How to Develop a Vision and Mission for Your Freelance Graphic Design Business

Not sure what your overall mission for your graphic design business should be? This guide will help clear things up!

Working as a freelance graphic designer can be a lot of fun. You’ll get to work on a wide range of projects spanning different industries. However, it doesn’t take long for this to become overwhelming, especially if you find yourself working on multiple projects at one time.

When this happens, you’ll want something to fall back on. This is where having a clearly defined mission for your freelance graphic design business comes in.

Not only will a clear vision inspire you when times get tough, but it’ll also be the backbone for everything you do. From setting goals, to tracking your progress, your mission and vision statements are the framework for which the whole show revolves.

In this guide, we’re going to look at how you can develop both a vision and mission for your graphic design business, and why having one of these is so important when it comes to making progress.

Why Do You Need a Vision Statement?

Before we look into how to develop a mission, we need to look at why creating a vision statement is so important.

Whilst it may seem like a bit of an abstract exercise, the importance of having a clear vision for your freelance graphic design business cannot be understated.

So, why do you need a vision statement?

Guidance and Direction

A vision statement provides a sense of purpose and direction for your freelance business. It serves as a roadmap, guiding your decisions and actions towards long-term goals.

With a clear vision in mind, you can navigate the complexities of the design industry with confidence and clarity. Keeping this vision in mind will become important when setting smaller goals, as you’ll want to make sure they align with your overall mission for the business.

Inspiration and Motivation

We mentioned in the introduction top of this article that when you need motivation, your vision statement is the thing you can fall back on. This is very much true!

Your vision statement should inspire and motivate you to strive for excellence in your work. It encapsulates your aspirations and dreams, reminding you of the impact you hope to make through your creative endeavours.

When you’re feeling stressed, or facing the dreaded impostor syndrome, rereading your vision statement can be an excellent way of reminding yourself why you do what you do.

Long-Term Planning and Strategy

A vision statement lays the groundwork for long-term planning and strategic decision-making. It provides a framework for setting goals, prioritising initiatives, and allocating resources effectively.

By aligning your daily tasks and activities with your overarching vision, you can ensure that your efforts are focused, maximising your chances of success in the long run.

It’s important to remember that a vision statement doesn’t have to be set in stone. Just as humans change and evolve over time, so too can your vision statement.

Your goal when you first begin working as a freelance graphic designer might be to work with as many clients as possible. But over time, you may find that you prefer one specific industry, or that you excel in one particular area of graphic design.

This is totally fine! In business, this is known as pivoting. You realise your goals or skills lie elsewhere, so you change direction slightly to better serve new goals or newfound talent.

Just make sure to update your vision statement accordingly, so you can continue to align your goals to the new direction you want to take.

Developing a Vision and Mission for Your Freelance Graphic Design Business

Now that we know why developing a mission statement for your business is important, it’s time to look at how you actually do this.

A mistake that a lot of new graphic designers looking to move into the world of freelance make is assuming a mission statement is just a simple sentence or paragraph saying what they want to do. It’s something they want to get done and move on to the actual work.

But creating a mission statement – or rather a good mission statement – is an investment. It takes time to really think about your goals, your strengths, and what it is you want to achieve in the world of graphic design.

So, in the following sections, you’ll see four clear steps for defining and writing a mission statement for your graphic design business. From finding your why, to aligning your actions with those values, you’ll learn exactly how to create a mission statement for your graphic design business.

Vision Vs. Mission

Before we jump into the steps, it’s a good idea to clearly define the difference between a vision statement and a mission statement. A lot of people (myself included when I first researched this) believe that the terms “vision statement” and “mission statement” are interchangeable.

This isn’t the case. We’ll explore the clear differences between the two in the various sections below, but as you read through, keep in mind that…

A mission statement will define your business, your objectives, and how you’ll reach and achieve your goals. Whereas a vision statement will detail where you aspire to go with your freelance/business endeavours.

Step One: Define Your Why

Before delving into the intricacies of crafting vision and mission statements, take a moment to reflect on your underlying motivations. It’s these motivations that will form the primary inspiration for your vision and mission statements.

Some questions to ask yourself in this part of the process are:

• Why do you want to be a graphic designer?

• What fuels your passion for graphic design?

• What impact do you aspire to make with your creative talents?

• Do I have enough passion to do this for free?

The last question there is very important – especially in the uncertain world of freelancing. For a conventional startup, it can take two to three years for a business to become profitable. Now in the highly competitive world of freelancing, you can assume there’ll be a good period of time at the start where you’re not working with any clients.

If your answer to this question is no, you might want to rethink the freelance route. The reality of working freelance – especially at the start of your journey – is that you’re going to spend a lot of time working on personal projects (for no money) to build out your portfolio.

However, understanding your core values and beliefs will provide a foundation for shaping your vision and mission.

Step Two: Craft Your Vision Statement

Your vision statement encapsulates the long-term aspirations and ultimate goals of your graphic design business. It defines where you want to take your business, not how you’ll get there.

A compelling vision statement articulates the future you envision for your business, instilling clarity and purpose. By defining your vision, you create a roadmap for success and lay the groundwork for sustainable growth.

The vision statement should be no more than a paragraph. It’s supposed to be an overarching statement that expresses what you want to achieve. For example, your vision statement could look something like this:

Guided by my love for creativity, I see my freelance graphic design business as a hub of fresh ideas and inspiration. I'll build genuine connections and craft standout visuals that make brands shine bright, as every project is a chance for me to leave a lasting mark. Using my skills, I’d like to build a network of clients and brands satisfied with my work.

Remember to factor in your why in the statement, which you worked out from the first step.

Step Three: Craft Your Mission Statement

If we think about the vision statement as the why, the mission statement is the how. Naturally, this is going to be much longer than the vision statement, as it’ll list concrete, actionable points as to how you’ll achieve your goals.

For example, you might want to say something like this:

My mission is to ignite creativity and drive results through my freelance graphic design business. To achieve this:

• Stay ahead of trends: Continuously researching and staying updated on industry trends and emerging technologies will ensure my designs remain fresh, relevant, and innovative.

• Embrace feedback and iteration: I'll welcome feedback from clients and peers, using it as a valuable tool for refinement and improvement in every project.

• Prioritise quality and attention to detail: Through meticulous attention to detail and a relentless pursuit of quality, I'll ensure every design I deliver meets the highest standards of excellence.

• Cultivate relationships: Building strong, lasting relationships with clients and collaborators will be at the heart of my business, fostering trust, loyalty, and mutual success.

Your mission statement should be actionable. It should give you clear direction for your business, and show you how you’ll achieve your goals.

Step Four: Align Your Ongoing Actions with Your Values

In the final step, after you’ve written both your vision and mission statements, it’s important to ensure that everything you do within the business aligns with your goal.

For example, if you have the goal to only work with clients in the music industry, reaching out to people in the automotive industry doesn’t align with that goal.

A good rule of thumb is to regularly use the Eisenhower Matrix to ensure each task you’re working on aligns with your goals. If they don’t, then you should reconsider where your time and efforts are being spent.

Conclusion

Crafting both a vision and mission for your freelance design business is an essential step in establishing a clear direction and purpose.

By defining your why, outlining your aspirations, and aligning your daily actions with your values, you can build a roadmap for success. This roadmap will become the backbone for every decision you make, every task you work on, and every project you put time into.

Remember to spend time on your statements to ensure they truly align with your overarching goals and aspirations for your business. A good foundation is an investment you’ll be glad you made.

If you’re a new graphic designer, and you’ve finished making your vision and mission statements. It’s time to think about pricing. Check out this full guide on pricing your graphic design services!

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