How to create top-notch mission statements

When Fort Myers–based Juniper Landscaping began to craft a company mission statement several years ago, CEO Brandon Duke knew what he didn’t want.

“I didn’t want it to be corny,” he says. “Every business says they’re trustworthy and all those things. Well, of course you are — those are basic items.”

After working with a consultant and putting lots of thought, time and effort into the process, Juniper Landscaping came up with its “rallying cry,” as Duke, a Business Observer Top Entrepreneur in 2022, calls it. The company’s mission: Have raving fans as clients, cultivate leaders and dominate the competition.