An underrated asset every circular startup has: its mission.

I’ve seen countless startups reducing their mission to a static statement on their website, without leveraging its power to engage their audience.

What a waste!

The strength of a circular startup lies in its community of mission-aligned people.

Sharing your impact story makes them feel an active part of your cause, instead of mere users.

Here are 5 simple steps to distill a compelling impact story and turn your mission into a shared journey:

1. Scope the Problem

Identify the problem your startup addresses and back it up with relevant facts and reliable stats.

When your audience understands the scale and implications of the problem, they become more informed and concerned consumers.

2. Address Your Customer’s Desires

While customers may align with your mission, they prioritize their immediate needs and aspirations when choosing a product or service.

Inter, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif, Verdana, Geneva, sans-seriftwine the product’s direct benefits with the larger positive impact, by showing the convergence of personal needs with communal good.

A company selling sustainable footwear should highlight not just its eco-friendly production but also the comfort, style, and durability of its shoes. A brand offering reusable water bottles should emphasize not only the environmental impact but also the bottle’s design, convenience, and health benefits.

3. Define Your Impact Goals

Promises and intentions won’t resonate unless they’re backed by tangible targets and updates.

Set clear impact goals and periodically showcase the progress, ensuring you highlight the role your audience plays in these achievements.

4. Roadmap Your Journey

What milestones and resources are essential to transition from where you are to your impact goals?

Draft the primary assumptions that underlie your impact strategy and share your testing progress with your community.

Use online surveys and questions to ask for their help on this journey!

5. Build Your Impact Storyline

Narrate your business’ inception, its driving force, and the journey so far. The previous steps give you everything you need to build a compelling origin story and an ongoing, participatory storyline.

Set aside half a day to create your own with your team, put it out there, and test it!

Remember: Done is better than perfect.

This is an iterative process, you will be revisiting and refining your impact story more than once.

Pro-tip: Use every step of the process to create more stories and content to share with your supporters, customers, and partners. Creating deeper connections will be easier.