Your Company Needs A Mission Statement; Make It Count

Does anyone remember that book "Built to Last" done y the Stanford class and professor? Well change that to "Built to Merge." My grandfather was personal friends with Bill Hewlett and David Packard and I bet they would not have wanted this merger with Compaq either. It is interesting that one night about 3 in the morning I was reading that book and decided to change or mission statement and focus on the things that meant the most to our team and our customers. I stayed up all night writing that mission statement to make sure it was in line with the books comments on what it takes to make and keep a company great. This was about 5 years ago when "Built to Last" was the talk of the business world and it was written up in many of the newspapers, and magazines I was reading at the time. WSJ, Financial Times, Investors Business Daily, The Economist, NY Times, etc. Even hit the best sellers list for a while, not bad for a business non-fiction book by a professor.

You must be honest with yourself and your mission.

Here is what I came up with after reading that book that night, I have not changed that mission statement nor do I feel we need to, it was built to last;

OUR VISION;

To assist our franchisees in achieving their American Dream, whatever that dream may mean to them. To design and maintain a streamlined system of operations, top of the line car care products, innovative and effective marketing, trouble free and efficient equipment, the best support services and anything which will help the franchisee / team member / our family in their individually owned Car Wash Guys business. To achieve these goals, we will strive to be the best. We will make business decisions, which are good for the franchisees, their communities, their customers as well as for us. Decisions, which are good both long and short term, which strengthen our franchisees and our name, which help us achieve success and help the environment. Decisions, which are fair for all concerned, always creating a WIN/WIN situation. To achieve all objectives past, present and future, we will chose only the best prospective candidates to become franchisees, the crème of the crop.

YOUR MISSION (franchisee's and team members);

to provide customers with consistent mobile wash services at a reasonable price. To give the customer what they want and foster repeat business. To provide customers with quality which stands out above the competition. To own a business unlike others which fosters community goodwill and makes customers proud to be customers. To develop a situation whereby when people of our town think car wash, they think Car Wash Guys. To use only environmentally sound products and methods. To retain enough profit to insure a comfortable lifestyle while achieving all of our mission goals.

I was asked the other day if I was committed to those items listed, that answer is YES, absolutely, I have to be or we do not exist.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

In The News:

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table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2008/10/3/entrepreneurship-study-looks-stereotypes/cid=0ei=u7DvSNj1GqiY6AOkrNm3Bwusg=AFQjCNEPIS4xUp-eeRmXlEq-c73aS9KDsQA study on bentrepreneurialism/b shows the field is not just for men./abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fUM Maneater,nbsp;MOnbsp;-/font nobrOct 2, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1quot;bEntrepreneurialism/b is definitely viewed as having masculine characteristics such as aggressiveness, especially with today#39;s economy,quot; freshman business b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.citywire.co.uk/Adviser/-/news/other/content.aspx%3FID%3D316848cid=0ei=u7DvSNj1GqiY6AOkrNm3Bwusg=AFQjCNF1dAx7MJDQC_INPzUW6GddwRzD2AGerber and Mone reiterate the secrets to success/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fCityWire.co.uk,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobrOct 9, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Colin McClelland | 09:30:00 | 09 October 2008 Author Michael Gerber said he had an epiphany 35 years ago that bentrepreneurialism/b was a myth and the b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/UAE/236330cid=1251529772ei=u7DvSNj1GqiY6AOkrNm3Bwusg=AFQjCNEVxoJFO73dhwXkSCBBHIJLumX9Bwbbg allies with arab business angels network/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAl-Bawaba,nbsp;Jordannbsp;-/font nobrSep 27, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1“Through our alliance with ABAN, we continue to support the growth of bentrepreneurialism/b, innovation and local knowledge creation. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/dp-op_sunltrs_10050oct05,0,4023167.storycid=1255273234ei=u7DvSNj1GqiY6AOkrNm3Bwusg=AFQjCNEiCDJsgKbsVRcGeZ-73gdnaK_RigMaverick, not Marx/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fDaily Press,nbsp;VAnbsp;-/font nobrOct 5, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b of dollars from successful business owners to redistribute wealth will reshape our society from one of bentrepreneurialism/b to revolutionary socialism. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://markkobayashihillary.computing.co.uk/2008/10/where-to-offsho.htmlcid=1254765324ei=u7DvSNj1GqiY6AOkrNm3Bwusg=AFQjCNFQodPJrUL2zJ-KytRBiibt6WxeNAWhere to offshore (and why not here?)/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fComputing,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobrOct 7, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Perhaps the global downturn may actually encourage more regional talent and bentrepreneurialism/b in countries like the UK, where the conventional wisdom has b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/editorial/story.html%3Fid%3D47befd22-9871-4cc4-bcc6-c9a919864766cid=1255833534ei=u7DvSNj1GqiY6AOkrNm3Bwusg=AFQjCNHv96FccH6T6ga1latSnwhAJ6ilngMiddle ground fertile for NDP/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Province,nbsp;Canadanbsp;-/font nobrOct 6, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b supported by organized big labour and linked to the party#39;s inherent hatred of big business, corporate profits and the spirit of bentrepreneurialism/b. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm%3Fsid%3D177712%26sc%3D79cid=1255833534ei=u7DvSNj1GqiY6AOkrNm3Bwusg=AFQjCNGhNFznPkARg89A21zMe3X3P7rIYwJack Layton to make campaign stop in St. John#39;s Sunday/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrSt. John's Telegram/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1255833534hl=ennobrall 2 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm%3Fstory_id%3D12381021cid=1255035720ei=u7DvSNj1GqiY6AOkrNm3Bwusg=AFQjCNGE5fPWUhJVfdbFAPyf4eqae4Pt7wimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=8h8cO0jMU-cJimgurl=media.economist.com/images/20081011/4108WB2.jpg width=80 height=55 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Economist/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm%3Fstory_id%3D12381021cid=1255035720ei=u7DvSNj1GqiY6AOkrNm3Bwusg=AFQjCNGE5fPWUhJVfdbFAPyf4eqae4Pt7wA new home for the Nano/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fEconomist,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobrOct 9, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The Nano is an icon of Indian ingenuity and bentrepreneurialism/b. Selling for just 100000 rupees ($2100), it seeks to reach a new class of customers through b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/editorials/story.html%3Fid%3D25bef6b5-9f91-4fc2-8e7d-21b64f2c0103cid=0ei=u7DvSNj1GqiY6AOkrNm3Bwusg=AFQjCNEf5Pbk4ZI265Jp5f6GvqE3ZR0fYAToward a new Mayfair/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fOttawa Citizen,nbsp; Canadanbsp;-/font nobrSep 29, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The critics of the theatre#39;s closing say the theatre just needs a bit of bentrepreneurialism/b and maybe some expansion of its use to become financially viable b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/columnists/article.html%3Fin_article_id%3D455103%26in_page_id%3D19%26in_author_id%3D4cid=1256159400ei=u7DvSNj1GqiY6AOkrNm3Bwusg=AFQjCNFXzRxDIIZsTOQL3K5NC9sgr4L9HwHow to turn crisis into disaster/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThis is Money,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr9 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b believe #39;that public engagement of any kind goes against the grain of the maverick bentrepreneurialism/b that is at the heart of the industry#39;s success#39;. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
entrepreneurialism - Google News


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