Do it now or do it over, mission and vision statements come first.

Proper building blocks for strategic planning, whether for-profit or non-profit organizations, begins with well crafted mission and vision statements.

"There aren't short cuts for such important actions," states Don Midgett, business consultant and author of Mission and Vision Statements: Your Path to a Successful Business Future. "Laying the right foundation provides the accurate guide for strategic and long-range planning as well as day-to-day operations." In short, do it from the start or do it over later.

"I had been through other mission and vision processes and inevitably they would only take you so far" said Tim Logerquist, Association Director for the non-profit Gold Coast Baptist Association in southern California. "As we continued the process I was able to align the mission and vision statements with strategies and actions that would yield results. This investment proved successful as we now have initiated strategies with real impact."

"Visionary businesses excel because they set goals that relate directly to their vision. They communicate the vision and vision-based goals to their customers and employees" continues Midgett. "They come up with strategies and actions to reach their goals and achieve their vision. It is in this way that a for-profit or non-profit organization or business can control its destiny in the marketplace rather than let outside forces determine a business direction."

An early pioneer in internet consulting, Novo Solution, Inc. in Virginia Beach, Va. began with the initial mission and vision statements providing affordable, innovative business solutions to small and mid size companies. Now in its sixth year, Novo has begun a process of realignment of its business focus centering on newly revised mission and vision statements which called for changes in their strategic planning.

"Using the model of mission and vision statements as a foundation made it easier to frame our mission, define our market products and understand the benefits of having a visionary, market driven company" said Anne Sych, Novo's Marketing Manager.

Both time and effort can be used successfully when organizations and businesses see the value in doing "their homework" from the beginning and building on solid plans and actions.

Create your mission and vision statement today. Begin to lay the solid foundation for your organization's strategic plan and strategic planning process. Need help? Go to www.missionvisionstatement.com and learn more about creating a mission statement and the development and use of your vision statement.