In the business of beauty, the day to day gets complicated, exhausting, and can sometimes make professionals forget why they started down this unpredictable journey to begin with. It is crucial to establish the “why” in the beginning and to relook at this “why” regularly while running the business. Like any relationship, it can be exciting in the beginning and professionals are willing to do anything to make it work. As the newness starts to wear off and the relationship begins to mature, there can be tough challenges to work through and, often, this is when things can all fall apart. Ultimately, establishing a purpose anchors a business and gets it through even the most difficult times. Therefore, no matter how big or small the business, a mission statement should be established to keep professionals on point and moving in the right direction.

A good mission statement should clearly communicate the “what” and “why” – or purpose – of what professionals do. It should be inspiring. In fact, a mission statement should feel like a well thought out strategy to run the business by. An average statement is 15 words or more. When creating a mission statement, start with brainstorming before attempting to articulate such an important statement that defines the business.

Start with writing down what the company does. For instance, “this spa offers results-oriented spa services.” Next, describe how the company does what it does. This can be tricky. Do not get caught up in a detailed description of the business’s operations. Instead, focusing on how the business operates generally will be sufficient. For example, “the spa utilizes a customized membership program.” From here, list the core values that are important and expressed in the business. Such a statement might look something like this: “provide superior customer service.” Then, look up mission statements from other companies in the spa’s realm for inspiration and structure guidance. Write out a few options for the mission statement; then, review and look at them for a few days until the right statement is refined to ultimately represent the business.

Once the business’ new mission statement is created, implement it right away by putting it front and center for everyone who works in the business to see. Also, make sure it is communicated to clients. Some businesses work their mission statements into their advertising campaigns. Having the mission statement highly visible on the business’ premises and website is essential to establishing the business’ culture, since it keeps the “why” highly visible.

For existing businesses, refreshing a mission statement or writing a new one can be important to redefining the company’s goals, ethics, culture, and norms for decision-making. A quick refresh helps a business take a step back and remember what is most important. Stay current and update the company’s purpose as it evolves. Remember, the “why” keeps professionals going and reminds them of this beautiful thing that was created. It is not only a GPS for the company, but is a reminder of how brave and inspiring the spa’s mission is and will
always be.