Small business is booming. Mega-corporations get a lot of attention, but they are no longer the only game in the business world. Increasingly, small businesses have become viable for long-term success, and they are charting solid growth from year to year. While giant companies have equally big budgets, more day-to-day sales and successes are going to smaller businesses. However, cashing in on profits may not be the best reason to start a company. The people who establish the most successful startups do so with vision and energy beyond a mere hope for quick financial gains.
The creators of these businesses go all in and work at it hammer and tongs. They do not necessarily have great wealth or access to endless resources. What these entrepreneurs do have is their own initiative. If you are thinking about founding a company, you should find the idea of starting a business and spending time guiding its growth from the ground up thoroughly exciting. That, however, is just the beginning.
There are three enduring principles needed for creating a company, and they also give it a good chance of doing well. At Hells Gate Hot Rods, we founded our company based on these standards, and they will serve any business well.
Passion
Our founder was enveloped in the ardor of restoring old hot rods when he was just a teenager. He delighted in reworking old vehicles and making them hum again and come to life on the open road. An avid do-it-yourself mechanic and hot rodder, his infatuation for vintage rides grew stronger as time passed.
Eventually, though, he began to run into problems finding parts he needed. When he was crafting a customized exhaust for a vintage Buick Nailhead V8 engine, he grew frustrated because he could not find the right flanges. He began to form an idea. Based on his passion for restoring and customizing hot rods and his aggravation at the difficulty of finding specialty parts, he started Hells Gate Hot Rods.
The most successful startup businesses are born because their founders are themselves fervent about an interest, whether it is organic vegetables, cruelty-free beauty products, or, in our case, high-quality custom parts for classic hot rods.
Recognition
Successful startups do well because their founders recognize an unmet need, and they put their passion to work to fill that need. Here at Hells Gate Hot Rods, we specialize in selling high-quality customized parts that are difficult to find. Do-it-yourself builders and hot rod lovers look to us when they need specialty items nobody else has, and we also offer these hard-to-find parts at a great value. We supply many different types of items, and we have a number of top sellers in our selection.
- Bomber style seats
- Flanges
- Drill guides
- Door panels
- Chassis
Since our founding, our offerings have grown to include specialty services such as the design, engineering, and manufacturing of our own custom parts; fabrication and TIG/MIG welding; customized car and hot rod construction; and small production batches for other companies’ products.
There was a gap in the supply chain of parts for classic hot rods, although the demand was there. Our founder discovered that gap, and he had the initiative to do something about it. We have been able to expand because initially, we recognized an unmet need and stepped in, or rolled in, as it were, to fill it.
Responsibility
Business owners have a responsibility toward their customers as well as to their employees. Small business owners are no exception. At Hells Gate Hot Rods, we never forget our customers count on us to supply the custom hot rod parts they need for restoring their vintage rides. If we do not stock a specific part, customers can place special orders. If we cannot find a part, we can make it. The point is that customers will get the necessary parts. That is the foundation of any business success—meeting customers’ needs in an efficient, financially practical way.
We also understand it is our duty to provide the best quality parts we can, and we try to have fun while we do so. We offer our bomber seats, for example, in several upholstery colours for variety. We also insist they have thick padding because we know how uncomfortable it is to sit on thinly padded seats with no support.
Finally, another facet of any business owner’s duty to customers and employees is honesty. Responsible company owners never try to mislead anyone to make a profit. That is not a good way to do business, whatever your industry may be. Hells Gate Hot Rods has grown because we offer our customers great quality for good value. Our customers trust us. Ultimately, this is the foundation of any and all relationships you build with your customers, your suppliers, and your employees.
Measuring Success
What defines success? Every business owner has a particular slant on the answer to this question. However, we at Hells Gate Hot Rods propose that success is honouring and practising the three important factors in creating a successful company—passion, recognition, and responsibility—and having fun while doing so. These principles make sound business practice for all young companies, and they also make life easier and more pleasant in general.
Profits will come if you stay true to these standards. You also will be able to work at doing something you love while making the lives of others better. That sounds like success to us.