Have you created a mission statement for your small business? Do you have your vision down on paper to refer back to periodically? Periodically meaning anytime things get off track. Ideally, this is something you should do before you launch your business, but for those of us who get a little ahead of ourselves, now is as good a time as any. "They say" (my mother's infinite source of universal wisdom) the best time to plant an oak tree was 30 years ago, and the next best time is now.

We realized we needed to get our own mission and vision statement last fall after operating for four years without these two key documents. Well, we didn't just up and realize it. A very wise friend and consultant told us you need these. He said  stop what you're doing, get in a room, focus in and hash this out. We respected this advisor a lot and we immediately made plans to nail down our mission and vision statements. Below is a list of what worked for us. Hope it helps.

• We booked a room on the outskirts of Louisville for Friday and Saturday nights (we didn't stay Saturday but an early checkout wouldn't do). It was important for us to feel that retreat-type atmosphere, and not be in the office.

• We arranged for dinner for our three partners and their wives. This was a great way to kick off the planning retreat. We laughed and ate and learned about each other. Then the wives headed home and the boys to the hotel.

• We made sure the room had a bedroom and a suite area with couches, tables and chairs so we could dig into the planning. Make sure the place has wifi. You may say thank you captain obvious, but I don't like to take anything for granted.

• We talked about the business and had moments of brainstorming early on Friday night, but wisdom quickly told us to focus in on Saturday. We realized if we accomplished nothing else but crafting the first draft of our mission statement and our vision it would be a huge win.

• We didn't skip meals, but we made them and breaks every hour a big part of our Saturday planning. They also provided a time to get away from the task at hand and share all the excitement and ideas we felt about the business.

The resources we used were from three main sources.

1. The first was a questionnaire from the consultant I mentioned earlier. He has truly been a God send to our business.
2. The second resource was the book "Mastering the Rockefeller Habits" by Verne Harnish.
3. The third was the program "Destiny of the 3rd Millenium" by Peter J Daniels. This last one is very comprehensive, but we used it as the framework for our discussions.

The resources we used were great, but don't let a lack of access to these tools stop you and your team from crafting these important documents. I'm sure you can Google around and find something to get you started and guide you home.

Here's ours, by the way.

Our Vision:
Glorify God and advance his kingdom

Our Mission:
Help like-minded businesses reach their growth objectives.
Shine Christ's light in everything we do.
Give to worthy causes, particularly kingdom-building organizations.

Our Goal:
Communicate and amplify our clients' stories, messages, and value propositions in order to empower them to retain and grow their business, as well as their audience and influence in an information-driven economy. 

If you'd like to pony up next to our mission, vision or goals, then reach out to us today.

So I love Jimmy John's sandwich shop. If you have them in your area, then you might feel the same way. I could name a lot of reasons why I like them, but I'll list four. These four reasons just happen to be great marketing tips for some businesses. So with everything you see online, take what you like and leave the rest.

1) I have fun when I go there. Everything about Jimmy's John's screams fun. The signs on the wall are hilarious. I can't order a sandwich without chuckling under my breath. The menu even has some quips and snarky comments on it. They are well written, well thought out, and genuinely funny. When a grown man smiles or laughs out loud while buying a sandwich, and I don't care who you are that's funny (hat tip: Larry the Cable Guy).

2) They limit my options. I have so much going on in my life. I have four children, a small business, some health challenges, and lots of other problems to think about. When I want a sandwich, I want to pick a number or say a name. I don't need all the options. Let's roll with this. It's a freakin' sandwich. Want something to go with it? Here's some chips.

3) They set themselves apart by delivering. They make my life easy. It doesn't make economic sense to deliver a $7 sandwich. It can't. But they still offer the service, and we take them up on it. It sets them apart from all the rest. Subway is more popular. Jersey Mikes gives you more goods. Quiznos and Penn Station have the hot alternatives. None of these (in our area) deliver, and none produce my sandwich in seconds. Literally seconds. Then they apologize for the wait.

4) They produce a very quality product. Even with the speed, the fun, the limitations, and the delivery— they still maintain quality. They haven't sacrificed quality in the pursuit of other things.