Starting a T-shirt company can be a creative way to make money, be your own boss and turn your creative ideas into tangible products. But as with any company, a T-shirt company can benefit from having a mission statement. A mission statement consists of a few sentences that hammer home to employees and customers alike what your company is about, why it is different from other companies in your industry and why customers should choose you over everyone else. Craft your mission statement care. It is one of the most important ways to communicate concisely to customers everything about your company.

Find your niche. Your T-shirt company's niche in the market is what your mission statement is all about. Whether you print shirts with irreverent slogans or ones with exclusively religious quotes, that's your company's identity and should be reflected in the mission statement.

Write a list of bullet points that answer questions such as "Why are you in this business?," "What image do you want to convey to consumers?" and "How are you different from the competition?" These sorts of questions help you pin down your T-shirt company's identity. Your mission statement should reflect your brand's identity and why it is unique.

Set aside time to craft your mission statement. Just because mission statements are short doesn't mean you can dash one off on your lunch break. The final statement should be the essential points you wish to convey after boiling down pages of information about your company. Take at least a day to craft it.

Employ unique language in the statement. Every word in your mission statement counts. Use words that dazzle and inspire rather than vague, boring equivalents.

Show your mission statement to as many people within the company as possible. Involve all of your employees in the process and have them pitch ideas for the statement, no matter how silly those ideas may seem. After all, a mission statement is all about identity, and no one knows your company's identity better than the people who help shape it every day.