviewing vision statement examples can help kick off brainstorming sessions and identify inspiring language and ideas. You can then use those concepts to shape the discussion about your own vision statement.

What are your company’s boldest aims and goals for the future? What are your big dreams? Once you know those answers, discuss how achieving those dreams will change the world, the industry, and your community. The answer will form the core of your vision statement.

Be willing to embrace big, audacious dreams, without editing for practicality or possibility. New technologies and developments can radically expand our notions of what’s possible. Who knows what tomorrow or next year will look like in your industry or the world?

It’s not necessary to write your vision statement in flowery prose. In fact, it’s far more important to communicate clearly than to write creatively.

That said, the vision statement needs to be inspiring and uplifting. It has to resonate on an emotional level with your employees. At the same time, it must be clear and specific.

One way to help beef up your statement is to pair analogies and metaphors with hard data. Are you launching a shopping site for new parents? Try “Our vision is to be the Amazon of baby stuff for new parents.” Do you want to achieve an explosive rate of growth? Describe it this way: “Our growth rate will explode to outpace XYZ Inc., a leader in our industry, by x percent within five years.”

Keep the ultimate statement to no more than two sentences in length. It might seem hard to keep your statement that short and still communicate what you want to say. But you can always create a longer manifesto to flesh out the ideas in your vision statement. Think of the longer version as the user manual for how to achieve your vision.

Circulate your final draft to all employees, and ask for input. Large organizations might want to hold a subsequent round of workshops to discuss reactions and suggestions. Make whatever changes are prudent, based on the feedback you receive. The more input your employees have in this process, the more ownership they’ll feel over the finished statement and the more likely they will be to integrate it into their work.

Hold a company-wide session (or a series of departmental meetings) to solicit suggestions from all of your employees as to how they can incorporate the vision statement into their daily workflows and interactions with others, including colleagues and customers.

You may also want to design a recognition and reward program to give positive reinforcement to those who successfully integrate the vision statement into their jobs.

Finally, publish and share your statement. You can print it and post it in staff rooms and offices, and publish it on your company intranet. Keep it front and center so it seeps into your company culture.

Achieve your vision

In the words of Jonathan Swift, “Vision is the art of seeing what’s invisible to others.” Once you can articulate your company’s roadmap for the future, you begin to make that dream visible to all of the company’s employees. You can then work together to make that vision a reality.

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How to Write a Business Plan for a Small Business

Noah Parsons

24 min. read

Updated September 2, 2024

Writing a business plan doesn’t have to be complicated. 

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to write a business plan that’s detailed enough to impress bankers and potential investors, while giving you the tools to start, run, and grow a successful business.

• The basics of writing a business plan

If you’re reading this guide, then you already know why you need a business plan . 

You understand that writing a business plan helps you: 

• Raise money
• Grow strategically
• Keep your business on the right track 

As you start to write your business plan, it’s useful to zoom out and remember what a business plan is .

At its core, a business plan is an overview of the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy: how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

Most business plans also include financial forecasts for the future. These set sales goals, budget for expenses, and predict profits and cash flow. 

A good business plan is much more than just a document that you write once and forget about. It’s also a guide that helps you outline and achieve your goals. 

After writing your business plan, you can use it as a management tool to track your progress toward your goals. Updating and adjusting your forecasts and budgets as you go is one of the most important steps you can take to run a healthier, smarter business. 

We’ll dive into how to use your plan later in this article.

There are many different types of plans , but we’ll go over the most common type here, which includes everything you need for an investor-ready plan. However, if you’re just starting out and are looking for something simpler—I recommend starting with a one-page business plan . It’s faster and easier to create. 

It’s also the perfect place to start if you’re just figuring out your idea, or need a simple strategic plan to use inside your business.

Dig deeper : How to write a one-page business plan

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• What to include in your business plan

Executive summary

The executive summary is an overview of your business and your plans. It comes first in your plan and is ideally just one to two pages. Most people write it last because it’s a summary of the complete business plan.

Ideally, the executive summary can act as a stand-alone document that covers the highlights of your detailed plan. 

In fact, it’s common for investors to ask only for the executive summary when evaluating your business. If they like what they see in the executive summary, they’ll often follow up with a request for a complete plan, a pitch presentation , or more in-depth financial forecasts .

Your executive summary should include:

• A summary of the problem you are solving
• A description of your product or service
• An overview of your target market
• A brief description of your team
• A summary of your financials
• Your funding requirements (if you are raising money)

Dig Deeper: How to write an effective executive summary

Products and services description

When writing a business plan, the produces and services section is where you describe exactly what you’re selling, and how it solves a problem for your target market. The best way to organize this part of your plan is to start by describing the problem that exists for your customers. After that, you can describe how you plan to solve that problem with your product or service. 

This is usually called a problem and solution statement .

To truly showcase the value of your products and services, you need to craft a compelling narrative around your offerings. How will your product or service transform your customers’ lives or jobs? A strong narrative will draw in your readers.

This is also the part of the business plan to discuss any competitive advantages you may have, like specific intellectual property or patents that protect your product. If you have any initial sales, contracts, or other evidence that your product or service is likely to sell, include that information as well. It will show that your idea has traction , which can help convince readers that your plan has a high chance of success.

Market analysis

Your target market is a description of the type of people that you plan to sell to. You might even have multiple target markets, depending on your business. 

A market analysis is the part of your plan where you bring together all of the information you know about your target market. Basically, it’s a thorough description of who your customers are and why they need what you’re selling. You’ll also include information about the growth of your market and your industry .

Try to be as specific as possible when you describe your market. 

Include information such as age, income level, and location—these are what’s called “demographics.” If you can, also describe your market’s interests and habits as they relate to your business—these are “psychographics.” 

Related: Target market examples

Essentially, you want to include any knowledge you have about your customers that is relevant to how your product or service is right for them. With a solid target market, it will be easier to create a sales and marketing plan that will reach your customers. That’s because you know who they are, what they like to do, and the best ways to reach them.

Next, provide any additional information you have about your market. 

What is the size of your market ? Is the market growing or shrinking? Ideally, you’ll want to demonstrate that your market is growing over time, and also explain how your business is positioned to take advantage of any expected changes in your industry.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write a market analysis

Competitive analysis

Part of defining your business opportunity is determining what your competitive advantage is. To do this effectively, you need to know as much about your competitors as your target customers. 

Every business has some form of competition. If you don’t think you have competitors, then explore what alternatives there are in the market for your product or service. 

For example: In the early years of cars, their main competition was horses. For social media, the early competition was reading books, watching TV, and talking on the phone.

A good competitive analysis fully lays out the competitive landscape and then explains how your business is different. Maybe your products are better made, or cheaper, or your customer service is superior. Maybe your competitive advantage is your location – a wide variety of factors can ultimately give you an advantage.

Dig Deeper: How to write a competitive analysis for your business plan

Marketing and sales plan

The marketing and sales plan covers how you will position your product or service in the market, the marketing channels and messaging you will use, and your sales tactics. 

The best place to start with a marketing plan is with a positioning statement . 

This explains how your business fits into the overall market, and how you will explain the advantages of your product or service to customers. You’ll use the information from your competitive analysis to help you with your positioning. 

For example: You might position your company as the premium, most expensive but the highest quality option in the market. Or your positioning might focus on being locally owned and that shoppers support the local economy by buying your products.

Once you understand your positioning, you’ll bring this together with the information about your target market to create your marketing strategy . 

This is how you plan to communicate your message to potential customers. Depending on who your customers are and how they purchase products like yours, you might use many different strategies, from social media advertising to creating a podcast. Your marketing plan is all about how your customers discover who you are and why they should consider your products and services. 

While your marketing plan is about reaching your customers—your sales plan will describe the actual sales process once a customer has decided that they’re interested in what you have to offer. 

If your business requires salespeople and a long sales process, describe that in this section. If your customers can “self-serve” and just make purchases quickly on your website, describe that process. 

A good sales plan picks up where your marketing plan leaves off. The marketing plan brings customers in the door and the sales plan is how you close the deal.

Together, these specific plans paint a picture of how you will connect with your target audience, and how you will turn them into paying customers.

Dig deeper: What to include in your sales and marketing plan

Business operations

When writing a business plan, the operations section describes the necessary requirements for your business to run smoothly. It’s where you talk about how your business works and what day-to-day operations look like. 

Depending on how your business is structured, your operations plan may include elements of the business like:

• Supply chain management
• Manufacturing processes
• Equipment and technology
• Distribution

Some businesses distribute their products and reach their customers through large retailers like Amazon.com, Walmart, Target, and grocery store chains. 

These businesses should review how this part of their business works. The plan should discuss the logistics and costs of getting products onto store shelves and any potential hurdles the business may have to overcome.

If your business is much simpler than this, that’s OK. This section of your business plan can be either extremely short or more detailed, depending on the type of business you are building.

For businesses selling services, such as physical therapy or online software, you can use this section to describe the technology you’ll leverage, what goes into your service, and who you will partner with to deliver your services.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write the operations chapter of your plan

Key milestones and metrics

Although it’s not required to complete your business plan, mapping out key business milestones and the metrics can be incredibly useful for measuring your success.

Good milestones clearly lay out the parameters of the task and set expectations for their execution. You’ll want to include:

• A description of each task
• The proposed due date
• Who is responsible for each task

If you have a budget, you can include projected costs to hit each milestone. You don’t need extensive project planning in this section—just list key milestones you want to hit and when you plan to hit them. This is your overall business roadmap. 

Possible milestones might be:

• Website launch date
• Store or office opening date
• First significant sales
• Break even date
• Business licenses and approvals

You should also discuss the key numbers you will track to determine your success. Some common metrics worth tracking include:

• Conversion rates
• Customer acquisition costs
• Profit per customer
• Repeat purchases

It’s perfectly fine to start with just a few metrics and grow the number you are tracking over time. You also may find that some metrics simply aren’t relevant to your business and can narrow down what you’re tracking.

Dig Deeper: How to use milestones in your business plan

Organization and management team

Investors don’t just look for great ideas—they want to find great teams. Use this chapter to describe your current team and who you need to hire . You should also provide a quick overview of your location and history if you’re already up and running.

Briefly highlight the relevant experiences of each key team member in the company. It’s important to make the case for why yours is the right team to turn an idea into a reality. 

Do they have the right industry experience and background? Have members of the team had entrepreneurial successes before? 

If you still need to hire key team members, that’s OK. Just note those gaps in this section.

Your company overview should also include a summary of your company’s current business structure . The most common business structures include:

• Sole proprietor
• Partnership

Be sure to provide an overview of how the business is owned as well. Does each business partner own an equal portion of the business? How is ownership divided? 

Potential lenders and investors will want to know the structure of the business before they will consider a loan or investment.

Dig Deeper: How to write about your company structure and team

Financial plan

The last section of your business plan is your financial plan and forecasts. 

Entrepreneurs often find this section the most daunting. But, business financials for most startups are less complicated than you think, and a business degree is certainly not required to build a solid financial forecast. 

A typical financial forecast in a business plan includes the following:

• Sales forecast : An estimate of the sales expected over a given period. You’ll break down your forecast into the key revenue streams that you expect to have.
• Expense budget : Your planned spending such as personnel costs , marketing expenses, and taxes.
• Profit & Loss : Brings together your sales and expenses and helps you calculate planned profits.
• Cash Flow : Shows how cash moves into and out of your business. It can predict how much cash you’ll have on hand at any given point in the future.
• Balance Sheet : A list of the assets, liabilities, and equity in your company. In short, it provides an overview of the financial health of your business. 

A strong business plan will include a description of assumptions about the future, and potential risks that could impact the financial plan. Including those will be especially important if you’re writing a business plan to pursue a loan or other investment.

Dig Deeper: How to create financial forecasts and budgets

This is the place for additional data, charts, or other information that supports your plan.

Including an appendix can significantly enhance the credibility of your plan by showing readers that you’ve thoroughly considered the details of your business idea, and are backing your ideas up with solid data.

Just remember that the information in the appendix is meant to be supplementary. Your business plan should stand on its own, even if the reader skips this section.

Dig Deeper : What to include in your business plan appendix

Optional: Business plan cover page

Adding a business plan cover page can make your plan, and by extension your business, seem more professional in the eyes of potential investors, lenders, and partners. It serves as the introduction to your document and provides necessary contact information for stakeholders to reference.

Your cover page should be simple and include:

• Company logo
• Business name
• Value proposition (optional)
• Business plan title
• Completion and/or update date
• Address and contact information
• Confidentiality statement

Just remember, the cover page is optional. If you decide to include it, keep it very simple and only spend a short amount of time putting it together.

Dig Deeper: How to create a business plan cover page

How to use AI to help write your business plan

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT can speed up the business plan writing process and help you think through concepts like market segmentation and competition. These tools are especially useful for taking ideas that you provide and converting them into polished text for your business plan.

The best way to use AI to write a business plan is to leverage it as a collaborator , not a replacement for human creative thinking and ingenuity. 

AI can come up with lots of ideas and act as a brainstorming partner. It’s up to you to filter through those ideas and figure out which ones are realistic enough to resonate with your customers. 

There are pros and cons of using AI to help with your business plan . So, spend some time understanding how it can be most helpful before just outsourcing the job to AI.

Learn more: 10 AI prompts you need to write a business plan

• Writing tips and strategies

To help streamline the business plan writing process, here are a few tips and key questions to answer to make sure you get the most out of your plan and avoid common mistakes .  

Determine why you are writing a business plan

Knowing why you are writing a business plan will determine your approach to your planning project. 

For example: If you are writing a business plan for yourself, or just to use inside your own business , you can probably skip the section about your team and organizational structure. 

If you’re raising money, you’ll want to spend more time explaining why you’re looking to raise the funds and exactly how you will use them.

Regardless of how you intend to use your business plan , think about why you are writing and what you’re trying to get out of the process before you begin.

Keep things concise

Probably the most important tip is to keep your business plan short and simple. There are no prizes for long business plans . The longer your plan is, the less likely people are to read it. 

So focus on trimming things down to the essentials your readers need to know. Skip the extended, wordy descriptions and instead focus on creating a plan that is easy to read —using bullets and short sentences whenever possible.

Have someone review your business plan

Writing a business plan in a vacuum is never a good idea. Sometimes it’s helpful to zoom out and check if your plan makes sense to someone else. You also want to make sure that it’s easy to read and understand.

Don’t wait until your plan is “done” to get a second look. Start sharing your plan early, and find out from readers what questions your plan leaves unanswered. This early review cycle will help you spot shortcomings in your plan and address them quickly, rather than finding out about them right before you present your plan to a lender or investor.

If you need a more detailed review, you may want to explore hiring a professional plan writer to thoroughly examine it.

Use a free business plan template and business plan examples to get started

Knowing what information to include in a business plan is sometimes not quite enough. If you’re struggling to get started or need additional guidance, it may be worth using a business plan template. 

There are plenty of great options available (we’ve rounded up our 8 favorites to streamline your search).

But, if you’re looking for a free downloadable business plan template , you can get one right now; download the template used by more than 1 million businesses. 

Or, if you just want to see what a completed business plan looks like, check out our library of over 550 free business plan examples . 

We even have a growing list of industry business planning guides with tips for what to focus on depending on your business type.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re writing your business plan. Some entrepreneurs get sucked into the writing and research process, and don’t focus enough on actually getting their business started. 

Here are a few common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Not talking to your customers : This is one of the most common mistakes. It’s easy to assume that your product or service is something that people want. Before you invest too much in your business and too much in the planning process, make sure you talk to your prospective customers and have a good understanding of their needs.

• Overly optimistic sales and profit forecasts: By nature, entrepreneurs are optimistic about the future. But it’s good to temper that optimism a little when you’re planning, and make sure your forecasts are grounded in reality. 
• Spending too much time planning: Yes, planning is crucial. But you also need to get out and talk to customers, build prototypes of your product and figure out if there’s a market for your idea. Make sure to balance planning with building.
• Not revising the plan: Planning is useful, but nothing ever goes exactly as planned. As you learn more about what’s working and what’s not—revise your plan, your budgets, and your revenue forecast. Doing so will provide a more realistic picture of where your business is going, and what your financial needs will be moving forward.
• Not using the plan to manage your business: A good business plan is a management tool. Don’t just write it and put it on the shelf to collect dust – use it to track your progress and help you reach your goals.
• Presenting your business plan

The planning process forces you to think through every aspect of your business and answer questions that you may not have thought of. That’s the real benefit of writing a business plan – the knowledge you gain about your business that you may not have been able to discover otherwise.

With all of this knowledge, you’re well prepared to convert your business plan into a pitch presentation to present your ideas. 

A pitch presentation is a summary of your plan, just hitting the highlights and key points. It’s the best way to present your business plan to investors and team members.

Dig Deeper: Learn what key slides should be included in your pitch deck

Use your business plan to manage your business

One of the biggest benefits of planning is that it gives you a tool to manage your business better. With a revenue forecast, expense budget, and projected cash flow, you know your targets and where you are headed.

And yet, nothing ever goes exactly as planned – it’s the nature of business.

That’s where using your plan as a management tool comes in. The key to leveraging it for your business is to review it periodically and compare your forecasts and projections to your actual results.

Start by setting up a regular time to review the plan – a monthly review is a good starting point. During this review, answer questions like:

• Did you meet your sales goals?
• Is spending following your budget?
• Has anything gone differently than what you expected?

Now that you see whether you’re meeting your goals or are off track, you can make adjustments and set new targets. 

Maybe you’re exceeding your sales goals and should set new, more aggressive goals. In that case, maybe you should also explore more spending or hiring more employees. 

Or maybe expenses are rising faster than you projected. If that’s the case, you would need to look at where you can cut costs.

A plan, and a method for comparing your plan to your actual results , is the tool you need to steer your business toward success.

Learn More: How to run a regular plan review

How to write a business plan FAQ

What is a business plan?

A document that describes your business , the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy, how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

What are the benefits of writing a business plan?

A business plan helps you understand where you want to go with your business and what it will take to get there. It reduces your overall risk, helps you uncover your business’s potential, attracts investors, and identifies areas for growth.

Writing a business plan ultimately makes you more confident as a business owner and more likely to succeed for a longer period of time.

What are the 7 steps of writing a business plan?

The seven steps to writing a business plan include:

• Write a brief executive summary
• Describe your products and services.
• Conduct market research and compile data into a cohesive market analysis.
• Describe your marketing and sales strategy.
• Outline your organizational structure and management team.
• Develop financial projections for sales, revenue, and cash flow.
• Add any additional documents to your appendix.

What are the 5 most common business plan mistakes?

There are plenty of mistakes that can be made when writing a business plan. However, these are the 5 most common that you should do your best to avoid:

• 1. Not taking the planning process seriously.
• Having unrealistic financial projections or incomplete financial information.
• Inconsistent information or simple mistakes.
• Failing to establish a sound business model.
• Not having a defined purpose for your business plan.

What questions should be answered in a business plan?

Writing a business plan is all about asking yourself questions about your business and being able to answer them through the planning process. You’ll likely be asking dozens and dozens of questions for each section of your plan.

However, these are the key questions you should ask and answer with your business plan:

• How will your business make money?
• Is there a need for your product or service?
• Who are your customers?
• How are you different from the competition?
• How will you reach your customers?
• How will you measure success?

How long should a business plan be?

The length of your business plan fully depends on what you intend to do with it. From the SBA and traditional lender point of view, a business plan needs to be whatever length necessary to fully explain your business. This means that you prove the viability of your business, show that you understand the market, and have a detailed strategy in place.

If you intend to use your business plan for internal management purposes, you don’t necessarily need a full 25-50 page business plan. Instead, you can start with a one-page plan to get all of the necessary information in place.

What are the different types of business plans?

While all business plans cover similar categories, the style and function fully depend on how you intend to use your plan. Here are a few common business plan types worth considering.

Traditional business plan: The tried-and-true traditional business plan is a formal document meant to be used when applying for funding or pitching to investors. This type of business plan follows the outline above and can be anywhere from 10-50 pages depending on the amount of detail included, the complexity of your business, and what you include in your appendix.

Business model canvas: The business model canvas is a one-page template designed to demystify the business planning process. It removes the need for a traditional, copy-heavy business plan, in favor of a single-page outline that can help you and outside parties better explore your business idea.

One-page business plan: This format is a simplified version of the traditional plan that focuses on the core aspects of your business. You’ll typically stick with bullet points and single sentences. It’s most useful for those exploring ideas, needing to validate their business model, or who need an internal plan to help them run and manage their business.

Lean Plan: The Lean Plan is less of a specific document type and more of a methodology. It takes the simplicity and styling of the one-page business plan and turns it into a process for you to continuously plan, test, review, refine, and take action based on performance. It’s faster, keeps your plan concise, and ensures that your plan is always up-to-date.

What’s the difference between a business plan and a strategic plan?

A business plan covers the “who” and “what” of your business. It explains what your business is doing right now and how it functions. The strategic plan explores long-term goals and explains “how” the business will get there. It encourages you to look more intently toward the future and how you will achieve your vision.

However, when approached correctly, your business plan can actually function as a strategic plan as well. If kept lean, you can define your business, outline strategic steps, and track ongoing operations all with a single plan.

Noah is the COO at Palo Alto Software, makers of the online business plan app LivePlan. He started his career at Yahoo! and then helped start the user review site Epinions.com. From there he started a software distribution business in the UK before coming to Palo Alto Software to run the marketing and product teams.

Table of Contents

• Use AI to help write your plan
• Common planning mistakes
• Manage with your business plan

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Vision Statement

Describes what a company desires to achieve in the future

What is a Vision Statement?

A vision statement describes what a company desires to achieve in the long-run, generally in a time frame of five to ten years, or sometimes even longer. It depicts a vision of what the company will look like in the future and sets a defined direction for the planning and execution of corporate-level strategies .

Key Elements of a Good Vision Statement

While companies should not be too ambitious in defining their long-term goals, it is critical to set a bigger and further target in a vision statement that communicates a company’ s aspirations and motivates the audience. Below are the main elements of an effective vision statement:

• Forward-looking
• Motivating and inspirational
• Reflective of a company’s culture and core values
• Aimed at bringing benefits and improvements to the organization in the future
• Defines a company’s reason for existence and where it is heading

Let’s look at Microsoft Corp.’s Vision Statement. Microsoft Corp. is an American multinational company that develops, manufactures, licenses, and sells technology products, including computer software, electronics, and personal computers. It is also one of the largest corporations in the world, alongside companies such as Apple, Inc. and Amazon.com, Inc.

Microsoft’s vision is:

Microsoft’s vision statement is forward-looking because delivering growth and impact in every community would conceivably take a lifetime or many lifetimes to achieve. It also brings the message of leading to changes and improving the quality of living standards all around the world, which strongly reflect Microsoft’s values of innovation, diversity and inclusion, corporate social responsibility, and environment.

The Rise of a Purpose Statement

The mission statement , vision, and values are traditionally the three most common descriptions of a business that explains why a company exists. In recent years, another type of statement has also emerged in the business world and is gaining more popularity. This type of statement is called the Purpose Statement.

A Purpose Statement conveys a company’s reason for existence, just as the mission statement and vision do, but it also shows the connection between the brand identity and workplace culture of the company. It combines the components of a mission statement, vision, and values into a single statement.

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How to Write a Vision Statement for Business Plan

Mission and Vision Statement Templates

• July 30, 2023

There is a famous quote by Simon Sinek “ People don’t buy what you do, people buy why you do it. ” This quote forces you to think deeply about the core purpose of your business.

Moreover, crafting a compelling vision statement helps you find and communicate this purpose.

By clearly stating why your business exists or what it aims to achieve in the future, you can create a shared vision for your customers and employees.

So ready to learn to write a vision statement for your business? Let’s get started.

What is a vision statement?

A vision statement is a clear, concise description of what an organization aims to achieve in the long term. It captures the essence of the organization’s future goals and serves as a guide for its growth and decision-making.

The statement focuses on the future and inspires and directs employees and stakeholders. It also highlights the desired impact the organization seeks to make in the world.

Why is a vision statement important?

Companies often combine their mission and vision statements into one. While as common as it is, it’s not advisable.

Because, a clear vision statement keeps a company focused and aligned, connecting everyone—investors and employees toward a common goal.

It helps in boosting employee engagement, making them more focused and productive. Vision statements also help you make strategic decisions, supporting the business to stay on track.

A good vision statement also outlines the business’s future goals, encouraging innovation and creativity as employees search for new ways to achieve them.

How to write a vision statement for your business plan?

A strong vision statement outlines your long-term goals, providing a clear direction for the future. Let’s see how to draft it:

1. Understand the purpose

The first step in crafting your vision statement is to understand the core purpose of the business. It involves diving into the mission of your business—thinking about the problem you solve, the need you fulfill, and the value you bring.

You can even merge the perspectives of the whole team, as Alfred Christ, a Digital Marketer, did for Robotime , to get the actual essence of the business.

“We engaged individuals from various departments to get an all-rounded outlook on what we stand for and where we want to go. Through this collaborative approach, we were able to capture the essence of our brand in such a way that everyone in the company could relate to it and strive towards,” says Alfred.

Knowing the core purpose of your business will help bring authenticity to the vision statement.

2. Start with the list of keywords

Next up, form a cloud of keywords that can reflect your business as well as trigger some emotion in your audience. Ultimately, you want to create sentences using those keywords to make an impact while promoting your business, its idea and purpose. And yes, you should also include your target audience.

For instance, we talked to Abhi Madan, Creative Director of Amarra , a high-end evening-wear fashion brand, discussing how they used this strategy for their vision statement, and he said,

“We made sure that our vision statement wasn’t just about what we do (creating enchanting attire), but also about how we make our customers feel (empowered, confident, and graceful).”

Besides that, keywords guide brainstorming sessions, providing a starting point for discussions and helping to generate ideas.

3. Answer the basic business questions

You can use Heilmeier Catechism to write a vision statement. It’s a set of questions that helps one consider and assess proposed research programs, determining if they’re worth the risk.

Let’s see how the questions can help:

• What are you trying to do? Articulate your objectives using absolutely no jargon.
• How is it done today, and what are the limits of current practice? Identify the current trends of the industry and the barriers your business will overcome.
• What is new in your approach and why do you think it will be successful? Highlight the unique aspects of your business that might help you understand its core value.
• Who cares? If you’re successful, what difference will it make? Determine the stakeholders and target audience who will benefit from the organization’s vision.
• How long will it take? Provide a timeframe for achieving the vision, ensuring it’s aspirational yet attainable.

Remarkably, by using these questions, you can craft a vision statement that clearly defines the organization’s long-term goals, unique approach, and potential impact while addressing challenges and the timeframe for success. Told you, it’ll help!

4. Envision the future

Imagine your company after five or ten years—capture that dream for your business and the success you envision in the vision statement.

It should inspire employees and stakeholders to work towards the common goal. It also differentiates your brand from other competitors.

For example, Microsoft’s vision statement is “To help people and businesses worldwide realize their full potential.” This vision statement is future-focused as it emphasizes the long-term goal of empowering individuals and organizations globally.

5. Write your vision first in long-form

Now, you’ve got keywords and the future goal for your business. It’s time for you to write the long form of your vision statement.

Writing your vision first in long-form helps you clearly outline your organization’s future goals and aspirations. This detailed approach allows you to capture all the essential details and the impact you want to make.

By starting with the long-form description, you ensure nothing important is missed when you later shorten it into a concise vision statement.

6. Make it short & evaluate

Once you have an extended version of your vision statement, take a few days and revisit it with a fresh perspective.

Evaluate the lengthy vision statement first. See if it makes sense or is ambitious enough. Then, identify the key points or ideas that sum up your business’s essence.

Done? Now, it’s time to review and shorten. Remove any redundancies or non-essential information to maintain clarity. Ensure that the shortened vision reflects your core values and aligns with your long-term aspirations.

Generally, the vision statement is one to two sentences long. So, keep the length in mind.

7. Review and revise

Once you’ve written your vision statement, reviewing and revising it to ensure its effectiveness is crucial.

Start by gathering employee, stakeholder, and customer feedback to get diverse perspectives. Assess the impact of the statement—consider whether it’s inspiring and motivating for your team and stakeholders.

Revise the statement based on feedback and assessments, and repeat the review process until it resonates well. Regular reviews help ensure the vision statement remains aligned with the organization’s mission and strategy.

What makes a good vision statement?

A good vision statement possesses several essential qualities that ensure it’s effective. Some of the qualities are:

Clarity & future-focused

It should be clear and easy to understand, avoiding jargon or complex language. Also, it should paint a picture of what the organization aspires to achieve in the long term, providing a clear direction.

Inspirational

A vision statement should inspire employees, stakeholders, and customers. A good vision statement should evoke a sense of purpose and drive people to work towards a common goal.

A great vision statement conveys a sense of passion for the future the company is working for. While it should challenge the organization, it must also be attainable to maintain credibility and drive progress.

Don’t try to cram every service or every detail of your business into your vision statement. Even in conversation with Mark Pierce—Founder and CEO of Wyoming Trust & LLC Attorney , he mentioned facing the same problem. He says:

“I faced the challenge of summarizing our multiple services and finally framed vision as: ‘To provide affordable, high-quality legal services that safeguard family assets and legacy,’ by focusing on the core issues our clients care about.”

The statement should highlight what makes the organization special and different from competitors. A good vision statement should reflect the unique aspects of the business’s identity.

Vision statement examples of popular brands

A well-written vision statement showcases the future goals of your business. Here are some examples of well-crafted vision statements by famous companies:

“To create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world’s transition to electric vehicles.”

This vision statement emphasizes leadership in the industry through sustainable energy solutions.

“To provide access to the world’s information in one click.”

The clearly articulated statement focuses on making information easily accessible and universally useful.

“To make the best products on earth and to leave the world better than we found it.”

It combines a commitment to quality with environmental responsibility.

4. Coca-Cola

“To craft the brands and choice of drinks that people love, to refresh them in body & spirit.”

This vision statement is as refreshing as the drink! It focuses on creating beloved brands and refreshing beverages that uplift people.

“If it is smart and connected, it is best with Intel.”

Very smart way of Intel telling us that it’s the leader in technology solutions—today and tomorrow.

6. LinkedIn

“To create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.”

This vision statement aims to provide career opportunities and professional growth for everyone.

“Inspire the world, create the future.”

This statement focuses on innovation and inspires progress through technology.

“To be the world’s leading provider of premium products and premium services for individual mobility.”

BMW’s vision statement emphasizes leadership in the luxury automotive market with top-tier products and services.

“Using our unlimited passion for technology, content, and services to deliver groundbreaking new excitement and entertainment, as only Sony can.”

It emphasizes Sony’s commitment to innovation and excellence in technology and entertainment, delivering unique experiences.

“To create a better everyday life for the many people.”

This vision focuses on improving everyday living by offering affordable and well-designed home furnishings.

In summary, a vision statement paints a picture of your company’s future and aligns it with your core values. We hope this guide has helped you write your vision statement!

However, after crafting your vision statement, incorporating it into a comprehensive business plan is also crucial for your business.

Upmetrics can help make creating your business plan easier. With it, you can streamline the planning process and develop a well-structured plan that supports your vision.

So why wait? Try Upmetrics today.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a vision statement be.

A vision statement should be brief, ideally one to two sentences long. It should be concise enough to be memorable and easily communicated, while effectively capturing the essence of the organization’s long-term goals and aspirations.

Can a vision statement change over time?

Yes, a vision statement can change over time. As the business adapts and evolves there are new opportunities and market conditions. Updating the vision statement when necessary ensures it’s relevant to the current situation.

Who should be involved in writing a vision statement?

The board members, employees, team leaders, stakeholders, marketing team, and even external advisors (if any) should be involved in writing a vision statement. This coordinated method ensures the vision reflects the entire organization’s perception.

How do you ensure a vision statement aligns with company values?

To ensure a vision statement matches the company values, involve key people in creating it, clearly define the core values, and craft a vision that shows a future where these values are evident. Regularly review and communicate the vision to ensure it’s part of the company’s culture and decisions.

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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31 Vision Statement Examples for Business

What is a vision statement.

A vision statement refers to an aspirational and catchy statement formulated by the organization that represents the current and future goals of that organization. The use of vision statements is mainly seen in businesses, but nowadays many government departments and non-profit organizations also use the vision statements to set their goals. The vision statement represents the core values, culture, and vision of the organization. According to research, if the company have a meaningful and attractive vision statement, the engagement level of the employees of that company towards work was found to be around 68 per cent. More engagement of the employees results in more productivity and eventually the overall growth of the company. Hence, an effective vision statement of a company is also a crucial factor that can lead to the success of the company. Therefore, it is necessary for every organization to have a well planned and meaningful vision statement. In this article, we’ll learn about the tips to draft an effective vision statement and various examples of the vision statement used by businesses.

How to Write a Vision Statement?

You may think that a vision statement is just a simple statement that represents the vision of the company, but writing it is not that simple. One should follow certain points before finalising the vision statement. Following are the points that one should consider before formulating the vision statement.

• Always ask some questions before drafting the vision statement, for example, What is the objective of your organization? What can you achieve in the next five years? What are the products or the services that your company provides to the customers? What changes does your company bring to the life of your customers? How will things change if you achieve the vision of your company? The clear answers to these questions can help you draft an accurate vision statement.
• Before finalising the vision statement, think of your goals and your company’s growth after some years rather than drafting the vision statement for a short term goal. Check whether the vision statement that you have decided matches the perspective of your organization after five or ten years or not. If not, better think of another vision statement. An effective vision statement is one that clearly matches the future plans and the success of your company. Also, the vision statement should only represent the vision of the company and not the step by step plan to reach that vision.
• Always try to look for the people who can guide you to write an effective vision statement. These people could be your friends, family, or your team. It’s always better to ask several people say your managers or co-workers for insights into the vision statement rather than finalising the vision statement on your own.  When you refer to the number of people for drafting the vision statement, you are less likely to formulate a vision statement that is based on a personal basis and the chances of getting an effective and realistic vision statement that speaks the vision of your organization are high.
• The optimum vision statement is the one that describes the end goal of the organization and clearly specifies the vision. Try to think of unique statements because a generic statement that may be applied to almost every other organization would not be enough to motivate the team and may fail to attract the customers. Hence, think of catchy words or phrases that easily grab the attention of potential customers. The bold and some risky writing can do wonders in your business.
• Try to keep the vision statements short and crisp. The customers hardly invest their time in reading the long and overly detailed vision statements. First, jot down all your thoughts and ideas and cut off the unessential items from the list. Try to summarize your vision in just one or two lines rather than mentioning the full details. Also, try to use the present tense and avoid using jargon and technical terms, and prefer writing in simple, inspirational, memorable and catchy words.
• Avoid using the vision statements that include targets that may impossible to achieve. An unrealistic statement such as ‘our vision is that every single person use our service’ may put a bad impact on the sales. One should dream big, but it does not mean that one should set a vision that is not realistic to achieve.
• The vision statement tells the goals of the future, once a particular goal is achieved there may be the need for the modification of the vision statement. Hence, try to update the vision statement whenever it is needed. Although, avoid changing the vision statement frequently as it can reflect the lack of confidence of the company in achieving its own set targets.
• Do not use vague statements that represent the personal goals of the company, for example, ‘we want to increase our revenue’ and other similar sentences. Instead, use statements that represent the benefits of the customers and how the vision will enhance the lives of the customers.
• When you finally have formulated the vision statement, make sure that your vision statement is clearly communicated to the people. The vision statement will result in the success of the company only if the employees of the company understand the vision statement and work for that vision by heart. Invest the time and resources towards the fulfilment of the vision mentioned in your vision statement. In business, it may include organizing seminars, hiring trainees, or launching new services or products. The strategies may include offering the product at a reasonable price and entering new projects and exploring the new markets. Also, asking the employees about the suggestions or modifications in the vision and acknowledging the employees that put their extra efforts into reaching the vision of the company.

Visions Statement vs Mission Statement

People often get confused with the vision statement and the mission statement of the organization as both the statements describe the core value and the culture of the company. Both statements are crucial for organizations as it guides them to achieve the set goals. The primary difference in both the statements is that the mission statements represent what the organization is doing in the current time, while the vision statement represents what does the organization aspire to achieve in the future. Once the company set its vision statement and mission statement, the next step is to plan strategically and work hard to achieve the set goals.

Vision Statement Examples for Business

To be Earth’s most customer-centric company where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online.”

The vision statement of Amazone is unique and interesting. This statement uses the word customers twice and mentioned the company’s vision to make it easier for the customers to find everything on a single platform, i.e., Amazon. It also mentions the word ‘Earth’ which also relates to the ‘space travel’ endeavours of Amazone’s founder Jeff Bezos.

To create a better everyday life for the many people.”

The short and simple vision statement of the home designing company, IKEA represents that the company understands the needs and imaginations of the customers and can provide the people with the best designs according to the desires of the clients.

3. McDonald’s

We’re here to feed and foster communities.”

Mcdonald’s introduced this new vision statement in 2020. This statement not only emphasises Mcdonald’s vision of feeding the people hamburgers but also Mcdonald’s intention in fostering communities. This statement reflects the various community services offered by Mcdonald’s, for example, Ronald McDonald House, a non-profit organization that helps thousands of children and their families in improving their health and well being.

Becoming the best global entertainment distribution service. Licensing entertainment content around the world. Creating markets that are accessible to filmmakers.”

Netflix’s vision statement is written in the active voice, and it consists of three segments. The statement represents Netflix’s vision of global expansion and providing an easy market for content creators.

5. Facebook

People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what’s going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them.”

Connecting the people globally has always been the vision of Facebook, the Facebook acquired platforms such as Instagram, also have a similar vision. Facebook’s vision statement encourages people to download the application and do what’s mentioned in its vision statement.

Create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world’s transition to electric vehicles.”

The vision statement of Tesla does not focus on what it desires to provide to the customers, instead, it focuses on inspiring and encouraging people toward electric vehicles.

To provide access to the world’s information in one click.”

Clearly, the vision statement of Google is short and crisp. It does not include any complex technical terms to define the goal of the company.

Video communications empowering people to accomplish more.”

The vision statement of zoom directly focuses on its main product, i.e., video communication. This statement emphasises that Zoom can empower users and they can accomplish using this platform.

9. LinkedIn

Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.”

The vision statement of LinkedIn represents that the primary vision of LinkedIn is to make it easier for the entire global workforce to find new jobs, and good employees and increase the network among the businesses.

10. Ben & Jerry’s

Making the best ice cream in the nicest possible way.”

11. Caterpillar Inc.

Our vision is a world in which all people’s basic needs such as shelter, clean water, sanitation, food and reliable power are fulfilled in an environmentally sustainable way, and a company that improves the quality of the environment and the communities where we live and work.”

12. Habitat for Humanity

A world where everyone has a decent place to live.”

13. Hilton Hotels & Resorts

To fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.”

If it’s smart and connected, it’s best with Intel.”

15. Microsoft

 Microsoft is a technology company whose mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. We strive to create local opportunity, growth, and impact in every country around the world. Our strategy is to build best-in-class platforms and productivity services for an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge infused with artificial intelligence.”

A world without poverty.”

17. Patagonia

Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”

18. PepsiCo

 Our vision is put into action through programs and a focus on environmental stewardship, activities to benefit society, and a commitment to build shareholder value by making PepsiCo a truly sustainable company. At PepsiCo, we’re committed to achieving business and financial success while leaving a positive imprint on society – delivering what we call Performance with Purpose.”

To reinvent how people share knowledge, tell stories, and inspire their audiences to act.”

20. Starbucks

To establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow.”

21. Samsung

Inspire the world, create the future.”

22. Smithsonian

By 2022, the Smithsonian will build on its unique strengths to engage and to inspire more people, where they are, with greater impact, while catalyzing critical conversation on issues affecting our nation and the world.”

23. Southwest Airlines

To become the world’s most loved, most flown and most profitable airline.”

24. Sweetgreen

To inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food.”

Spread ideas.”

26. Walgreens

To be America’s most-loved pharmacy-led health, well-being and beauty company.”

27. Warby Parker

To offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses.”

To lead the way to a healthier world. By carrying out this vision at every level of our organization, we will be recognized by our employees, customers and shareholders as the best pharmaceutical company in the world, resulting in value for all”

To entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds and innovative technologies that make ours the world’s premier entertainment company.”

30. Coca-Cola

Our vision is to craft the brands and choice of drinks that people love, to refresh them in body and spirit.”

31. Mondelez Internationals

To empower people to snack right. We will lead the future of snacking around the world by offering the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way.”

Visions Statements Ideas for Different Businesses

As you have read above the several examples of the vision statements used by real companies, you may have gotten an idea of how to make the one for your own business. Following are the vision statement ideas for the different businesses.

1. Product-based Company

Our goal is that every men/women use our product”

2. Spa and Saloon

To provide the best services and comfort that will bring the clients back again and again”

To make the nation fit and healthy”

4. Service-based Company

To help people solve their business problems by providing the best and affordable solution”

5. Restaurants

To provide the best and quality food”

6. E-commerce

We aim to provide our clients the best shopping experience by providing them easy, secure and fast delivery”

7. Beauty Parlour

We provide the comfortable and friendly atmosphere at the affordable price that will make you glow both inside and out”

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More From Forbes

Simple guide to creating a compelling mission and vision statement.

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Handwriting text What's Your Mission Question with chalk marker on blackboard. Business Concept.

Any business with goals needs a destination—the ultimate place where the business owner can see that their efforts and dreams come true And they are fulfilling the promise they made when they started the business.

The mission and vision statements are clear statements of purpose, value, and facts that explain what a company provides to its market and why. They also outline what the company will look like when it has reached its goals.

In this guide, I will roadmap how to create a compelling mission and vision statement that you can build systems and processes around and get buy-in from employees, customers, and investors.

Phase One: Blueprinting The Mission And Vision

First, Let's define a basic framework of a mission and vision.

Mission Statement: Describe your business' current purpose

Vision Statement: This represents your business' desired future and what you look like when you are ultimately successful.

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There are four questions you must answer to build out your mission and vision:

1) What core values drive your business? It would be best to reflect on your business's foundation and why you started it. What drives you to do what you do every day, and what makes you the best at what you do?

2) Who are your key stakeholders? Consider who the business intends to serve and who is interested in your services or product. What makes their lives better by having you in it?

3) What change do you want to bring about through your business? You may not think of your business as a game changer in society, but the root definition of a business is an enterprise that generates profit for members of society. How will your business impact the larger society?

4) Where do you see your business in 5, 10, or 15 years? Map out the long-term trajectory of your business and ultimate aspirations. How much revenue will you generate? How many customers do you need to serve to reach that revenue?

Once you have compiled your thoughts on the above road mapping questions, you need to create a simple and straightforward statement that includes elements of each question. Your statement should be a sentence at maximum.

Avoid generic terms like best, quality, service, or leading unless they qualify for a specific context. Words like cutting-edge, industry-leading, or world-class can only be accurate if you are in one of these categories.

Phase Two: Optimizing And Fine-Tuning Your Mission Statement

In phase two, you have to test what you came up with in phase one. You can do this by eliciting feedback loops from employees and customers to ensure that your mission and vision statements are clearly understood.

Develop a feedback form from Survey Monkey or Google Forms to send to your target market so they can give unfiltered advice without you being present. Creating the feedback loop will allow them to offer advice without the pressure of having you present.

Once you have gathered feedback from your target market, create a brainstorming session. Based on the collected information, you will further iterate.

Ensure you review your mission and vision statement annually with your employees so you can help them understand the why behind their jobs.

Phase Three: Implementing and Living Your Mission And Vision

It's time to implement your mission and vision statements in the company culture. Your mission and vision are the backbone of every decision you make for the company moving forward, as well as how you will assess the performance of your team members.

There are five ways you can implement the mission and vision into your business successfully:

1) Regular discussions: Host monthly or quarterly meetings focusing on aligning your teams' activities with your mission and vision

2) Onboarding process: New employees should receive a handbook or guide showing the company's culture and what it means to contribute and be part of it.

3) Reward system: Implement a rewards-based system where employees who exemplify the mission and vision the best are rewarded

4) Storytelling: Create stories and have a wall of fame where employees who go above and beyond are recognized for their efforts for all to see

5) Feedback mechanism: Create an open source to receive feedback regularly from employees and customers to monitor how the delivery of your mission and vision is throughout the company and the marketplace

Having a solid mission and vision in place means more than crafting a well-written sentence about who you are. The mission and vision are all-encompassing; they are your raison d'être.

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Create a business vision

A business vision is your goal for what your business will be in the future. It will align with your business goals and aspirations.

Your business vision is the formal way of communicating your business goals and commitments to others. The business vision statement should capture the key elements of what business success looks like to you.

Defining the business vision will guide you while you are planning to start a business and provide a sense of purpose and direction for your staff.

Business vision statements

The purpose of a business vision statement is to:

• define what the business does and why it is important
• inspire and create a sense of optimism about the business for the future.

Consider the following when creating your business vision statement:

• The business why —what is the purpose of the business? Why is the business important? Who thinks the business is important?
• The business what —what products or services does the business provide? What do you want the business to achieve? What do you want the business to look like in the future?

The business vision should be the starting point for business planning . The vision outlines the goals and aspirations for your business.

Examples of business vision statements

Large companies often have grand vision statements linked to large-scale global goals. But businesses of all sizes can benefit from a business vision statement.

Some examples of vision statements from global companies and small businesses with local goals are:

• 'Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.' (LinkedIn)
• 'To accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy' (Tesla)
• 'There will be a personal computer on every desk running Microsoft software.' (Microsoft's original vision statement)
• 'To create a better everyday life for the many people.' (Ikea)
• 'To build a community of coffee lovers in Rockhampton, by serving the best coffee at the best possible prices.' (Local café)
• 'Our salon will change the way you think about a haircut, and leave you glowing both inside and out.' (Local hairdresser)

Writing a business vision statement

The following steps can help you write a business vision statement for your business.

• Develop your vision (with co-owners or partners), or invite staff, business advisers and mentors to a business vision workshop.
• Start by considering the 'why' of the business. Clearly define why the business matters to staff and customers.
• Consider the 'what' of the business. Clearly define what the business does (e.g. what are the business products and services?).
• Try using our business model canvas to capture all the key points that can help you identify what to include in your vision statement.
• Summarise the why and what into a single statement (1 to 2 sentences).
• Ensure that the statement is clear and concise, written in plain English and easy for someone outside of the business to interpret.
• displaying the vision statement in staff common areas
• including it in your code of conduct and other key policy documents
• using it as a tool in staff performance review
• displaying it publicly (e.g. in marketing material and on your website).
• Review and update your vision statement as needed. It can help to test the vision statement with business contacts, friends or at business networks. Respond to feedback and review and adjust the statement as required.

Tips for business vision statement writing

These tips can help you develop a high-impact business vision statement.

• Align it with the broader goals, values and mission of your business.
• Avoid too many inclusions—don't obscure the message or clutter the statement with too much detail.
• Keep the statement short—it should say a lot in few words.
• Ensure that it covers the key purpose of your business.
• Make it passionate, powerful and memorable.
• Ensure that the vision is realistic in terms of resources, capabilities and growth potential. Be aspirational but not unrealistic.
• Use language that is clear, concise and free of jargon.
• Aim to make it inspiring and motivating—it should capture the audience's attention and prompt them to action.

A vision statement should be used across various areas of your business, including any brand development and marketing strategies , as well as part of your staff induction and with customers and suppliers.

Learn more about planning for the future of your business with free and short online courses through the Back to Work program.

Template for business vision statement

Use the following template to help you create a business vision statement.

Also consider...

• Learn about establishing business values .
• Read about writing a business plan .
• Explore business processes, procedures and standards .
• Last reviewed: 8 Dec 2022
• Last updated: 30 May 2024

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The Keys to Writing a Company Vision Statement

How to Define and Convey Your Company's Vision

The Purpose of a Vision Statement

Who is the vision statement for.

• Vision vs. Mission Statement
• Writing Your Own Vision Statement
• Brainstorming With Stakeholders

What to Avoid

Frequently asked questions.

Daniel Truta/Getty Images

A vision statement is an important part of a company's business plan. A good vision statement should show others what your hope for the company is, and the direction you want to go in.

Key Takeaways

• Your vision statement should state your ultimate goal for the company
• Your vision statement should be optimistic, but realistic
• You can work on your vision statement with other stakeholders in your company and ask for their input

Even though a vision statement has to be general, it should indicate more excitement about the entrepreneur's dream of where the company's goals will take it several years in the future. The vision statement should define, in general, a company's planned future based on its core ideals.

Strategizing

A vision statement should be a long-term roadmap for the planning and accomplishment of a company's overall strategies. Company strategies are the actions taken to maximize the value of the business through controlling variables like the risk a company will assume to earn more return and how the resources available to the company are spread across it. Company strategies take a business-wide approach rather than looking at individual parts of the business. A company's strategies are the actions it takes to accomplish its vision.

A company's vision statement shows the passion the entrepreneur has for a new venture. If a business owner is trying to attract investors for the business, like venture capitalists or angel investors , those types of investors look for passion and excitement. They want the entrepreneur to be engaged in and passionate about the business in which they are investing, otherwise, they may not invest.

The vision statement should be a forward-looking statement about what the company hopes to ultimately achieve. Bankers and other investors often see vision statements that say, "Our company wants to be number one in the industry," or something similar to that. Such a statement leaves investors and financiers unimpressed. They are looking for more passion, excitement, and determination in a vision statement.

The vision statement isn't just for investors and financiers. It is the guiding principle the company shows to the world and all the company stakeholders.

Stakeholders also include the company's customers and its employees. Portions of the company vision statement are sometimes used in the company's advertising. When customers hear a vision statement, they should be able to identify the firm in a positive manner.

Employees feel better when they can identify with their employer's vision statement. Instead of just working for a paycheck, employees who believe in the company's vision statement will bring more dedication to the job. The difference in their engagement is measurable.

Vision Statement vs. Mission Statement

There is a difference between a company vision statement and its mission statement . The vision statement is where you articulate the overall goals of the company in the long run. The mission statement describes the company's purpose and direction for employees, customers, and other interested parties.

Writing Your Own Company Vision Statement

An entrepreneur can write the company vision statement, but it may be helpful to get input from a partner, board of directors, or other stakeholders. If you have a few people in your company, the best way to write a company vision statement is to brainstorm ideas.

You will be surprised at the plethora of useful and creative input you will get. Get everyone in your company together, tell them what you are doing, and start brainstorming. In order to write a vision statement, keep in mind the company's values statement . The company values statement defines the beliefs and principles by which you will operate your business.

The vision statement has to be in line with your company values statement.

Keep your vision statement optimistic but based in reality.

Brainstorming With Stakeholders

If you're writing your vision statement, there are some questions you should ask if you want to get input from other stakeholders in the business. The answers may become your vision statement.

• Question 1: What do you think the founder’s dream for the company is?
• Question 2: What should the company’s role in the world be?
• Question 3: What short phrases do you think should define the company’s future vision?
• Question 4: What do you think the vision should be for the company in three to five years?

There are several common mistakes sometimes made when vision statements are developed. Avoid the following mistakes:

• Don't engage in fantasy : A vision statement can incorporate an entrepreneur's dream while dealing with reality.
• Don't get too specific : A vision statement should be general in nature and illustrate the dream behind the business.
• Don't leave out input from other stakeholders : Other stakeholders like financiers, the board of directors, and even employees could give you valuable input for your vision statement.

What are 3 guidelines for a vision statement?

You should make sure that your company's vision statement will inspire employees, potential investors, and other key stakeholders. A vision statement should also define where your company is heading and be in alignment with the company's culture and values.

How do you brainstorm a vision statement?

When coming up with a vision statement, you should ask yourself some questions and write down the answers. First, write down what your dream for the company is and what the company's role in the world should be. Then write down any short phrases you think define the company's future, and what you think the vision should be for the company in three to five years.

SHRM. " What is the difference between mission, vision and values statements ?"

What is a vision statement?

Based on your goals and aspirations, a vision is the desired image of what you want your business to become in the future.

A vision statement provides you and your employees with direction, purpose, motivation and inspiration to achieve the desired outcome for your business.

What is the purpose of a vision statement?

A vision statement is an important part of your business strategy. It provides you with insights on where your business is heading by providing long-term direction. Your vision statement also aligns with the mission, core values and culture of your business.

A vision statement answers three key questions:

• Where do you want your business to be in the future?
• What is the purpose of your business?
• What impacts do you want your business to have on your customers, community and/or the world?

How to create a vision statement

Each business has a unique vision statement, but the process of preparing and writing a vision statement is similar for most of them. Let us look at some steps that will help you prepare a vision statement.

Writing a vision statement requires analysing both internal and external aspects of your business as well as the current state of your business and where you want it to be in the future.

Your vision should be aligned to fundamental aspects of your business. Answer the following questions to assist you with this process:

• What are the core values of your business?
• What is your business mission?
• What is the business culture that you want to cultivate?
• What are your business’s current and future goals?
• Where do you see your business in ten years' time?

Brainstorming

It’s important to get your staff involved in brainstorming and sharing ideas for a vision statement. Key staff can provide helpful insights on the business aspects mentioned above and the brainstorming process creates a sense of shared purpose, cohesiveness and direction.

Components of a good vision statement

Now that you have your answers ready, it’s time to develop your vision statement. Before you start writing, consider the following components which will aid you in writing an effective statement.

Make sure your vision statement is:

• concise and clear (make the vision statement simple and easy to read)
• brief (stick to the essentials)
• future-oriented (a vision statement focuses on the future long-term goals and destination)
• ambitious but realistic (keep in mind your resources)
• inspiring and emotive (you want the vision statement to inspire and motivate people).

Examples of vision statements

Regardless of your business size or industry, a vision statement tells you where you want your business to be in the future and clarifies the path forward to achieve your objectives. Below are some examples of vision statements from businesses:

Using your business vision statement

As your business grows and expands, revisiting your vision statement can provide you with insights into the direction your business is going and whether you are on the right path to achieving your desired aspirations.

You can also use your vision statement in your marketing and promotional materials, either by having it on display in your place of business, posted on the business webpage/social media accounts, or incorporated as part of your business brand.

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The future of Gloucester

Gloucester city centre vision 2023 - 2028.

The Gloucester City Centre Commission undertook the preparation of a vision for the city centre during 2022, drawing on the input of a broad range of local stakeholders and national expertise. It describes a modern place that builds on Gloucester’s current and ongoing regeneration successes and tackles the underlying problems and issues affecting the city centre.  The Vision was endorsed by the City Council at a meeting of Cabinet in March 2023, and it underpins future strategies as well as bids for external funding. 

At its heart it describes:

By 2028 Gloucester city centre will be an attractive, safe and vibrant place where people come together, and enterprise and nature thrive.

It will be transformed from a centre based on traditional retail to one that is repopulated with residents, workers and visitors enjoying a variety of experiences throughout the day and night. Business will sit at its heart with a diverse community of small businesses in growing sectors of the economy.

It will be full of nature, with accessible green spaces within and adjacent to the city centre, and well-designed development playing its part towards reaching zero carbon.

Above all it will be Gloucester – proud of its unique heritage, culture and identity.

Gloucester Growth Plan

The City Council is currently drafting a Growth Plan that will set out how the City Council and its partners intend to deliver the city’s growth agenda. The draft will be completed in early 2025 and will then be subject to consultation with local stakeholders, including businesses and partner organisations.

If you would like to receive further information on business matters in the city, or if you have any further questions about this strategy, please email us at [email protected] .

Further Links

Gloucester City Centre Vision : Your city. Your say.