Scott Hinton
The most common mistake that I see entrepreneurs making is that they focus too much on the revenue and not the solution which the customer would want that will help in generating the revenue.
Mr. Gagan Arora launched Vertex and expanded operations in the USA, UK, India, Philippines & Nepal with an instinct of being solution-oriented, thinking outside the box, and a sincere determination to hard work; he believes in investing in talent, technology, and innovation that constantly strives in an evolving business landscape.
He was recently appointed as the Director of the International Education Committee for AACC & Chairman – Foreign Investors Council Delhi (FIC). He has also been recognized by the GMI & Forbes as a top 100 influencer across India.
Let’s learn a little about you and really get to experience what makes us tick – starting at our beginnings. Where did your story begin?
Gagan Arora: My utmost interest and fondness towards technology made me motivated to share my ideas and thoughts with the world. I adore the way technological advancements have changed the shape of the world, markets, and businesses. My prime idea to start Vertex Global Services was to deliver passionate and dedicated services to businesses. I wanted to change the dynamics of business strategies with technology and do something on a wider scale. Although my first few start-ups did not lift off, this didn’t let me lose hope and I finally decided to create Vertex Global Services. It was only a two-member team in the beginning when I started my venture in operating out of a garage in Miami, Florida. I left my job, forfeited salaries & perks as well, and worked out of a base with minimal essentialities to achieve my dream. I always work in a diversified manner that can initiate more possibilities for me and my team. What started with two people from a small garage – today is a company of 700+ people spread across 5 countries and serving 3000+ clients and honored as Best Place to Work.
We strive for unparalleled innovation and perfection with our single window services of staff augmentation, artificial intelligence, managed services, and digital marketing. We thoroughly revise our digital solutions considering the market situation to ensure streamlined services for our endearing clients. Currently, we are focusing on strengthening the portfolio with BPO and Vertex Digital Academy.
The organization’s objective is to lend support to all other small- or large-scale businesses that are desiring to up their game in the business world. We provide companies with cutting-edge solutions and help them to propagate their performance all over with our finest expertise. From companies’ registration to business optimization to upskilling their workforces, we offer all types of integrated business solutions and services.
Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? Did you ever consider giving up?
Gagan Arora: After being bitten by the entrepreneurial bug in 2015, I left my cushy job, sacrificed monthly salary & perks, early ventures failed, invested my own money, working out of a garage with minimal liquidity, came down from leading a 1000-member team to a 2 member company to achieve his dream. I believe that every failure and setback has a lesson to teach and is a step to glory.
Even after failing twice, I did not give up and turned those failures into milestones of success.
What are the most common mistakes you see entrepreneurs make and what would you suggest they do?
Gagan Arora: The most common mistake that I see entrepreneurs making is that they focus too much on the revenue and not the solution which the customer would want that will help in generating the revenue. I strongly believe that one should identify what is the best solution he can provide for a problem he sees and how can he be different from the competition – doing this will pretty much make your product successful.
Is there a particular podcast you listened to, or business thought leader that you find helpful while maneuvering this pandemic?
Gagan Arora: I listen to the majority of podcasts focusing on how we as a company can make an impact in the communities we operate in and make a difference.
2020 has been quite a historic year. Seized by a global pandemic and exposed to major disruption, the world has undergone a lot of uncertainties. But technology, however, added a seam of resilience to businesses by making the abrupt shift in operating habits less disruptive.
I believe the new era of working has opened up more opportunities for disabled people. The Work from Home/Anywhere model has undergone a universal uptake in some divisions as a result of the pandemic. It has unlocked an opportunity for organizations to build or future-proof, inclusive workplaces for people with disabilities. Whereas, an equal opportunity for disabled people to work and earn their livelihood.
That being said, Vertex offers a stage to such specially-abled people with Vertex Digital Academy so that they can upskill themselves for the changing business landscape. The academy also has to offer internship opportunities so that they get to experience the corporate vantage before stepping into the world.
In your opinion, what makes your company stand out from the competition?
Gagan Arora: Vertex is the 19th most innovative company across the globe hence innovation stands out for us. We believe in striving for innovation in almost everything we do. We believe that employee experience is equal to customer experience.
“Maintaining an effective culture is so important that it, in fact, trumps even strategy”, – Steven. A company’s work culture determines its persona and it is very important to align culture with innovation and growth. At Vertex, people are our biggest assets, we consider our employees as our ambassadors.
I Believe, satisfied employees produce satisfied customers. They are likely to assist customers with a more pleasant demeanor and a higher level of customer service. And for that, we have redefined the HR system of our company as ‘Employee Care’, ‘Talent Acquisition’ & ‘Talent Excellence’. A laid-out working system combined with a transparent structure of communication and teamwork. Through our best practices, we have been rated as “Best Place to Work In India” by the Best Place to Work ® Institute by attaining 92% in employee satisfaction score.
We have heavily invested in our employees and firmly believe our employees are the lifeblood carrying our culture implying our business growth forward.
What do you consider are your strengths when dealing with staff workers, colleagues, senior management, and customers?
Gagan Arora: We strongly believe that Employee experience is equal to customer experience. How you treat your employees is how your employees will treat your customers. We treat our employees as brand ambassadors and hence we have been achieving an ESAT score of 92% and a CSAT score of 92% too which proves the identical theory.
Being a CEO of the company, do you think that your personal brand reflects your company’s values?
Gagan Arora: Yes it does – it’s like the “Walk the Talk” initiative. When you as a leader, do the things you preach and walk the path that you want the team members to walk – the results will be visible.
How would you define “leadership”?
Gagan Arora: Leadership is a combination of the following:
- Ambition
- Energy
- The desire to lead
- Self-confidence
- Intelligence
- Honesty
- Integrity
However, while managing a team one needs to follow various leadership styles:
The most effective leadership style is the one that is most appropriate for the situation and followers. For example:
The authoritative leadership style is effective in urgent situations where results need to be quickly accomplished, speed and efficiency are critical and the team lacks experience and knowledge.
Participative or democratic leadership style is effective when the team is more confident and experienced and the objective is to develop loyalty and commitment and boost productivity, creativity, and innovation.
Delegative leadership style works well when the team is highly skilled and motivated and is often appropriate for small teams who are confident that they can achieve results independently.
One needs to be smart enough to mix all the styles and showcase when the need arises.
What advice would you give to our younger readers that want to become entrepreneurs?
Gagan Arora: Entrepreneurship is no longer a sustained province of business veterans. When I ideated Vertex, I only had two things in hand – passion, and vision to make a difference in the industry. Also, I relied massively on the learning of people: friends, colleagues, and business experts I admired. As a leader, I have understood how crucial it is to develop and learn from personalities who have achieved their goals with hard work. So, the Advice I want to share with aspiring entrepreneurs is to rely on your strengths and grab the opportunities with open hands. The more experience you have the more you learn, and the better you will be able to envision approaching notions.
One thing I follow is to focus on developing meaningful relationships with consumers along with industry professionals. It is imperative to always be consumer-centric and build easy solutions for the problems faced by your consumers while being financially smart.
A wise entrepreneur is someone who views competitors as potential partners and collaborates to positively impact a business. Last but not the least, be a leader you yearn to be perceived and remember, your people are your greatest assets.
What’s your favorite “leadership” quote and how has it affected the way you implement your leadership style?
Gagan Arora: “You don’t need a title to be a leader”
I have started from the grass-root level and hence I like to remain grounded. There are times when I just take the phone calls/chats that the executives would do and sit with them to be up to speed. No matter whom I am working with, I ensure I keep my learning curve upwards.
This interview was originally published on ValiantCEO.
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