At Datamax, we grow our own luck.

The Four-Leaf Clover is an elusive, almost mythical plant that grows under extremely unique environmental conditions, and is also said to bring good luck. In fact, it’s estimated that only 1 out of every 5,000 clover plants will grow a fourth leaf. Talk about luck.

Thomas Jefferson once said "I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it." To that, we say, “touche.”

“You create your own luck here, you create your own path,” Datamax Inc. President Barry Simon said. “Our goal is to provide a career path with stability for everyone who works here. People know we’re here to stay.”

To Simon’s point, we don’t believe in luck at Datamax. However, we do have a four-leafed approach to organic organizational growth: Acquisition, Diversification, Penetration (FTAs) and the Cultivation of Culture. In the spirit of staying “Green and Growing,” let’s break down what each of these “clovers” mean here.

Acquisition.

We’ve made several in recent years: East Texas, Texarkana, Sulphur Springs, and Fort Smith. But acquisitions aren’t made without strategic intent. We don’t want to just be bigger – we want to be BETTER.

“Our goal is to make acquisitions that make us better as an organization. We may find an acquisition that applies to our diversification. Just an example, it could be a company that’s successful in selling Managed Network Services, or someone who is finding success with Voice Over IP Phone Systems.,” Simon said.

There’s also culture. After all, Culture Trumps Everything at Datamax.

After the most recent acquisition of Bull’s Office Systems in Fort Smith, Simon said this: "Although business alignment is a major factor in such an acquisition, what we’re equally excited about is our cultural alignment. We believe culture trumps all. We set the bar very high regarding the experiences of our customers, as well as the aspirations of our employees and the needs of our communities. Unless we’re Creating Raving Fans® of each of them, our job is simply not done.”

Diversification.

Simon used the word above. At the rate of technology evolution today, “growing” means not just taking on more employees, but also tailored solutions that are most relevant to client needs. Unified Communications, Managed Network Services, and Document Management – all examples of Datamax’s diverse approach to business technology.

“One of the biggest things right now is cyber security. Everyone is affected by that right now,” Simon said. “The main thing with diversification to me is looking at products and solutions that help our customers grow… now and down the road.”

Penetration.

First Time Accounts (FTAs) have been and will continue to be a primary target for our sales teams. Customers’ circumstances are always changing. Some are going out of business. We are always looking to expand our customer base with strong, mutually beneficial partnerships that can be sustained for the long run. That’s precisely why a strong portion of a rep’s activity base is prospecting for new accounts, filling their pipelines with potential FTAs.

But there’s one caveat to this.

“NEVER, NEVER lose sight of existing customers who have been loyal to us,” Simon said.

Cultivation of Culture.

Simon says that if you don’t have a strong company culture, the culture will take over itself. In other words, if you don’t tell your story, someone else will tell it for you.

What is company culture, anyways? It can be a bit tricky to define. But it certainly begins with The Little Blue Book, a unifying, unilateral set of Philosophies and Principles that guide the way we conduct business. But it carries on in each of us – through our daily actions, our communication with one another, and our commitment to a job well done.

As we aim to define “culture” at Datamax, let's defer to the Little Blue Book.

The Datamax Little Blue Book reflects our culture and our commitment to a unified mission—Creating Raving Fans®. It’s our very best thinking in a pretty quick read because we realize the more we say, the less you’ll remember. And make no mistake—we want this to sink in. It’s what we practice from what we’ve learned. Not a lofty concept—but an authentically lived-out culture. Our culture is colorful and marked by the dark blue in our logo—the color of knowledge, power, integrity, and professionalism. Our culture is one you can count on to be reliable and responsible because your career deserves and demands it.