5 Quotes About Company Vision and How to Act on Them

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"

This line from the Tao Te Ching reminds owners that a big vision is reached through small, concrete actions.

A vision such as "become the leading provider in our region" is too large to act on. Break it into this quarter's first step: sign five new commercial accounts, open a second route, or launch one new service.

Exercise: write your vision, then list the single next action that moves toward it and put a date on it.

"Skate to where the puck is going"

Hockey player Wayne Gretzky is widely credited with this advice. For a business, it means planning for where your market is moving, not where it has been.

Watch for shifts in your customers' habits, your costs and your competitors. A retailer might see more orders moving online. A contractor might see a rise in maintenance work over new builds.

• List three changes you expect in your market over the next two years.
• Ask which of your services will matter more, and which less.
• Decide what you need to build now to be ready.

For competitor tracking, see how to market against competitors.

"A goal without a plan is just a wish"

Commonly attributed to Antoine de Saint-Exupery, this line says a vision needs numbers, dates and owners to count.

Turn your vision into a plan with three parts:

1. A target, such as revenue, locations or customers, with a date
2. The steps and who is responsible for each
3. The money needed and where it comes from

The funding step is the one owners skip. Our guide on business plans and funding shows how to connect them.

"The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision"

This line is widely attributed to Helen Keller. It is a reminder that a business with good operations and no direction drifts.

Plenty of companies run smoothly without knowing why. A shared vision helps staff make decisions without asking, such as what to prioritize on a busy day or which customers to say no to.

Exercise: ask three employees to describe where the company is going. If the answers differ, your vision is not yet clear. Write one sentence and repeat it often.

"Vision without execution is hallucination"

Often credited to Thomas Edison, though the source is uncertain. The message is that a vision matters only when daily work supports it.

Check your calendar. Does the time you spend each week match the vision you wrote? If you want to grow, but spend every day firefighting, you may need to hire help, automate tasks or delegate.

Review progress monthly against your target, using monthly financial reports to see whether results are moving the right way.

Writing your own vision statement

A good vision statement is one or two sentences describing the future you are building, who it serves and why it matters.

Use this template: "In [number] years, we will be [position] for [customer], known for [strength]." Keep it specific. "Be the best" says nothing. "Be the first call for restaurant equipment repair in our county" says a lot.

Share it with your team, your accountant and any funder you work with. Clear direction makes a funding request stronger, because you can show what the money will produce.

Funding the vision when cash is short

When a plan is sound and the payback is clear, outside funding can accelerate it. Check that the extra profit is greater than the cost.

ROI Funder considers 500+ FICO, 6+ months in business and $20,000+ monthly revenue, and matches your file with funders in our network. Common fits include equipment financing and working capital. You can apply in minutes with a soft credit pull and no obligation.