If you’re thinking about starting an online business, there are three crucial things you must have beforehand: your vision, mission and goals.

These create a solid business foundation for you and your business and they’re important because if you don’t have direction, your audience won’t know what to expect from you, what you do or what you’re trying to sell. If you have a clear purpose, it’s a business foundation strategy not only for yourself as an entrepreneur, but for your audience as well.

Let’s review each for your business:

Vision

This is what you see your company as in the future – your inspiration! Don’t be afraid to make it a wild big dream. This vision can stay with you internally, you don’t need to share it with your audience.

Example: To give my customers the most memorable online shopping experience.

Mission

Your mission is what your company does, how your company does it, and why your company does what it does.

You need to know who you are, what you do, and why you do what you do. Why did you create your business in the first place? What inspired you to create that digital product or service? This is what your customer is going to see and know about you and your online business.

Example: We provide eco-friendly products using only reusable materials to make the earth sustainable and support generations to come.

Goals

If you don’t set goals for yourself and your business, you’re going to keep running in the same circles and be disorganized and unproductive. The goals you make are going to help support the mission and vision happen on a daily, monthly, quarterly or yearly basis.

SMART goals are one of the most effective goal types you can create. They create:

Specific – a very clear purpose of what the goal is.

Measurable – the goal can be measured by its progress in the future through results, statistics etc.

Attainable – the goal is achievable and doable in the time frame committed.

Realistic – the goal is realistic for your business to achieve.

Timely – the goal has an end date to be completed by.

Here’s an example of a SMART goal for an online shoe retailer: “To design a new line of women’s shoes that are waterproof by September 2020.”

There are a few other definitions of SMART goals out there from the business gurus of the world, but in my corporate business experience I have found this method of acronyms the best.

Create 2-3 SMART goals for your online business a set a different one for the next month, quarter and six months. Start small and build your way up!

If you haven’t created these three things in your online business yet, not to worry. You can start creating your foundations of vision, mission and goals today. Once you have them set in place, you will probably find that your purpose and content that you market to your audience will directly reflect those foundations.

If you’ve got any further questions pop them in the comments below!