Your vision statement presents an aspirational outlook of your future goals for your small business. They tell the world where you want your brand to be after a certain time period, particularly the goals you’ve achieved and the impact you’ve made, all in a brief sentence or two. In this article, we cover 12 inspiring vision statement examples from small businesses, and why they work.
1. Anything With Plants
“Anything With Plants is the leading horticultural services company providing differentiated customer value and excellent results to our stakeholders.”
The vision statement of Anything with Plants (Source: Anything with Plants)
Especially for small businesses, vision statements should clearly define a desired outcome for the company. Anything With Plants’ vision statement is brief but still outlines the specific achievements they want to accomplish in the future.
This example works well primarily because of its precision and simplicity. It outlines strategies (differentiated customer value and excellent results) employees will employ, and thus also works as an effective marker of the business’ success.
2. Kaldi’s Coffee
“To be recognized and respected as one of the leading specialty coffee companies in the nation by providing an exceptional coffee experience to our customers and guests.”
Kaldi’s Coffee’s vision statement (Source: Kaldi’s Coffee)
Inspirational small business vision statement examples strike a balance between ambition and pragmatism. A good way of doing this is by identifying a specific niche within your broader industry and striving to build brand presence there, like with Kaldi’s Coffee’s vision statement.
The brand’s aspiration in the long term is to be recognized as a leading specialty coffee shop in the country. While this is an ambitious and inspirational goal to work toward, it remains realistic and within reach, primarily by sticking to its niche: specialty coffee. Overall, it balances being motivational while staying realistic—the perfect formula for a vision statement.
3. Foliée
“To elevate wellness and skincare for all by creating and providing exceptional quality, pure, organic plant-based products that are good for us and good for the planet.”
Foliée’s vision statement (Source: Foliée)
A good vision statement has a clear understanding of where the business is, where it’s headed in the future, and what is needed to achieve. Skincare brand Foliée has one of the best and most inspiring vision statement examples that illustrate this.
It starts by defining the brand’s long-term objective: to elevate wellness and skincare for all. Then, it follows it up with the specific strategies needed to achieve that aspiration—providing exceptional pure and organic products. Overall, it’s an effective approach for any small business: it works as a source of inspiration for long-term goals while helping guide internal business decisions.
Characteristics that differentiate your business from competitors (e.g., “organic, plant-based products” in the example above) lend well to defining your brand’s position in the marketplace. Read our list of brand positioning statement examples for more ideas.
4. Morsel
“To go beyond being an online retail platform to shaping a community where the defining pillar of our company is built on the idea of thoughtful & conscious consumption, one morsel at a time.”
Vision statement example from Morsel (Source: Morsel)
Business vision statements are essentially an ideal that all members of an organization share and work toward. For lifestyle brands, this ideal can come in the form of an aspirational lifestyle, as with that of Morsel. Morsel is a clothing and home goods store, but what makes it unique is its dedication to building a particular kind of lifestyle: one with thoughtful and conscious living.
The brand’s vision statement works especially well as it serves as a fundamental pillar to its overall identity, and directly aligns with its overall mission and advocacy. For more information about how to align mission and vision, read our article on how to write a mission statement, which includes a free template.
5. Pet Universe
“5 years from now, Pet Universe will be the ultimate professional veterinary practice that combines excellent healthcare delivered in a consistent, innovative, enjoyable, caring and pet-friendly way to create a value-for-money yet profitable and unforgettable service experience from our pet’s, client’s, staff’s, platinum partner’s, and owner’s points of view.”
Pet Universe’s timeline-based vision statement example (Source: Pet Universe)
Small business vision statements often outline the brand’s indicators of future success, including the timeline, as in the example above. Whereas your mission statement and core values encapsulate your business’ lifelong characteristics, your vision statement is a barometer you can look back on in the future to measure your success.
Pet Universe’s vision statement is an excellent example of this. Not only does it outline the specific goals they want to achieve and for whom it’ll matter, but it also includes a specific time frame in which to achieve them.
6. Hostal Grau
“Our planet is our home. This is why at Hostal Grau we are committed to being a 100% sustainable hotel and offering our guests everything they need for a unique experience. From the moment you step inside this hotel, a fresh home essential smell reminds you of a green natural landscape with some Mediterranean touch. Family-Homely-Green-Urban all in one ancient building that keeps its roots.”
Hostal Grau’s vision statement (Source: Hostal Grau)
For hospitality industry businesses like boutique hotels, success hinges on creating memorable, top-notch experiences—and this is often reflected in the establishment’s vision statement. Hostal Grau offers a good example of this. Its vision describes the kind of aspirational experience visitors should expect from the moment they enter the hotel.
This also makes it one of the most effective small business vision statement examples in terms of attention to detail. It gives clients a taste of what to expect from the business while serving as a guideline for staff members regarding the standards of service to maintain.
7. Mehera Shaw
“Our vision is born of a belief in human dignity, people helping people, and a market need for a well-designed, affordable and sustainable product.”
The vision statement of Mehera Shaw (Source: Mehera Shaw)
The most relatable vision statements have a fundamentally human core. A business that exemplifies this well is the textile brand Mehera Shaw. As a business, the brand operates on a people-centric approach within their operations, which is clearly outlined in its simple yet inspiring vision statement.
It’s effective because of its simplicity and serves as a pillar guiding all the business’ operations. Finally, it also integrates seamlessly with the brand’s mission and values, altogether creating a strong and distinct brand identity.
Mission statements offer the driving “why” behind a brand’s vision. See how they can work together seamlessly by checking our list of powerful small business mission statement examples.
8. James & Co.
“The leading sustainable fashion clothing brand with fashion products that radiate the impact of doing good for the environment, workers & animal kingdom – through the combination of zero-plastic sustainable textiles & eco-friendly processes with classic fashion style quality.”
James & Co.’s vision statement (Source: James & Co.)
Many small businesses have a long-term mission of furthering a particular advocacy, whether social, environmental, or cultural. Vision statements are often the best medium for brands to express their solutions to these issues, something that sustainable fashion brand James & Co. exemplifies to a tee.
Its mission as a business is to create sustainable, non-toxic fashion to overall help reduce environmental waste. Meanwhile, the branding vision statement clearly outlines the solutions they propose to this problem: creating zero-plastic textiles via eco-friendly processes.
9. Lager’s of Mankato
“Compete in our local market for new and used automobile and light truck sales, service, and replacement parts business. Build a solid reputation in the community for delivering honesty, integrity, and convenience in all business transactions.”
The vision statement of Lager’s of Mankato (Source: Lager’s of Mankato)
Lager’s of Mankato’s vision statement is divided into two parts. Its first sentence is a straightforward vision of what the company aspires to be as a business: competitive. The second part discusses the impact they want on the community, particularly the qualities the brand wants to be recognized for. This adds a more human touch that customers can connect with more easily.
10. Detroit Vegan Soul
“Based in Detroit, our national chain of restaurants in major urban markets across the US will change the perception of veganism and create a culture that understands the healing power of plant-based food. Our fun, warm, engaging staff will create experiences that ignite people’s curiosity and passion for discovering the benefits of flavorful, transformative plant-based food. We will create opportunities for staff not only to grow professionally but to evolve into more caring human beings.”
Detroit Vegan Soul’s vision statement. (Source: Detroit Vegan Soul)
Detroit Vegan Soul is inspiring due to its all-encompassing approach. The company’s vision statement references all the people involved, from staff members to customers, and outlines ideal outcomes on both fronts.
Moreover, it’s also anchored on a larger cause—changing public perception of veganism—and describes the ideal outcome of achieving that cause. In turn, this also makes it an effective source of inspiration for employees to work toward achieving.
11. Simma’s Bakery
“Nation’s premier bakery and pastry shop!”
Simma’s Bakery’s vision statement (Source: Simma’s Bakery)
Not all vision statements need to be specific to each detail—in fact, some of the best company vision examples are brief and straight to the point, as with Simma’s Bakery. Its vision statement is concise, direct, and memorable, but well-defined and with a clear and aspirational end goal to work toward. It’s also effective as it works seamlessly with the brand’s more comprehensive mission statement and core values list.
12. Aaron Chang
“Through art, we will contribute, in a positive way, to the betterment of our culture and inspire our ocean minded community to appreciate the gift of life.”
Artist vision statement example from Aaron Chang (Source: Aaron Chang)
For creatives like photographers and artists, building a brand that stands out comes down to crafting a unique vision, mission, and values for your business. While there are countless artists and photographers in the industry, your brand identity, including your vision statement, helps you stand out from others.
There are many ways to make your brand identity unique—one effective way is to directly address your niche’s community, as with Aaron Chang’s example. As a photographer, Chang specializes in surf photography, and his vision statement directly reflects this by speaking directly to those involved in his niche: the ocean-minded community.
Pro tip: Ready to write your own vision statement for your small business? Check out our step-by-step guide with a free downloadable template for how to create a vision statement.
Tips for Creating an Effective Vision Statement
While each business has a unique vision statement, the examples above prove there are some common characteristics that the most inspiring vision statements have in common. From keeping your statement specific to identifying what makes you unique, here are some best practices to keep in mind when creating your business vision statement.
- Go big—but achievable: Your vision statement shouldn’t be something too easily achieved, but it should be achievable. Think in terms of where your business is now, and where you want it to be five, 10, or 25 years down the road.
- Be specific: Effective vision statements include specific details that act as future markers for success. It should be specific enough to shape decision-making. Plus, if you serve a niche market, for example, that should be reflected in your statement rather than trying to be the best in a broad market.
- Be clear: All of your brand identity statements (e.g., mission, vision, and values) should also be easy to understand. Use simple, conversational, and meaningful language, and avoid jargon, industry-specific terminology, or generally overused buzzwords like “maximize value.”
- Relate it to your mission and core values: Vision statements should work seamlessly with your brand’s mission statement and core values. They should all address the same audiences and concerns and work toward the same goals.
- Keep it short: Aim for one to two sentences at most. The shorter the vision statement, the easier it is to remember, understand, and stay focused on it.
- Make it measurable: Defining markers of success (like regional or national market share) ensures you have a way to know where you are in pursuit of your overall goal, and the strategies you need to use to fully achieve it.
- Say why your business is unique and memorable: Your vision statement will make more of an impact if it highlights your unique selling proposition. In other words, what makes your business different and why it matters.
- Adjust it over time: While vision statements are ideally defined in the beginning stages of building your business, your overall priorities might change along the way. Be prepared to adjust it to keep it relevant as your business changes over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the parts of a vision statement?
The primary parts of a vision statement include the long-term aspirations for a brand (e.g., to be the market leader), and specific strategies the brand will employ to achieve to fulfill its aspirations. While these are the most essential parts of a vision statement, other examples also mention the people or communities the business impacts or the time frame in which it aims to fulfill the vision.
How do you write a vision statement?
To write a vision statement, first answer questions about your business—specifically, what you want your business to grow into in the future. Brainstorm answers to this question, write a draft, and get feedback. Then refine your answers into a clear, brief, and inspirational vision statement.
What are some famous vision statements?
Some of the most famous vision statements include Google’s “To provide access to the world’s information in one click.”; Zoom’s “Communications empowering people to accomplish more”; and IKEA’s “To create a better everyday life for the many people.” While these examples are from large multinational companies, they share many traits with the small business vision statement examples above.
Bottom Line
Vision statements are an integral part of any brand’s identity and can be used to guide business decisions and growth. As the inspiring vision statement examples above show, they provide an aspirational and ideal end goal for a business to work toward. And when combined with a mission statement and core values, vision statements work as touchstones that point your business toward long-term success.
