Why do we go into business? For many people, business represents the opportunity to make a lot of money. Which is certainly true. For Zac Sheaffer of Zamage Clothing, however, he says that if you really want to open up your own company and be the head of your business, you should really only do it for one reason: because you are passionate about it This may seem like an idealized point of view, but it’s true. Don’t take this to mean that if you have the passion for what you are selling, then you will see business success. That is true, but it is much more than that.

You must be passionate about your brand and product – but you must also be passionate about making the company grow. This has been the driving factor behind the growth and success for Zamage Clothing. Zamage Clothing – which started out as a 500 sq. foot business in the inner-city of Lancaster, PA back in 2004 and is now an online store, with a IG following of nearly 400 thousand, and a brick-and-mortar store of 5,000 sq. feet, complete with a warehouse. Zac has long been passionate about clothing, but being passionate about what you sell.

Here is where your passion should be, when growing your business:

Within your community. That’s right. The community that your brand is part of – whether that’s a physical location and city, an online community, or connected to the arts or sports – will lift you up. Let your employees know that they can lean on and depend on the company during hard financial times. Give back to your community. This can be by donating to local nonprofits, to sponsoring basketball leagues, or donating supplies. If it’s an online community, think about giveaways on Instagram, or uplifting other, similar accounts and mentioning them on your platform. You can even turn it into a marketing technique, like including your company’s brand or logo on some free products. When you give back to the community, they in turn give back to you. It’s a way to show that yes, you are a brand or company. But you also have passion about what you do, and about the people who support your work.

Marketing. That’s right. For some people, marketing may already be an exciting prospect and a passion. If you’re passionate about marketing, chances are, you’ll think of some pretty creative and innovative ways to get your product out there. Zac Sheaffer used the “golden ticket” strategy during the 2008 recession, which drew people in to try on shoes. Zamage also passed out Lanyards with their brand and name on it in high traffic areas – freebies to promote. Strong marketing is a must in order for a business to grow, and feeling the passionate drive behind it opens the door to exciting ways to get your company greater visibility.

Being passionate about being the best. The saying of “If you aim for the moon, you’ll still land among the stars” applies here. This is tied into marketing, but it isn’t the same. If you have the mentality that you simply want to have a store that survives, or stays modestly small, chances are, you may not even do that. This is especially true if a financial crisis occurs – you always need to make sure that you’re prepared enough to handle a loss. Zac says he knew he always wanted to be the best, and wouldn’t let the figures of Big Retail make him think he couldn’t. Constantly pushing forward and seeking to create the best business you possibly can, will push your business into greater success.