What Every Startup Should Live By
“Ghandi once said that “your habits become your values and your values become your destiny.”
Now apply that to your business. When you’re starting a business there are formalities you have to push through such as writing out a business plan. Over time, your company will change because perhaps your company pivoted or the industry advanced. Although, I believe that there are core elements of our companies that we should treat as something as sacred as a code you made with friends or wedding vows. The values of your company are one these elements that your company should live by.
I’ll never forget the day the ZipFit team sat down to determine what our company values would be. We gathered at our CEO’s apartment at the time in Bucktown with Thai take-out, wine, and beers to get our creative juices flowing. Everyone was invited from the executive team to sales associates to our seamstress. These were the people that were brave enough to jump on board with ZipFit in the beginning because they truly believed in what we were trying to accomplish so their input mattered. When we started brainstorming everyone threw out ideas that were all relevant to why we started ZipFit along with how we already operated as a company. As we analyzed the ideas thrown out by the entire team, we were able to narrow it down to three simple values that still have a huge impact on how we do business today.
Keep It Simple.
ZipFit’s mission is to simplify clothing shopping through our technology so this was a no brainer. Although keeping it simple stretched beyond what we do but also included how we do things. When it comes down to our operations or to our customer experience, we found that it was vital to keep things simple because it would not only help us to run efficiently as a company but also keep our customers happy.
Be Good.
As companies grow, it’s easy to get lost and focus on solely hitting revenue goals because lets face it that’s a big part of what keeps your company from dropping dead. Although, my team never wants ZipFit to become one of those companies that throws all of their values out of the window in order to make a buck. You can have a product that consumers want and may purchase from you but being a “good” company is what turns a consumer into a loyal customer. At ZipFit, we’ve made mistakes like messing up on a customers order. Instead of trying to hide it or lying to our customer if a mistake happens, we’re very transparent and take the necessary actions needed not only in order to resolve the issue but also to keep our customer happy. Let’s face it, your company can be the most well-oiled machine but your still prone to mistakes. It’s how you deal with the mistake that truly matters. When we make any decisions at ZipFit, we always ask ourselves if they’re truly “good” ones.
Have Fun.
This value is what I consider the voice of ZipFit. When it comes to how we brand ourselves to interacting with customers to how we work together as a team, having fun truly sums it up.
Ghandi once said that “your habits become your values and your values become your destiny.” I believe this is the distinction between companies and great companies regardless of how big or small. Choose your company values wisely and live by them because they’re truly a reflection of what you’ve built to the world.
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