If you want your home-based business to be a success, you need to learn how to write an effective mission statement. A mission statement tells prospective customers and investors what your business is all about. You have only a few sentences to convince the public that your business is worth their attention. Here are some tips on how to write a compelling and informative mission statement.

Brainstorm

It's imperative that you spend ample time brainstorming before you write your mission statement. Think about your short-term and long-term goals of the company. Find images that evoke the feeling that you want to convey. Spend time scribbling words and phrases that describe your company and the image you want to project to the public. Post your scribbles on the wall of your office during the writing process. Whenever you get stuck, look back on these words, phrases and images, and use them as a jumping off point.

Do Your Research

After your initial brainstorming, check out your competition. Go to the websites of organizations like yours and find their mission statements. Identify both what you like and dislike about their statements. Get an idea of the language and terminology used by those in your field. Find a couple of statements that you like and use them as inspiration.

Just Write It

Using your scribbles as a starting point, do some free writing. Write a good paragraph detailing the objective of your organization. Focus on what makes your business or organization unique and outline the reasons why it will be successful in its mission. Once you have a substantial chunk of text, go through and edit it, eliminating any extraneous or repetitive phrases. Using your sample statements as a guide, see if you can cut your statement down to a reasonable length. Make your sentences as lean and economical as possible.

Audition Your Statement

Once you a rough draft of your mission statement, find a friend who doesn't have any knowledge or expertise in your field. Read your statement to them. See what she is drawn to, what she dislikes and what stirs her imagination. Find out if there is anything that needs clarification. Remember, you are trying to appeal to a mass audience. It's important that your statement is as clear and user-friendly as possible.

Allow Yourself Time to Make Revisions

Incorporate your friend's feedback into the new version of your mission statement. Then walk away. Sleep on it. Come back to your writing after a day of rest and see how it sits with you. Make a few changes and then take another step back. Don't try to write your mission statement in a few hours or even a few days. Give yourself plenty of time to experiment. Remember, your mission statement defines your organization.

Remember, it is a three sentence representation of everything you stand for and believe. Don't rush the process. It's going to take some time to get it right.