Business Plans For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Chapter 4

Charting the Proper Course

IN THIS CHAPTER

Putting together a mission statement

Tying strategic goals to your mission

Setting goals and objectives that make good business sense

In Chapter 3 we show you how to create your vision statement. That exercise is focused on the aspirational aspects of your business. When done right, it allows you to define a future that comes from the heart, inspiring your co-workers as well as customers, suppliers, and just about everyone else in your stakeholder network to act in a manner that reflects the core values of your organization. Now it’s time to fire up those brain cells and get down to the specifics of just what you plan to do in the here and now that will bring in the customers and light up the cash register.

This is done through your mission statement. You probably already have a pretty good idea of what you want your business to become. But how do you make your idea a reality? You start by defining the business activities that your company plans to engage in, the goals that you expect to meet, and the ways in which you’re going to measure success.

In this chapter, we help you create a basic overview of your company and its activities, ...