Your vision statement provides the "artist's rendering" for your desired future state. It is a “word picture” that conjures up a compelling image that each member of your team can eagerly share and pursue as they work together. Your vision statement answers the question, "What will our success look like?" The universal rule is that your team will never achieve more than the vision that guides it. The shorter your vision statement, the more powerful, and the more easily remembered. Since each word is important, writing your vision statement will take time, forethought and practice. Your vision statement might indicate who your target audience is and how you hope to serve them. In terms of a BookWise Independent Representative your vision statement might be something like: · The preferred on-line bookstore for my family and friends, or · A neighborhood discount bookstore serving ESL customers, or · The major fundraising arm of “Friends-of-the-Library, or · A recognized safe place to acquire character-building children’s books. Evaluating the reaction of team members and others after reading your vision statement may help you to fine-tune and polish it. You may also wish to do an Internet search and find what other successful companies use for their vision statements. Once you have your mission statement defined, display it in prominent places on your website, on correspondence, and other places where you team members will be able to see it and refer to it often, and where your target audience can also see it and come to know what to expect from your organization.