Business books, podcasts, and almost all business experts will tell you that at the core of solid brands are business mission statements in action.
In the photography industry, we don’t talk about business mission statements a lot. I’d like to change that a bit with this post. Mission statements (when put in action) could arguably be more critical for us as heart-led creatives than the car dealership down the street. And you know they have one printed on the wall.
What is a Business Mission Statement?
A business mission statement is a condensed version of why you exist and your purpose in doing business. Massive emphasis on condensed. You should be able to remember your mission statement and spit it out in one breath.
As photographers, we have an advantage when creating mission statements. Because as creatives, by nature we are passionate and probably have a strong mission statement rolling around in our everyday actions, even if yet undefined.
Keep scrolling to see why it matters and how to use them.
Ideas For Creating A Mission statement for your photography business
For photographers, a mission statement often focuses on why you picked up your camera and how you want to serve people.
- Did you start shooting to create one-of-a-kind heirloom artwork for a family because you’re passionate about printed work?
- Perhaps you want to document newborns in a way that celebrates the imperfections often removed in traditional photography.
- Maybe, you’re shooting to offer fine art school photos that genuinely represent the child’s personality.
Photographers, why did you pick up your camera to begin with? I’m asking this again because somewhere in there is the answer.
If it feels as simple as wanting to create a fun/safe environment to celebrate families, that works! I have fantastic photographer friends who show up for families in a way I envy.
You can also ask yourself the reverse. What about photography turns you off and you want to avoid? This might also point you in the direction of a solid mission statement.
How to use a mission statement in your business
First, they aren’t that helpful if you don’t plan on actively using your mission statement. This is the vital part.
Once you have a good idea of your purpose and a simple way, start using it to test your business decisions.
Whenever you have the opportunity to make a choice in your business, ask yourself this. “Does this decision enhance, do nothing or go against my mission statement?” If it enhances, continue down the path. But if it goes against your mission for your business, it’s probably a good idea to skip it.
Your mission statement can also help you narrow down your ICA (ideal client avatar), goal planning, and creating workflows for your sessions.
Simply put, a mission statement can become the guardrails for how you run your business.
Remember this about a business mission statement in your photography business
If you only want to create a mission statement to check a box on a photography business startup course, save yourself some time and skip it.
Mission statements are highly effective in building an amazing brand but ONLY if you put them into action. Small decisions guided by a thoughtful mission statement create a solid brand your clients will love in the future.
Create a mission statement, quickly test your business decisions against it, and I promise long-term results in a brand you’ll be proud of.
If you liked this post about mission statements, we should totally hang out on email! I have a free small business newsletter community where we talk about things like this, SEO, and all the inner workings of running a successful heart-led business.
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Cheers!
MB – Dog Lover + Small Business Advocate + Spokane, WA Photographer
