I have prepared a workbook for today’s lesson that will walk you through a few simple exercises and help you define your vision, mission statement, values and elevator pitch. I recommend you read through the lesson first, and then download the workbook to get to work .

Your vision

“My vision? What is that?” – you’re wondering. Fair enough, it sounds a bit whoowhoo, but stay with me. It’s important.

Your vision is your “master plan”. It is where you see your business heading and what you want to accomplish with or through it: what success looks like, what positive impact it will have.

It’s important because along the bumpy road that is entrepreneurship and while you work hard at growing your online shop, you might lose track of why you even started your business in the first place.

Connecting with your vision will help you work meaningfully and make sure the decisions you make along the way align with what you wanted in the first place.

If you are a solopreneur, your vision is probably a mix of professional goals and personal achievements, which is fine. Don’t pull your hair out trying to come up with something that everyone could relate to. Rather, try to be as truthful as you can with yourself.

Your mission statement

A mission statement is a short proclamation of what your business does, and why people should buy from you. It helps you clarify your goals and tells your customers what makes your business unique.

A great mission statement defines clearly what the shop specializes in and stands for. Your mission statement is the foundation of your brand. You won’t get brand clarity unless you have defined exactly what it is you do and why you do it. Everything else comes/flows from there: your ideal customers, your product collections, your materials, your price range… everything!

Not only it helps you get clear on what your business is all about, it also helps your customers identify to your core values. This is a must to create raving fans and repeat customers that will work at promoting your shop for you.

Your business values

Business values are like personal values: they define the type of business you want to build by describing your culture, your priorities, your ethics.

If your vision is the WHY, and your mission statement the WHAT, then your values are the HOW of your business: How you interact with your customers and competitors, how you make decisions, etc. Your values are a reminder of what is important for your business and what isn’t, so you won’t lose your sense of ethics while pursuing your vision.

Your elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is a quick summary of what your business/shop is all about. Think of it as a quick way to introduce yourself and your business to someone that you have never met before.

Of course, I do not recommend you turn into a robot and just repeat each time the same exact sentence. You should always adapt it depending on who you are talking to and what context you’re in.

Saying that, it’s good to have at least an idea of how you can introduce your shop so that you’re not taken by surprise and end up saying something like:

“ Huh…I sell jewelry on the internet. That like.. I make myself at home. In my studio.”

Instead, it would be better to say something more like:

“ I design and handcraft minimalist jewelry made with opal stones and sterling silver. I use only recycled sterling silver and raw materials and specializes in custom wedding and engagement rings.”

Crafting an elevator pitch will help you speak confidently about your business and sound more professional.

Before moving on to lesson 3, complete the checklist from today’s lesson!