Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in healthcare but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mark Stanley, Co-Founder and CEO of VAW Global Health Alliances, located in Greer, SC, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We offer trips to undergraduate students in medical, dental, veterinary, and international development degree programs. The sale of those trips raises money for us to provide healthcare for our roughly 30,000 patients in Guatemala, Peru, Dominican Republic, Panama, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Uzbekistan.
Tell us about yourself
My wife and I met working for an NGO in Peru. We always had the desire to go back to Peru and open our own NGO, but we couldn't afford to travel back and forth to Peru in those days, so we started in Guatemala instead. Guatemala was closer to home at the time. Over time, what started as an idea to do a few projects that help people a few times per year, has grown into a year-round operation that supports about 150 communities worldwide and has given thousands of college students life-changing career development experiences. Experiences that have helped many of our alumni achieve the goal of going on to study at graduate school.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We have built an incredible team at VAW Global. Every individual on the team is extremely dedicated and committed to what we do. The pandemic of 2020 was by far the most difficult thing we have ever had to weather as an organization. Much of our staff put in long hours, working more than they were even paid for because we had no funding for nearly two years straight. It is because of these dedicated and selfless employees that VAW Global survives today. I am very honored to lead such an amazing group of individuals who truly care about their communities and what VAW Global is working to achieve.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The responsibility for so many lives. The communities we serve, the patients, the customers, and our employees all depend on the health of VAW Global. There are always going to be challenges. There will always be things that go wrong. There will also always be employees or customers who need extra help. The balance you have to find is how to be generous, how to be kind, and how to love even in the face of challenges.
I don't always make the right decision, but I do try to always keep in mind what is best for the whole. I try to make decisions that best help people rather than always what is best for the organization's bottom line. But even that can be tricky because, often, what is best for everyone is the health of the organization as a whole. It is a tricky balance, but I think we manage it well.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Find something you can work on that builds on your passion. It is way more exciting to work on a passion than simply work to make money.
- Treat your employees as family. Seek their best interests first. Don't micromanage. Hire people that are smarter than you at what they do, and then let them do their job without a bunch of bureaucracy. They will reward you with loyalty, hard work, and their friendship.
- Do right by your customers. Keep your promises, but also don't allow customers to rule you. The customer has changed in recent years; they often demand more than they are due, so be clear about your promises, then keep those promises with absolute integrity, and if you mess up, fix it by over-delivering what you originally promised.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.vawglobal.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VAWGlobal/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vawglobal/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VAWGlobal
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vaw-global/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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