Writing a vision statement is considered as challenging because it requires summarizing the goals of your business, and its future in short simple statements. Putting time and effort into writing a vision statement for your coffee shop always pays off eventually. It is important to have a vision statement for your coffee shop. A vision statement helps you to articulate what you want your coffee shop business to achieve in the long run. It describes what success would look like for your business- the big picture. It clarifies the overall purpose of your coffee shop business.

To write your coffee shop vision statement, you need to have the big picture of what you want your coffee shop business to become and align it with the values that govern your day-to-day operations. You will then put this into a formal statement. Here are tips to write a good vision statement for your coffee shop:

  • Define the aims, competitive advantage and scope of your coffee shop.
  • Project into the future of your coffee shop business 5 – 10 years from now.
  • Define what success look likes in your operations.
  • Mention a measurable goal.
  • Write in the present tense.
  • Use clear, concise, and simple language.

Define the aims, competitive advantage, and scope of your coffee shop business.

You can easily refer to your business plan for this. Your business aim describes the goals of your business, the competitive advantage outlines what differentiates your business from the competition while the scope describes how you intend to go about fulfilling your business goals. Having a grasp of these will help you in brainstorming towards writing a good vision statement.

Project into the future of your coffee shop business 5 – 10 years from now.

Projecting into the future of your business requires you to dream big. You need to do this without allowing for any vagueness in your projections. You will need to ask yourself the question: Where do I see my coffee shop business in 5 or 10 years (as the case may be)? Referring to your original motivation to open a coffee shop can help you come up with this. Your answer may be in terms of business size, size of your customer base, range of offerings you intend to provide, number of your coffee shop outlets, and so on.

Define what success looks like in your operations.

Have a brief description of what sets a productive day at your coffee shop apart from a non-productive day. It describes what short term success looks like to your business. It could be amount of customers attended to in a day, number of visits to your website in a week, how many people subscribe to your loyalty program, etc.

Mention a measurable goal.

It is important to have measurable goals for your business per time. A measurable goal is also known as a Key Performance Indicator(KPI). It helps you track success in your business. In writing your vision statement, consider including one measurable goal that cuts across all aspects of your business. Also, consider adding a timeframe to achieving this goal. Doing this gives specificity to your vision statement.

Write in the present tense.

Writing your vision statement in present tense ensures that it consistently gives an impression of relevance to everyone who comes across it whether on the walls of your coffee shop, in advertising campaigns or on your employees’ uniforms.

Use clear, concise, and simple language.

Your coffee shop vision statement will be read by a wide range of people- professionals and laypeople alike. Consider writing it simple language that is easily understood by anyone. Do away with any bits of vagueness and make it as short as possible.

Now that you are well on your way to writing a good vision statement, you should know that a vision statement is not set in stone. If you are just starting your coffee shop, do a monthly evaluation of your vision statement until you have one that sticks and fits in with your brand the most.

You may also decide to hire professional help or download templates or worksheets that provide a framework with which you can create your vision statement.

Importance of a vision statement for your coffee shop.

Whether you run your coffee shop out of a cart, online, or out of a physical brick and mortar space, get a vision statement for your business. A vision statement gives direction to your coffee shop business. Here are some reasons why you should get a vision statement for your coffee shop:

It gives you the chance to consciously articulate your long-term business goals.

The process involved in brainstorming for a vision statement requires you to have a long-term goal for your coffee shop. It also requires putting these goals in the clearest possible form while not allowing for vagueness.

It increases productivity and efficiency of employees.

A vision statement provides a focus for employees’ work activities. When there is a vision in place, employees can channel their efforts in working towards a common goal. It also serves to motivate them to be productive and efficient in their daily responsibilities. When unfavourable business situations arise, referring to the vision statement provides the resolve for employees and you as the coffee shop owner to weather the storm without compromising your original business principles or values.

It guides the development of your coffee shop business strategy.

No matter how small or big your coffee shop business is, you will have to make decisions related to business strategy from time to time. A vision statement serves as a reference when deciding on the best strategy to adopt. It also ensures that you do not veer off the goals of your business when making business decisions.

Failing to refer to the vision of your coffee shop when making decisions is a sure way to lose sight of your business goals. You may end up making decisions that are good for short-term progress but adversely affect the big picture of success contained in your vision statement.

It helps to develop a culture in your coffee shop.

Culture is a very important part of any business. It dictates the atmosphere about your coffee shop. The level of morale of your employees is largely influenced by the culture of your coffee shop. This in turn rubs off on customers in terms of the quality of service they receive from your employees.

Apart from a conducive or fun work environment, your employees’ level of faithfulness to your vision statement also determines your their attitude in attending to customers and carrying out other duties in the coffee shop. Over time, the culture built from working according to what is stated in your vision statement could cause your coffee shop to transcend into becoming a legacy. This is the secret behind most small businesses that grow to become large franchises or independent businesses with many outlets.

How to use your vision statement?

Contrary to what most people think, a vision statement is not only meant to be used for marketing purposes. It can serve as a tool for inspiring you and your employees. It is also a guide for you when making important business decisions.

Examples of coffee shop vision statements.

  • Starbucks: To treat people like family, and they will be loyal and give their all.
  • Sightglass Coffee: To deliver the highest quality achievable in all aspects of our business, whether that be sourcing the most beautiful and wondrous coffees attainable or employing the most mindful and quality-focused practices possible.
  • CC’s Coffee shop: To improve the lives of our guests; Support the communities we serve; Promote our common humanity.
  • Boncafé: To be the leading Coffee Roaster and purveyor of gourmet coffees, and food service products around the world by offering the guiding principles of integrity, quality, service and relationship.
  • O’Coffee Club: To remain the leading café chain in Singapore, offering gourmet food and  coffee with excellent service.

Writing a vision statement requires careful consideration of all the aspects of your coffee shop business to come up with a clear picture of a desired future for your business. If you find that you have achieved your vision, replace it with another vision statement. Your vision should be a constant reminder to you and your employees that every activity in the coffee shop is geared towards one big goal.

Are you planning on writing your executive summary? This article is sure to help!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a mission statement and a vision statement for a coffee shop?

A mission statement is a brief description of the objectives of the coffee shop, and how the owner or other stakeholders intend to achieve those objectives, while a vision is a statement that briefly describes long-term goals of the coffee shop. They both serve to define the purpose, aims, and values of the coffee shop.

How long should a coffee shop vision statement be?

According to Kelly Burke, writing for the University of Hawaii, an average vision statement contains a maximum of 35 words or two to three short sentences. Most importantly, your coffee shop vision statement should be long enough to capture your desired future, but not too long to make it hard to remember.

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Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a legal expert to address your specific needs.