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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.

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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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Home » Business Plans

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

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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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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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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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.

More Resources

To learn more about strategy, check out our Corporate & Business Strategy course , which covers all important terminologies and theories on strategy and demonstrates the whole strategic analysis process.

Additional relevant CFI resources include:

• Strategic Analysis
• Mission Statement
• SWOT Analysis
• All Strategy Resources
• See all management & strategy resources

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Small Business Trends

What is a vision statement and how to write one (+examples and template).

If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more .

A vision statement is an integral part of the foundation of any business. A well-crafted vision statement should be inspiring, meaningful, and easy to remember while clarifying the organization’s ambitions and values.

In this article, we will examine what exactly a vision statement is, explore how to write one effectively, and provide access to examples and templates to help you get started. Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

What is a Vision Statement?

A company vision statement is a crucial element in defining an organization’s identity and aspirations. It is an important cornerstone that informs a company’s strategy, operations, and culture. Here is an expanded explanation of what a vision statement is:

• Declaration of Purpose : A vision statement is a declaration of an organization’s mission and purpose. It outlines the company’s primary objectives and provides an overview of its ultimate goals. This helps inform all business decisions and strategies, ensuring that they align with the company’s purpose.
• Represents Brand Values : The vision statement embodies the brand values that the organization upholds. It communicates what the company stands for and believes in, helping to establish its reputation and image in the eyes of stakeholders.
• Identifies Desired End State : A vision statement clearly identifies the desired end-state of the business. It describes where the company aspires to be in the future, serving as a beacon to guide all its efforts.
• Road Map for Future Goals : The vision statement acts as a road map for how to achieve the organization’s future goals. It’s not overly specific, leaving room for innovation and adaptation as the business environment changes. This general but forward-looking nature distinguishes it from a business plan, which tends to be more detailed and specific.
• Inspires and Motivates : An effective vision statement is inspiring, motivating employees, customers, and stakeholders alike. It paints an optimistic picture of the company’s future, stirring enthusiasm and commitment among those associated with the company.
• Provides Direction and Clarity : A vision statement provides direction and clarity to stakeholders, helping them understand what the company aims to achieve in the long run. This clear sense of direction can be a powerful tool in decision making and strategy formulation.
• Brief and Memorable : Ideally, a vision statement should be brief and memorable so that it can be easily communicated and understood. This ensures that it remains at the forefront of everyone’s mind, acting as a constant reminder of the company’s ultimate goals.

When you write a business plan , it should be more detailed and concrete, providing the specific steps your company will take to achieve the goals outlined in your vision statement. It should articulate the path towards the company’s vision, outlining the strategies, tactics, and resources needed to get there. Thus, a vision statement is not only a reflection of a company’s aspirations but also a key component that shapes its future actions and strategies.

How to Write a Vision Statement

Writing a vision statement can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step and equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to write an effective, inspiring vision statement.

Step 1: Identify Your Goals

The first step in writing a vision statement is to identify your long-term goals for the company. You may refer to your business plan, mission, and personal brand statement for ideas. The following questions can also help you identify relevant points. What do you want to achieve? What does success look like three, five, or ten years from now? These questions will help you define the core purpose of your business.

It’s also important to consider any short-term objectives or milestones that have been set. You may find that some objectives are more achievable than others and must be adjusted accordingly. By taking this into account, you can create a realistic yet ambitious vision statement that will keep everyone motivated throughout the journey.

Step 2: Gather Input From Others

Once you’ve identified your goals, it’s time to get input from other stakeholders in the company such as employees, customers, and shareholders. Ask them what they think should be included in the vision statement and how they would like to see their individual contributions reflected in it.

Gathering input from others helps provide perspective on different aspects of your business and ensures that everyone is working towards the same end goal.

Step 3: Write It Down

Now comes the fun part – writing down your vision statement! Start by summarizing what you’ve learned so far such as what are your core values as a business, who are your customers, what you offer them, and where you want to go in the future.

Be sure to use concise language that speaks directly to these topics, as well as evokes emotion by showcasing why this journey matters for both yourself and those involved with you along the way.

Step 4: Finalize & Publish Your Vision Statement

When crafting and editing your vision statement, make sure it’s something you can easily explain and believe in wholeheartedly. This is key for providing direction when making decisions down the line.

Once finalized, don’t forget to share it with all stakeholders so that everyone knows what lies ahead and how they can contribute towards achieving those goals. By keeping the vision statement visible and alive, it will serve as a reminder of the company’s purpose and inspire everyone to keep pushing forward.

Vision Statement Template

A vision statement template provides a framework for creating an inspiring and effective vision statement. It asks questions about your company’s goals, values, and intended audience to help you create a statement that is meaningful and motivating.

Once you have answered the questions in the template, you can fill in the necessary sections in the template below to form the statement itself.

Our vision is to (describe goal/long-term objective) , while providing (describe services provided) , as well as striving towards (describe values) . We will inspire our (audience) by upholding our commitment to (list specific objectives or values) , ultimately leading to our success in achieving (key results or desired outcomes) .

22 Vision Statement Examples

How are some of the world’s most successful organizations defining their own visions? What do you think of their inspiring vision statements?

Check out the following 22 examples of good vision statements from famous companies that you can use as inspiration to create your own vision statement:

Ikea’s vision statement reads , “Our vision is to create a better everyday life for many people.”

2. Linkedin

In its vision statement, LinkedIn defines what sets the company apart from other social media platforms when it says , “Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.”

3. Patagonia

Patagonia’s vision statement states : “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”

The Ford Motor Company’s vision statement says , “People working together as a lean, global enterprise to make people’s lives better through automotive and mobility leadership.”

5. Southwest Airlines

Southwest’s vision statement states , “To be the world’s most loved, most efficient, and most profitable airline.”

Tesla’s vision statement reads, “Create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world’s transition to electric vehicles.”

7. San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo’s vision statement says, “To become a world leader at connecting people to wildlife and conservation.”

8. The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy’s vision statement looks to the company’s future and encompasses its values : “To leave a sustainable world for future generations.”

9. AT&T

AT&T’s vision statement reads , “To build a new global communications network that allows human resources to reallocate to more complex and productive activities – within a decade.”

10. Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson uses the following vision statement to inspire healthier communities: “For every person to use their unique experiences and backgrounds, together – to spark solutions that create a better, healthier world.”

The BBC ‘s vision statement is short and sweet: “To be the most creative organization in the world.”

12. Ben & Jerry’s

Ben & Jerry’s defines its core values in the following mission statement: “Making the best ice cream in the nicest possible way.”

Short Business Vision Statement Examples

Creating a strong and concise vision statement can be difficult, even though the companies on our list make it look easy.

Here are some short business vision statement examples that you can use to model your own unique vision statement.

13. Feeding America

Feeding America’s short business vision statement describes the organization’s efforts: “A hunger-free America.”

The TED organization presents the world’s information and uses a short vision statement: “Spread ideas.”

Zoom’s short vision statement reads , “Video communications empowering people to accomplish more.”

Oxfam’s vision statement is simple and describes the company’s commitment: “A just world without poverty.”

17. Whole Foods

Whole Foods’ inspiring vision statement says , “To nourish people and the planet.”

In its vision statement, the world’s premier entertainment company says its vision is, “To be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information.”

Amazon’s vision statement shows the company isn’t afraid to dream big; it reads, “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.”

IBM uses a vision statement detailing its overarching vision, saying, “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.”

21. McDonald’s

McDonald’s vision statement describes its values : “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.”

22. Warby Parker

The Warby Parker vision statement confirms the company’s direction is to offer designer eyewear; it reads, “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.”

Why Vision Statements are so Important for Businesses

A vision statement is undeniably one of the vital parts of a strategic planning process in business. It serves as the guiding light, providing both direction and energy to all business operations. Here are the reasons why a vision plan is so important for businesses:

• Clear Direction : A vision statement provides a clear direction of where the organization wants to go. It outlines the end goal, helping employees understand the path the company is taking and align their individual efforts accordingly.
• Guidance and Motivation : Vision statements offer guidance to employees, stakeholders, and even customers about the long-term objectives of the organization. They are inspirational, meant to encourage and motivate everyone involved with the company.
• Foundation for Marketing Plan : A vision statement can serve as the basis for your company’s marketing plan . It can inform branding, messaging, and strategic initiatives, ensuring your marketing efforts are aligned with your company’s future goals.
• Informs the Action Plan : A vision statement supports the company’s action plan. By clarifying the ultimate goal, it ensures that all new initiatives and strategies are supporting the company’s vision. This helps maintain coherence and focus in the business operations.
• Decision-Making Tool : Having a vision statement simplifies decision-making processes. When faced with options, the question becomes, “Which choice better aligns with our vision?” This can prevent the company from straying off course or getting distracted by short-term gains.
• Sets Expectations and Energizes Teams : A strong vision statement creates a sense of purpose, stimulates commitment, and energizes teams to work towards the set vision. It can help in building a unified team working in sync for a common goal.
• Enhances Business Growth and Success : A well-defined vision statement sets the stage for business growth and success. It helps in identifying opportunities, improving performance, and inspiring innovation, all crucial for the company’s expansion and profitability.

Thus, having a well-crafted vision statement is not just a good practice, but a necessity for any business aiming for long-term success. It serves as a constant reminder of what the company wants to achieve, steering all business operations in the same direction.

Mission Statement Vs Vision Statement

The company mission statement and the vision statement are two distinct concepts, but both mission and vision statements have one major thing in common – they are each used to define the future goals and values of a business.

A company’s mission statement describes what an organization does in the present day, while a vision statement outlines an ambitious goal for what it wishes to achieve in the next five to ten years.

Both vision and mission statements should be concise, inspiring, and achievable, enabling everyone in the organization to share a unified purpose and move forward together toward success.

Characteristics of Amazing Vision Statements

A vision statement is a guiding document that helps to articulate the future aspirations of an organization.

For example, the Starbucks vision statement is “To establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow.” A great vision statement should have four key characteristics:

Clarity is essential when crafting a compelling vision statement. It should communicate what the organization wants to accomplish in an easy-to-understand manner, avoiding any complex language or jargon.

Clarity allows everyone involved in the organization to clearly comprehend the what, why, and how of the statement and serves as a rallying cry for all stakeholders. A clear, concise, and compelling vision statement can help shape the direction of an organization for the better.

Having a focused vision statement is essential for any organization’s future aspirations. It should define the specific goals and objectives of the organization, and how they plan to achieve them.

It should also help make sure that everyone involved in the organization is on the same page and working towards a shared goal.

A focused vision statement should be detailed enough for people to understand what their role is in contributing to the success of the organization, but broad enough to leave room for growth and development.

Inspiration

Inspiration is a key component of an amazing vision statement. It allows the reader to get an idea of what the company stands for and why they are striving to reach its goals.

A great vision statement should inspire and motivate people to take action, while also providing a clear sense of direction. Inspiration can come from the company values, or from stories of real-world successes.

When done correctly, inspiring statements can help build trust and strengthen relationships between consumers and businesses.

Feasibility

Feasibility is an important characteristic of an amazing vision statement. The statement should be realistic and achievable, while still pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

The vision must have a balance between ambition and practicality to ensure that it will be taken seriously by stakeholders. It must also align with the company’s current capabilities and resources in order to be believable.

In addition, it should address any potential obstacles that may occur on the way to achieving the goals set by the vision.

Tips on How to Write a Good Vision Statement

How can you describe your entire business’s vision in just a few words? It is possible to create the perfect vision statement for your small business with creativity, focus, and effort. The following few tips for writing a vision statement should help:

• Don’t be afraid to dream big and focus on the future of your organization. What can the company be in the years to come? What do you want to be known for?
• Ensure that your vision statement reflects the core values and ethos of your business. It should be a true representation of what your business stands for and its fundamental beliefs.
• Make it memorable and bring inspiration. What sets your organization apart from the competition? Be sure and highlight what makes your small business unique, and choose a language that inspires those within the organization to achieve its goals.
• Highlight the impact you want your business to have on your customers, community, or even the world. This adds depth to your vision, showing that your goals extend beyond just profitability.
• While it’s important to dream big, your vision should still be within the realm of possibility. It should challenge and motivate your team but remain achievable.
• input from your employees or team members. Their insights can provide different perspectives and help craft a vision statement that resonates with everyone in the organization.
• Consider what makes your business different and superior to competitors. Your vision statement should mirror these unique aspects, setting you apart in the industry.
• Choose clear and specific language . Dreaming big doesn’t have to mean being vague, and the perfect vision statement should be specific enough to influence future decisions. Remember, you aren’t talking about the past, so be sure and write the vision statement in the present tense.
• Consider how you want your business to be remembered in the long term. A good vision statement often encapsulates the legacy you aim to leave.
• Your vision statement should be dynamic enough to evolve as your business grows and adapts to changing market conditions or customer needs.
•  After drafting your vision statement, test it with a small group of stakeholders. Gather feedback and refine the statement to ensure it clearly communicates your intended message and resonates with your audience.
• Keep it short . The best vision statements are not longer than a sentence or two, and many of the most memorable consist of just a few words.

Final Words

A well-crafted vision statement is a key component of any successful business. It outlines an inspiring goal that everyone in the organization can strive toward, provides guidance for decision-making, and helps to ensure that initiatives are focused on achieving the ultimate mission.

With some planning and creativity, anyone can craft a great vision statement using examples or templates as a starting point. When done right, it can ignite passion and motivation in employees and stakeholders alike – setting your business up for success.

However, if done incorrectly and without the proper care and consideration, it can do the opposite. So, take your time and create something that you and everyone else in your organization can believe in.

Image: Envato Elements

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