Local businesses
Local and community first businesses matter
While COVID’s 2nd wave was taking its toll on Indian people, that big Indian businesses were out of touch with the communities they sell to. Businesses are used the opportunity to profit gouge customers. Vedanta asked the judiciary to restart polluting plants. Businesses were mum in this calamity. Startups like Paytm are praising politicians, to get favors.
We do not need super star start ups only. We do not need only need the giants . We need businesses, which have a purpose, soul and is about real people. It’s time we think about our communities and our families when we do businesses.
Zingerman’s Community of Business is the right model for our businesses. It manages ten different businesses, rooted in the local community. Each business is run by a managing partner, who also owns stake in the business. It practices radical open book accounting, which does not hide anything from the stakeholders.
Ari, founder of Zingerman’s has laid out 6 guiding principles for the community of businesses.
1. Great Food!
2. Great Service!
3. A Great Place to Shop and Eat!
4. Solid Profits!
5. A Great Place to Work!
6. Strong Relationships!
7. A Place to Learn!
8. An Active Part of Our Community!
Zingerman’s was called as the coolest small company of the USA.
Hope we will build more such businesses, and less the ones, the current media talks about with endless rounds of funding, and scale.