Starting a business requires a delicate balance of risk, passion, intelligence, research and self-belief. You have to trust your instincts – and stick to the hard work you've done to prepare business growth. You also have to weigh the potential risks against the faith and belief that you have what it takes to succeed. I know this dance well; I have started over 300 businesses.

I believe business development it is my greatest strength. Building businesses is the outlet for my many interests, from humanitarianism to scientific research and design. I have always enjoyed the unique challenges of business leadership, defining a company's “why” and navigating the turbulent waters as a company takes off and grows. It's not for everyone, but it definitely is for me. Business ownership is how I do my part to improve the world around me.

With so much businesses under my belt, I learned a lot about scaling companies. Here are my top four tips for successful business growth.

Connected: 7 strategies to scale your small business and achieve sustainable growth

Every business is unique and learning what works will take trial and error. For every victory I have experienced, there has been at least one failure. Every loss is a great learning opportunity – so trust me when I say I've learned a lot.

1. Business success is only possible with passion

My businesses continue to grow because my passion because my work has never stopped. Success is rooted in an insatiable desire to realize your dreams through every hardship and failure you encounter.

I am passionate about making products that meet the needs of its customers while also contributing to the greater good. This means creating products that support the health of individuals, animals and the earth, with environmental attention also paid to soil, air and water conservation. And that means creating stable solution that scientifically and artistically challenge the status quo. This is my calling, which drives me to work hard every day.

No successful entrepreneur can stay behind a business for which he has no passion. Having numbers to prove that your dream can reap actual monetary value is one thing. But before that, when it's just you against the world, passion is a vital resource to stay afloat.

2. Your mission, vision and value statements are more important than a business plan

Each of my many companies shares a mission: to drive positive change and make a difference in the lives of people around the world. Based on the products and services offered and the teams I assembled, I defined each company's vision (how we will achieve the mission) and values ​​(the factors that guide our decision-making).

Mission, vision and value work are necessary to achieve business success. They allow you to differentiate your businesses from competitors and ensure that the same compass guides your entire team and makes decisions that positively impact the larger team.

It is much easier to know the “why” and understand the “how” than to understand the “how” and fabricate the “why.” When you truly care about the mission you're pursuing, you bring creativity when you understand the “how,” encouraging innovation within the process. Your business plan can come later.

Connected: Why I didn't go on Shark Tank—and how that decision actually helped me scale

3. Hiring is essential to scaling a business, so take it seriously.

You can't achieve growth without a team that supports the business, so hiring is essential when growing. Your employees must understand your company's philosophy, and you must emphasize the importance of hiring only employees who match that philosophy. An employee who ignores the company's mission is a liability, and filtering out those employees during the hiring process is imperative. I will vouch for a candidate with less experience and more internal alignment with my company's philosophy than the latter. You want to build a team, not a workforce.

I also practice progressive policies for hiring employees from diverse backgrounds and am open to it second chance employment. Look for the right person to fill each role and don't exclude people with unique backgrounds, skills or experiences. An open hiring policy dramatically expands your candidate pool and gives you a better chance of finding the perfect fit. If you're too determined to hire employees with pristine backgrounds, you're shortchanging your company on massive potential. Employees with diverse experiences and viewpoints are essential to innovation. Make a judgment of character without letting prejudice get in the way of your decisions.

4. Rush for good performances AND good attitudes

Once you've built your team, you need to retain that talent. Don't expect everyone who works for you to see their work as their calling. Such a view is naive and, frankly, selfish. Incentivize your employees work harder and bring a good atmosphere to the office, then reward them.

I have no problem compensating for good attitudes as much as I do good performances. Positive attitudes, a can-do outlook, and a sense of urgency work wonders when your team is working toward lofty growth goals. And if you include your staff with individuals you personally care about and want to see thrive, then rewards and incentives should be a joy to hand out. It means that you have done your job during the interview process.

I even allow employees to bring their children and pets to work when necessary. Not many CEOs take this approach for fear of being seen as “weak”. However, I encourage entrepreneurs to promote inclusivity in the office and foster a welcoming environment. I am willing to meet the needs of my employees because I value their contributions and I want them to know it. The traditional workplace setup was created for a cookie-cutter type of worker, a mold that not everyone can fit. Celebrate diversity among your staff and encourage a work environment that works for everyone.

To successfully grow a business, I've learned that you need to focus on what matters most: the passion and mission behind the company and the people who make it work. Invest in those things first, then watch your business grow.