How Big Is Your Vision? Setting Hard-to-Attain Business Goals.

Third in a series

What’s your goal? “Make money” surely is the knee-jerk response. But stopping there is a short-sighted mistake that will limit you in the long run. Here’s why:
 
Working for someone else’s organization is an easier way to make money. You collect a paycheck and have none of the headaches that come with being the boss, such as cash flow, bookkeeping, government filing, and all the rest of it. But no, you decided to become a business owner. Why? 
 
Something excited you! You were excited enough to want to do this every day and so you jumped in and started doing it. Most small biz owners get overwhelmed quickly by the day-to-day operations and barely manage to set short-term targets, let alone long-term goals. And, unfortunately, their original vision often gets lost in the noise.
 
Last time, we talked about how writing – and following – a Mission Statement keeps the whole team moving along the same road toward a common destination. But while the mission statement is the road, the Vision Statement is the horizon. A Vision Statement is more motivational, the “why” you are all traveling that road and what you hope to achieve at journey’s end. 
 
To be honest, you may never reach the end of the journey. And that’s okay. You’ve seen this saying on memes and posters forever, but it’s a good illustration of how to craft a Vision Statement:
 
    Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.
 
So, look back to what excited you enough to start your own business. How is your business going to change your life or change the world? Think big! Inspire yourself!
 
We have always had a Mission Statement, but this year, the Sprocket Websites team took time to craft a Vision Statement as well. We looked back at our motivations in 2010 when we launched the business. We discussed how the industry has changed and how we have changed. We dreamed a little about the possibilities ahead. Then we rolled it all together and came up with this:
 
    Sprocket Websites aspires to develop a scalable organization that builds long-term relationships with customers by providing them ongoing internet marketing services so that they compete and even thrive in the digital landscape.
 
Although it won’t be easy, this vision is possible, and even if we don’t hit the moon, the stars will be worth the effort. There’s no time frame for this vision and no milestones to reach. Those will come as we set short-term and long-range goals, which is next on the agenda. Our intention is to complete those goals by experimenting with a variety of digital marketing tools so you can see how to use them for your own goals. 
 
Have you set this year’s goals yet? Are they in line with your business’s Vision and Mission statements? Do you even have your Vision and Mission statements? It’s so important to complete this exercise before starting a marketing campaign so you don’t waste your money aiming for the wrong targets. We have checklists and worksheets that can help you think it through. Can’t wait for the next report? Give us a call today to learn more.  

Photo by Isandréa Carla

Kate GingoldKate Gingold

I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.

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I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.

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