How to Write a Mission Statement for a Consulting Company

Consulting companies cover many areas, but it is difficult to pin down a mission statement that differentiates one company from another. By taking a broader look at the process, you can create a mission statement that shows the uniqueness of your business.

To write a mission statement for a consulting company:

• Set aside enough time to brainstorm
• Identify key elements
• Construct a rough draft
• Get employee input
• Refine the mission statement
• Adjust as needed

In this article, we look at the key elements that make up a mission statement and explore what you need to keep in mind through the process. Exploring the depth of the process through ‌the scope of a consulting company will help you construct an effective and authentic mission statement.

Key Elements of a Mission Statement

Every mission statement, regardless of industry, needs to establish:

• Values
• Inspiration
• Goals

These aspects allow the company to explain their position in just a few words, and getting a clear idea early on makes the process much easier.

Company Values

There are several things that a business can value, but your job is to determine what is at the core of your consulting company. Some examples include:

• Loyalty
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Simplicity
• Respect

Your company values should include what is important to you, as well as what is important to your ideal clients. This creates a common ground for you to meet on, and it helps you get in touch with like-minded individuals.

Properly identifying values helps you stand out from the competition and lets clients and potential employees know that your business goes beyond money matters.

What Type of Funding is Available for Small Businesses?

Company Inspiration

Your company takes inspiration from certain outlets, but it also seeks to inspire in certain ways.

Identifying where your company draws inspiration from helps you understand where you come from and what fuels your business. You can always lean back on these sources when you need a larger push writing your mission statement.

Understanding what you want to inspire in clients, employees, and the public can also help you identify what message you want to convey in your mission statement.

Reasonable Goals

Goals go beyond inspiration. These should be measurable goals that you know your company can achieve, such as a specific number of clients or a certain level of satisfaction.

Your mission statement paves the way to meeting these goals, and you need to make sure it sets you off on the right path. It helps get everyone on the same page and ensures that you travel in the same direction to meet the same goals.

You may not need to state these goals in your mission statement, but they should be linked.

What to Consider When Writing a Mission Statement

Mission statements are very short in comparison to other company statements, but you need to identify:

• What your company does
• How your company conducts business
• Why your company exists

The most effective mission statements give the public at least a general understanding of these things.

What Your Company Does

The most obvious answer to this is “consulting”, but you need to lean back on your key elements and identify the value in what your company does.

You might have a consulting company, but magnify the “what” to establish what separates you from the competition.

Is your business:

• Based on providing professional input or guidance?
• Well equipped to provide actionable solutions?
• Working in a specific industry?

You can be as specific as you need to establish your “what”, but make sure you have your answer.

How Your Company Conducts Business

You do not need to set out a step-by-step process, but a general explanation of operations will help you attract the right business. This might include:

• Quality customer service
• Quick communication
• Equal access
• Creative solutions

While all of these are desirable, be honest about what processes are most important to your company. Try to pick one or two to showcase.

Why Your Company Exists

This is the more emotional answer.

You meet a need when you start a consulting company, but what drives you to conduct business? What makes the existence of your company different from others?

This is where you identify what sparks the passion for the business you conduct. This might be:

• A specific event that triggered your passion
• A unmet need you noticed
• An innate desire to build others

There is no wrong answer, but this can help drive your mission statement home.

The Process for Writing a Consulting Company Mission Statement

The general process for writing a mission statement includes:

• Prep work
• Rough drafting
• Feedback
• Fine tuning

As long as you have identified all key elements and understand the core of your consulting company, writing your mission statement is not difficult.

Prep Work

Start by getting all the information out on paper if you haven’t already. The visualization of each part can help you identify connections and give you a specific document to refer back to.

You can list notes in an outline or a visual organizer, but choose a method that works best for your mind.

Rough Draft

In your rough draft, you should answer these questions outright:

• What does your company provide?
• How does your company provide these things?
• How is your company unique?

While your answers might look harsh, they provide you with a rigid guideline you can share with others and easily modify.

How Do You Start a Business Plan?

Feedback

You are not the only person involved in your business. Share your answers with members of all levels, including:

• Business partners
• Investors
• Employees

It is important to make sure everyone is on the same page before you finalize your mission statement. We like to believe that everyone can read our minds, but this assumption is dangerous when constructing a company-wide mission statement.

Fine Tuning

This is where you turn your rigid answers into a smooth, simple mission statement. Make sure you do not erase any cornerstones of your company as you improve the readability, and get feedback on the final product.

While many mission statements end up poetic and poignant, this is not necessary. You can easily have a statement that explains your core values and direction without relying on prose, and it may be the most effective way to communicate to potential clients.

Basic Tips When Writing a Consulting Company Mission Statement

Writing a mission statement is not too difficult, but the task is usually under a lot of pressure. Keeping your purpose in mind is essential to writing an effective mission statement, but understand that:

• Mission statements are short.
• Mission statements are general.
• Mission statements affect the entire company.

This alleviates some of the pressure you have, and it helps you create the best version of a mission statement you can.

Keep it Short

Your mission statement is not an essay, and you can always elaborate on it in different areas of your business. A mission statement may not be a slogan, but it should be short enough to live in the mind effortlessly.

Most mission statements fit into one sentence, but some companies require more space. Try to keep yours under four lines; anything longer is more likely to lose attention.

Think Generally

Your mission statement should be as evergreen as possible. It needs to apply to a variety of situations, and it needs to cover your company as it grows.

While no mission statement is set in stone, you do not want to include anything that limits your business. Leave behind specifics like dates or locations; your business might expand beyond these borders.

Do Not Skip Employee Input

The task does not lay solely on you. Anyone involved in the mission of your company should have a say in your mission statement.

Let others help you identify key elements, or at least give them the opportunity to review the mission statement you draft.

Failing to do this can result in a mission statement that does not represent everyone, and it is more likely to deviate from company goals and positions as time goes on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a mission statement important?

A mission statement is a quick and easy way to explain company personality. It showcases what the company values and how it moves through society without requiring an in-depth analysis.

How often should you change your mission statement?

While mission statements should be general enough to grow with your company, make sure you revisit the statement often. This might be every six months to start, and then yearly after your company is established.

You should change your mission statement when you feel it no longer matches the company. If your consulting company moves in a different direction, you do not want to misrepresent the business with an outdated statement.

Is it better to outsource ‌writing a mission statement?

If you can handle the work of writing a mission statement, it is usually better to keep this task as close to home as possible. A company’s mission statement is incredibly personal. If you‌ decide to outsource, make sure you are involved in the writing process and provide as much information as possible.

To learn more on how to plan your own consulting company business click here!

Please note that the contents of this blog are for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Any action taken based on the information provided in this blog is solely at your own risk. Additionally, all images used in this blog are generated under the CC0 license of Creative Commons, which means they are free to use for any purpose without attribution.