On a Mission

So, who really cares about a mission statement?   Does anyone actually read them?  Who writes such pointless fodder which just takes up space on paper?  That’s what I used to think, until it hit me.   Mission Statements are the very soul of a good company!  Every important decision, every interaction, whether it be between business owner and customer, or employee to employee, every product, every innovation should all be reflective of the soul upon which the company was founded.  As Jerry and I work to form our new company, we anticipate with excitement a vision which defines how we will conduct business, and it is merely an extension of the people we have always been and always hope to be. 

We spent many a Friday night discussing what we wanted to do.  Jerry had read up on laser engravers and he started to educate me on the possibilities, which were endless!  Photographs engraved on wood, wine glasses, picture frames, clocks, children’s puzzles, and on and on.  We attended a laser engraving seminar in St. Louis and learned so much more about the canvasses upon which we could design, such as acrylic, glass, wood, and leather.  We are learning about Corel Draw, and taking online courses through Lynda.com.  Most recently, we attended the NBM show which featured all types of laser engravers, as well as materials, classes, and experts of all sorts!  It has been quite an exciting venture thus far, and we have yet to engrave a thing.  What makes it so exciting then, if we have nothing of material value to show for our work yet? 

It’s the heart that beats within our planning.  This heart is filled with joy in anticipation of the people we will meet as we launch and run our company.  The people who will call or email and with whom we will “co-create” their gift, their one-of-a-kind statement of love, which will hopefully be cherished by the recipient.  It’s the heart and soul that will pick up the phone when you call, and not just ask you to “press 1.”  It’s the love that will go into our work as we design and engrave personalized treasures.  It’s the beating heart which realizes that many go without, and can’t stand by and watch this, so ten percent of our profits will be donated to charity.  Maybe that charity will help those with Juvenile Diabetes, or Ovarian Cancer, or those who are homeless and trying to get back on their feet.  We are not sure if the charity will change from month to month, but the commitment to give will not waiver. 

 So here it is, our heart on our sleeve, our Mission Statement:

“Engraving Amore creates unique, personalized gifts designed to help our customers celebrate the most important moments and love ones in their lives.  Our formula is simple.  We use cutting edge technology, artistic creativity, quality supplies, unparalleled customer service and ethical business practices in everything we do.  Engraving Amore is based on traditional family values, and we consider our customers to be family.  Our gifts are given out of love, so we put love into everything we make.  Because we believe it is important to give back, ten percent of our annual net profit is donated to charity.  Our slogan is, ‘It’s not business, it’s personal.'”

We are so grateful and happy to have all of you along for our adventure.  Please feel free to comment or share your ideas.

Thank you!