Philosophy

At Compass Rose, we believe our work is an integral part of our lives, and to the degree we find meaning and satisfaction in our work, we will not only be successful, but we will benefit our community and our world.

We do not believe business success should be measured in purely monetary terms such as sales growth and profit margins. We have additional criteria and a more holistic definition of success.

Here are some of our business principals:

Employees: We believe happy employees make great employees. The staff of Compass Rose (except maybe the owner!) is paid well above the industry norm. Full time employees are offered healthcare, sick leave, and a retirement plan as well, almost unheard of for a small retail business.  The staff of Compass Rose is its strength and each employee is truly exceptional. We believe it shows. (And no, the photo to the left does not show a staff mutiny!  Rather, it is a scene from a YouTube video the staff made.)

 

Sustainability: Sustainability is only recently becoming considered an important component of business success. We believe that sustainability should be considered and evaluated as a parameter of business success just as are more conventional yardstick measures such as sales and revenue growth.

At Compass Rose, some of the steps we are taking to be a more sustainable business include composting all compostable material, recycling all boxes and most packaging material, and giving preference to locally or regionally produced goods.  Our gift boxes are made from 100% recycled material, and we give free reusable gift bags to our customers. Compass Rose also buys 100% renewable energy through Puget Sound Energy’s Green Power Program for all of its energy needs. Even the server for our website uses 100% green energy. And to top it off…every single Compass Rose employee either walks or bikes to work!

Community: When you walk into a mall store or make a purchase online, you likely do not feel part of a community. You are just a face or a number (mainly, a 16 digit number!).

We believe that community ties and interconnectivity form the backbone, the fabric of society and add enrichment to our lives. We are part of a rather small, intimate downtown community, and we like that. Come join us.

Where does the money go? When you support Compass Rose, you support your community. Depending on what you buy at Compass Rose (locally made vs. made in Ohio, say), and how you pay for your purchase (cash vs. charge card), and other factors, between 45% and 95% of your purchase stays in the community. If you like the community you live in, support it!

Compass Rose is proud to annually donate 10% of its income (the maximum deductible charitable contribution allowed by law) to non-profits and NGO’s including SafePlace, the Red Cross, and Oxfam America.

We think Compass Rose is a business you can feel good about supporting.