Life is not always easy – especially when it comes to business. Challenges and unforeseen issues can arise out of nowhere. How a company and its employees roll with the punches often directly relates to the overall success of the business. As the founder and President of Best Value Technology, a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOB) that provides services to the United States Federal Government, Dan Zimmerman shares four values that have helped his business flourish into one of the fastest growing private companies in America for four years in a row.

1. Problems are opportunities in disguise

As a contractor to the United States Federal Government, BVTI specializes in providing a variety of information technology and program management services. Where the company really excels, says Zimmerman, is in identifying potential problems be and providing cost-effective solutions.

“BVTI's mission is to solve problems for the government,” says Zimmerman. “We want to find out where the biggest pain points are and come in and solve them. We don't bid on things just to bid on them. We only bid on things we know we can be excellent at because we don't want to come in and be a mediocre contractor. We want to make a difference and make an impact. We want the government to say, ‘we're so glad we hired them.'”

2. Don't be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try.

Fear of making the wrong decision is often an obstacle in any part of life. Getting to the root of a problem, taking it apart and finding out what makes it tick, can ease fear and provide a solution to even the most complex issues.

“When I was at the National Reconnaissance office I was hired to be a person who answered the phone and solved problems for the government,” says Zimmerman. “I didn't actually know that until I was actually on site. So when they told me I had to sit at a desk and answer calls I told them that's not really going to work. I'm ADHD, I'm hyperactive and I need to something. So I went and I walked the halls of the government and talked other contractors and asked them, ‘What is it that could help your jobs be better in regards to the acquisition realm?' After two weeks of doing that I went home and created a façade of a website. I brought in several people that I talked to and asked them if this would solve their problems. They said yeah, this is exactly what we need. So using a cold fusion developer and a Microsoft developer I was able to develop this program called the ARC, Acquisition Research Center. From there was the germination of the company.”

3. A winning attitude is caught, not taught.

Leading by example is vital to building a positive and thriving atmosphere across the company, says Zimmerman. It's also equally important that the company leaders sincerely care about their employee's success – both professionally and personally.

“You have to love the people that work for you, and I absolutely love the people that work for this company,” says Zimmerman. “I feel so blessed to have them, the leadership team and the people in company. We have a survey we send out each Friday and everyone in the company gets it. They respond in it with, ‘This went great, I did a report for the director today and he loved it.' Or, they might say something like, ‘My dog died.' All of that effects how they do their job. Either they come in excited because they know they did a good job or they come in sad because they had to bury the dog they loved for so many years. We need to know that so we can help them with that.”

4. Integrity is doing what's right, even when nobody is watching.

Honesty, integrity and diligence are the marks of a company, or a person, that puts the highest quality of work into every project they tackle. Doing the right thing at all times, even when it's not easy, will attract employees and other businesses with similar values.

“When I was in grade school I won a little Bible for giving the best definition of integrity,” says Zimmerman. “I still have that Bible and it's always stuck with me. That's the way we want to run the company. We want to do a great job not just when they're looking but when nobody's looking. When nobody's around, we want the government and partners to know we're going to treat them right and do the right thing. That's a big reason why people like working with us.”