This article is the second in our series on the building blocks of a successful business. You can read the first article here.

If purpose is your business’ “Why,” then mission is its “How.”

As you may recall from our last issue, purpose sets your business’ direction. It is the driving force behind some of the most important decisions you’ll make as a business owner. However, purpose is not something that can be fulfilled or accomplished. That is why discovering purpose is only the first step. Next, you must craft your company’s mission statement.

Mission is what you use to measure how well you are moving toward your purpose.

Think of purpose as a cardinal direction, such as “West.” You can travel west for an eternity, but it is not a final destination. What measures your success and your impact is not reaching your purpose. Instead, it is the pace at which you travel. Just as you can travel towards West at 1 MPH or 1,000 MPH, your business can move towards its purpose at a slow or fast pace.

Mission is what you use to measure how well you are moving toward your purpose. For example, let’s say your purpose statement is, “We will dazzle our customers with outstanding lighting designs.” Although you have a lot of leeway with that purpose statement, it sets confines and kickstarts discussion about how well you’re doing. Although you’re moving toward your purpose if you work all year and end up dazzling two of your customers, your business won’t be around for long at that pace.

You want your mission to stretch you. This is where your BHAG comes into play. Your Big Hairy Audacious Goal should be something that’s achievable, but also challenges you to work harder and smarter to obtain it. It could include a dollar amount (“Our mission for 2018 is to make $1,000,000 in sales”). It could include a number of installations (“Our mission for 2018 is to complete 300 installations”). There are so many possibilities, but it’s up to you to figure out what’s right for your company.

Once you have your mission set, you are better equipped to plan out the steps to achieve it. In order to fulfill your mission, you may need to hire more technicians, buy a new truck, or launch a new marketing campaign. After you’ve come up with three or four actionable steps, you’re on your way to effectively completing your mission and pursuing your purpose.

There may be bumps along the way, but when you set goals and you have a clear idea of where you’re going with your business, you’ll be able to achieve more.

Damien Sanchez – Co-Owner

This article appeared in the sixth issue of our newsletter.