January 2019 - Postcardportables

Successful Entrepreneurs Tell All

Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes 30 seconds.

Successful entrepreneurs aren’t born overnight. Their success stems from a particular mindset, initiative, and hard work.

These successful entrepreneurs have already proven they have what it takes to make dreams become reality. Each attained financial freedom, built a business they love, and they’re willing to share what they’ve learned. Their entrepreneur quotes provide a glimpse into their mindset and why they’ve done so well.

If you’re considering entrepreneurship, discover whether you think similarly to these successful entrepreneurs and why other entrepreneurial characteristics are so important. You could be your own boss and run a successful business too.

Photo of Marcus Gillam courtesy of Canadian Business

Marcus Gillam’s name isn’t as well-known as other famous Canadian entrepreneurs, but it will be soon. He’s only 43-years old and his company, the Gillam Group, received the number one ranking in construction in 2018 on the Profit 500 list of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies.

Gillam became a successful entrepreneur when he identified a need in the construction market. He doggedly pursued the market between smaller, local firms and large, highly-integrated construction companies. He also takes on projects others shy away from when they believe they’re too complicated or their budgets and timelines are too demanding.

His first major project defined his company. Gillam said, “I immersed myself in the management of this project to ensure the outcome was consistent with my expectations. This approach was time-consuming and it certainly came at the expense of short-term growth.”

However, his sensitivity to community needs, perseverance, and long-term vision paid off. Founded in 2011, his company’s revenue grew more than 29,000% over the following years with revenues doubling every year for the first three years.

While his company’s not as well-known like EllisDon, PCL, and Hatch, he’s driven, focused, and always strives to finish projects on-time and on-budget. The Gillam Group generated between $50 and $100 million in revenues in 2017 alone.

Gillam knows you have to do what it takes to make clients happy. He wants clients to rely on his company as a trusted adviser and employs a “partnership model”. This may include sharing offices with clients when necessary. The company also tailors their accounting and operational practices to the client’s preferences.

Perhaps more importantly, Gillam isn’t afraid to think outside of the box. He persistently looks for solutions and adapts, but always considers the client first. This obviously resonates with clients, since a sizable chunk of his work comes from repeat business and word-of-mouth.

Photo of Dani Reiss courtesy of Canadian Business

The Canada Goose company under Dani Reiss began in 2001. Their signature functional parka sold online and through luxury retailers, primarily to markets outside of Canada.

Selling clothing is risky business, but especially in retail. Many well-known retailers such as Danier Leather, Laura, Jacob, and Smart Set aren’t around today. Increased pressure from online sales and globalization actually led to a 1.1 percent drop in sales in 2018, according to Statistics Canada. Even in the best years, it’s difficult to succeed.

Many clothing manufacturers drop by the wayside too. Levis’ manufacturing plants closed. The John Forsyth Shirt Co. and others just couldn’t compete. It’s not an industry for the faint of heart.

Compare that to the success of Canada Goose. Their revenue increased 393% over the past five years. Today, they have retail locations in Canada, the US, London and Tokyo with another 20 planned to open by 2020. They now sell hundreds of jacket styles, outerwear, and accessories.

Dani Reiss claims the reason for their success is functionality and quality. Reiss refused to outsource production to Asia to increase profit margins while sacrificing quality. Instead, Reiss launched sewing schools to train and employ Canadians and to protect their asset.

“We have a great legacy of craftsmanship, of being made here in Canada, and we felt that was an asset worth protecting.” Marketing their product with our country’s name in their brand and making the product within our borders are two powerful reasons many people pay more. They trust the brand, because they know it consistently offers quality.

Instead of going head-to-head with big retailers like Walmart with their own brands and cheap prices, Reiss tapped into a niche with consumers who wanted more than fast fashion. They were, and are still willing to pay for quality-made garments.

Hunter Amenities logo courtesy of www.hunteramenities.com

Hunter Amenities International Ltd. is a privately-owned company selected as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies in Deloitte’s leading business awards program.

This Burlington business began when John Hunter decided to make mouthwash for vending machines while attending university. He had little money and his mother tried to promote his vending machines, but no one was buying during the 80’s recession.

Hunter spotted an opportunity when he noticed hotels wanted to supply their customers with amenities, other than just a bar of soap. Despite his vending machine failure, Hunter rented a small space and filled bottles with mouthwash. He landed his first customer- Canadian Pacific Hotels.

Hunter recalls, “We just started out kind of doing anything we could to survive.” He realized it wasn’t about the products he thought he should sell, but what the customer wanted and needed.

Hunter is an innovator and ninety percent of the company’s products are custom-made for each client. The company launches about 25 new products annually, whereas the competition might release one. They also do everything in-house, from formulation to packaging.

By the early 90’s, he’d expanded his company into the U.S. Today, the company has plants in China, Singapore, and Malaysia, and nine distribution points within Asia and the Middle East.

Their success is even more incredible, since they’re up against U.S. competition and a 30 percent difference in currency. They’ve had to aggressively pursue new markets and add resources to compensate for their currency disadvantage.

“When everyone else is saying there’s a horrible recession out there, we’ve been saying we’re growing,” said Hunter. “We’ve been lucky where we just didn’t stagnate and kind of turtle shell and wait for things to get better, because they never will if you don’t go out and go after it.”

His resilient entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to turnkey solutions for clients are clearly factors in his success.

Photo of Stuart Lombard courtesy of www.ecobee.com

Stuart Lombard built a foldable canoe at 12-years of age and carried it around in his briefcase. His need to innovate led him to engineering studies in college, but when he graduated he didn’t know what to do.

He took a job with CAE Electronics in Montreal and worked his way up through the ranks. Unfortunately, he also had the worst boss ever.

Nonetheless, Lombard looked at it as a blessing. It was a turning point in his life. He realized he could combine his passion for safeguarding the environment with engineering and business, and he had a very good idea how he could do it.

Lombard recognized people spend plenty of money on heating and cooling their houses, but most thermostats were still the same as they’d been for decades. They weren’t “smart” or mobile-accessible. Lombard launched ecobee in 2007 so users could control their thermostat via their phone and save money.

Today, ecobee has a 35 percent share of the smart thermostat market. Buyers see the value since they can save around 23 percent on their heating and cooling bills annually, which pays for the unit quickly.

Their latest unit works with Alexa. Other units operate with Apple, IFTTT, Google, and Samsung since ecobee collaborated with them on the design. They sell their devices on Amazon and in retail stores such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, Best Buy, and more.

The company has secured substantial funding from the Amazon Alexa fund and Lombard won the prestigious EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2018 Ontario for Technology/Cleantech. The company has also partnered with the Canadian government and power utility companies to install smart thermostats, sometimes for free.

The company highly values customer opinions. It’s all about making precisely what the customer needs and delivering a great customer experience.

Photo of Christian Chia courtesy of www.openroadautogroup.com

OpenRoad is the largest auto retailer in BC with 23 dealerships and 3 collision centres. Their CEO, Christian Chia, is a well-known innovator with great passion for anything automotive.

His education was in finance, but he found it boring. He realized he didn’t want to be the person arranging financing for business – he wanted to be the one using the capital.

He left finance and went to work at Toyota. He describes his position as “the lowest of the low.” He had to fight to get business cards, but he had no title. However, his training included hard work in their factory and he learned strong values such as putting the customer and dealer before the manufacturer. He says many of the lessons he learned are now part of his DNA.

Chia led the way when he centralized the back office of his retail car business, unusual for the time. He maintained one location with accounting, HR, and marketing and then dealerships tapped into the services as they needed them.

The company also had a solid growth strategy, because Chia believed size and scale provided more marketing and training opportunities so they could remain on the leading edge of automotive retail.

He still contends you don’t need a particular educational profile or specific experience to do well in his industry either. “You need to want to be an automotive professional – you want to be the very best in the industry, and in the field of expertise you have.”

Chia believes teamwork is vital to success too. He states, “I always want to build the team. Our industry is hypercompetitive. It’s a small, low-margin, high-volume business. We’re a competitive organization. We like to win, but I believe we have a shared ownership of those sales targets, of those customer satisfaction targets. I subscribe to the definition of a CEO being a communicator of that vision, of that strategy”.

He says, “Passion is still at the root and heart of who we are as an organization. In essence, we are a franchise business. We need to differentiate ourselves in other ways, and for us that difference is the service and purchase experience.”

The automotive mogul doesn’t fool himself about the possibility of disruption to his business model either. Ride-sharing, autonomous vehicles, and other advances could shake up the centuries old franchise model. However, he sees technology as a potential way to collaborate, rather than a barrier.

His latest venture, PORTFOLIO, provides an affordable way for car enthusiasts to get behind the wheel of four luxury brands per month including Porsche, Land Rover, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Genesis, Infiniti and Audi and all for a flat monthly fee. Users access the program through an application-based subscription service on their smartphone. Obviously, Chia continues to innovate and his passion still drives his business.

EY also recognized his innovation, customer service, and teamwork strategies when they awarded him with Entrepreneur of the Year award for Business to Consumer excellence in the Pacific area.

*****

You’ve read what these successful entrepreneurs say it takes to achieve success. If you’re itching to become an entrepreneur, Postcard Portables has franchise opportunities throughout Canada. It is simple to get started operating your home- based business.

Our highly-respected brand and franchise network offers unlimited growth potential for a low investment amount. Ask yourself: Are you ready to make a mark in your community and have the work/life balance you deserve? If so, then it’s time to sign. Contact us to learn more.

Entrepreneur Quotes We Should All Live By

Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes 36 seconds.

Do you desire financial freedom and a great work/life balance? Entrepreneur quotes from successful entrepreneurs can help you understand what it takes to create a life and business you love.

Imagine for a moment that your life is an empty canvas. You hold the brush and the power to paint your life any way you like. What would your work of art look like? Becoming an entrepreneur isn’t easy. Entrepreneurship has unique challenges which requires unique attributes, but it also offers countless benefits. Let’s look at entrepreneur quotes that help you visualize whether you can see yourself following these entrepreneurs’ lead, as well as teach you some strokes to create your own masterpiece.

Farrah Gray started selling handmade lotion and painted rocks door-to-door at age six to help his struggling parents. At age seven, he carried business cards reading “21st Century CEO.”

At the same age, he told a teacher he was going to be a millionaire entrepreneur. She said, “No you’re not. You’re poor and your family’s poor. You’d better find someone to go work for,” and pointed towards McDonald’s.

Fortunately, his grandmother told him if you believe in yourself, you can accomplish anything. Ask yourself, “Why not me?” He ignored his teacher’s criticism, recognized he was good at what he did, and by 14-years old he was a self-made millionaire.

He’s now a motivational speaker and repeatedly states we all have dreams and seeds of greatness, but you must act to make them grow. Show up, pursue opportunities with a vengeance, and don’t wait for it to knock on the door. Find mentors, surround yourself with good people, and go after your dreams.

Walt Disney originally animated for advertising, but found advertising unfulfilling. His passion was for putting pen to paper to create an escape from the negativity of the world. He wanted to create a beautiful, entertaining environment instead.

He converted his garage into a studio, borrowed equipment, and made animated shorts. However, local theaters didn’t want to show them. He had no money so he moved into his office and ate cold beans- definitely not the happiest place on earth!

He partnered with his brother, but had his first successful creation stolen. No one believed in his vision for Disneyland either and thought it would be a spectacular failure.

“I couldn’t get anybody to go along with me. But I kept working on it and I worked on it with my own money.” He even hocked his life insurance to make it become a reality.

Disney continually innovated, worked long hours, and nurtured his business. He also pioneered branding and merchandising which accounts for 25 percent of Disney’s revenues today.

Disney’s success proves dreams alone aren’t enough. You need to turn those dreams into actions to make them a reality.

Andrew Carnegie came from humble roots, but that didn’t stop him from dreaming big. He worked as a bobbin boy in a cotton factory at thirteen-years old, taught himself to operate a telegraph, and was the superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company’s western regional office before he was twenty-five. By thirty he’d set off on his own, worked in steel, and later became an industry magnate worth a fortune.

However, Carnegie’s legacy isn’t about wealth. It’s about the importance of valuing life. His lifelong focus was on family, helping others, education, and social justice demonstrating that success is far more than earning money.

Running your own business is about generating resources to do what you want so that you can champion what you honour and value.

Steve Jobs’ name has become synonymous with entrepreneurial success. His early interest in electronics and gadgetry led to an internship at Hewlett-Packard, where he met his future partner, Steve Wozniak.

Wozniak was an engineer and he’d built a small computer, but Jobs had a vision – get small computers in the hands of everyday people. At twenty-years old, the two sold everything they owned and set up shop in Jobs’ parents’ garage and Apple Computer was born.

Apple eventually ousted Jobs, and sales plummeted. The organization lacked his vision, drive, and pioneering spirit. When Jobs returned, his passion and innovation rejuvenated the company. Today, Apple Computer is worth almost $1 trillion.

Steve Jobs demonstrates vision and passion are essential qualities for business success and longevity. They’re what keep you going when times get tough and lead to innovation.

Mr. Hill certainly demonstrated his passion for learning through formal education and experience. He was a reporter, studied law, started an automobile college and an institute of advertising, and published several magazines.

He interviewed many of the most influential people of his time and summarized their secrets of success in a book. He also wrote one of the 10 best-selling self-help books of all time. He pursued mentors and continually sought knowledge.

Self-education and personal growth are essential qualities for any entrepreneur. They need to continually learn to stay on top of new trends and technologies to remain relevant.

You don’t necessarily need to set foot in a classroom to learn either. Online classes, seminars, books, blogs, and meeting leaders are great ways to expand your knowledge.

Dharmesh and his partner met at MIT. They founded Hubspot when they realized people no longer responded to marketing and sales intrusions, and traditional tactics. Customers felt they were impersonal and irritating, not helpful.

They decided Hubspot would humanize the marketing and sales process and help people instead. By providing high-quality materials and services, people were more likely to connect and buy. Their revenues were $255,000 in 2007. Their estimated revenues for 2018 are $496.8 million.

These results show entrepreneurs must focus on the customer first; not on themselves or their business. The rest falls into place when you provide customers with what they need.

If anyone had a reason to be pessimistic about life, it was Ziglar. He was born one of twelve children, died nine days later, and then came back to life in his grandmother’s arms. His father and sister passed away five years later and his mom raised the huge family alone.

He tried college, dropped out, and had an inferiority complex. He entered sales, did well, and later wrote a book. Thirty publishing houses rejected it, but he remained hopeful. Finally, the thirty-first said, “Yes”.

His positivity in the face of adversity led to a fulfilling career of empowering others to succeed in their professional and personal lives. He published countless best-sellers and touched millions of people’s lives.

We can all learn from Ziglar’s positive outlook. Stay positive no matter what life throws at you and you will eventually succeed in business and in life.

Thomas Edison only went to school for a few months, but his mother taught him the basics. However, he continually read scientific and technical books, and taught himself to operate a telegraph. By sixteen, he was a telegraph operator and travelled extensively.

His first invention was a failure and he worked for ten years before he achieved commercial success. After that, he lost all his investment money on his latest invention since it never took off commercially.

Despite the setback, he continued on with more promising ventures. He became an industrialist and eventually an icon of ingenuity credited with 1,093 inventions.

It’s clear, any entrepreneur must be willing to carry on and innovate if they want to achieve success in business. Perseverance leads to success.

Spanos started working in his father’s bakery at eight-years old. In his teens, he borrowed money to buy an old truck and sold sandwiches to migrant workers. He worked by himself for long hours.

By the time he was 32, he’d made his first million. He’d learned the ins and outs of business through hard work and experience. He continued to build his fortune by investing in real estate and building apartments, but he remained a hands-on operator throughout his life.

Spanos demonstrates you must work hard and dedicate yourself to your dream. No one achieves instant success – it takes sweat equity. Start small, build a strong foundation, and then expand the structure. You reap the benefits of your hard work, so it’s well-worth your effort.

Robbins’ home life as a child was not rosy. His parents divorced and his mother was drug and alcohol dependent. Robbins cared for his siblings and the home. Eventually, his mother chased him out of the house with a knife.

By 17, he was out of high school and working as a janitor for $40 a week. He wanted to attend college for a sports journalism degree. However, he looked at his situation as a setback, not a dead end.

He saved up $35, attended a motivational seminar, asked the speaker for a job, and was hired. Robbins worked long hours, but wasn’t seeing results. His boss and mentor told Robbins to focus on building a skillset so he could offer more value.

He took his advice and started to build a brand, but a partner stuck him with a $150 million bill. He also divorced his wife after 14 years. Despite these setbacks, Robbins carried on and learned from the experience.

“I’ve come to believe that all my past failure and frustration was actually laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new level of living I now enjoy.” His challenges and experiences helped him learn and grow.

Clearly, discovering how to overcome problems is an important characteristic of any successful entrepreneur.

Canada’s enduring hockey legend is also a very successful entrepreneur. The Great One not only smashed countless league records, he continues to win in the business world long after retirement.

What’s behind his success? With 60 league records, including an incredible number of assists, it’s clear he doesn’t hog the puck. He believes in teamwork, and empowers those around him to achieve more.

It’s well-documented that his dad and Gordie Howe inspired him throughout his life. He’s always relied on mentors. He learned, “One person doesn’t make the game – it takes everyone. When you work together, you can accomplish great things.”

Today, he continues to collaborate with others and runs hockey camps in Canada, the United States and China, since they’ll host the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. His net worth is $200 million.

*****

These successful entrepreneurs offer insights into a few of the attributes you need for business success. If you want to know more, read our Q & A post “What Are Entrepreneurial Characteristics”.

How will you paint your story? If you’re considering entrepreneurship, Postcard Portables has franchise opportunities throughout Canada. It is simple to get started operating your home- based business.

Famous Entrepreneurs Walk into a Bar

Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes.

What if three famous entrepreneurs from Canada walked into a bar and sat on stools next to each other? Odds are they would strike up a conversation and soon discover they have many common characteristics that led to their success. Their meeting might go something like this . . .

The Introduction

The eldest man at the bar extends his hand and humbly introduces himself. “Hi, I’m Jim Pattison.” His smile and approachable nature belie the fact he is the sole owner of the second largest private enterprise in Canada: The Jim Pattison Group.

Company holdings include broadcast media, signage, supermarkets, fishing, forestry, agriculture, equipment, manufacturing, recreation and marketing, and entertainment, including Guinness World Records and Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

With annual revenue of $10 billion and over 45,000 employees, this 90-year old is still a hands-on operator and going strong. He is also a huge philanthropist, donating millions annually through his charitable foundation.

“Hi, I’m Garrett Camp,” responds the 40-year old sitting next to him. He’s animated, but his casual dress and laid back nature would never suggest he’s the founder of StumbleUpon and co-founder of Uber; two paradigm-busting tech companies.

He sold StumbleUpon to eBay for $75 million and then bought it back again. His stake as co-founder in Uber is worth $6.2 billion today. Now he helps others develop and launch new products through his new startup studio, Expa. He’s also building his own cryptocurrency to link the existing regulated banking system with new unregulated monetary systems.

Finally, the gracious man with a smile extends his hand and responds, “Hello. I’m Alain Bouchard.” This gentle, welcoming 60-year old man founded a huge independent multinational chain of 15,000 convenience stores, including Mac’s and Circle K. The company generates $38 billion in revenue annually. His charitable foundation also donates millions to arts and culture and to help those with intellectual challenges.

Their Roots

Garrett speaks up after the introductions.

“I’ve heard of you both. You’re very successful entrepreneurs, but most high net worth individuals started with family money. Did you?”

Jim chuckles and responds, “Hardly. My dad was a partner in a car dealership and lost everything during the depression. After that he went door-to-door repairing pianos for $2. What about you, Garrett?”

“My dad was an architect and contractor. Mom was a designer and artist. We grew up in a middle-class neighbourhood in Calgary. I think growing up in a self-driven household was part of the reason I became an entrepreneur, but we weren’t rich.”

Alain chimes in, “Dad owned an excavation company and Mom managed the company’s finances. Dad needed new heavy equipment for a job, but the person he had an agreement with went bankrupt, so Dad did too. I was nine-years old and it was a very difficult time for the family. It took Dad ten years to repay his debts.”

Their Business Beginnings

“Wow. That must have been tough for both of you,” said Garrett. “What made you want to work for yourself after your parents’ failures?”

Alain responded, “After my father’s business failure, it became my great desire to restore my parents’ honour. I worked in a factory and then worked for my brother without pay to help him manage a franchise grocery store. I liked greeting the customers, and I discovered I have an innate sense of interior design.”

“When my brother’s supervisor visited the store, he gave me a job organizing the new franchise stores since he was so impressed with my work. I did that for a few years and then later managed and became a territory manager and director. I left to work for a competitor, but I always knew I wanted to own my own store and took business classes.”

Garret asked, “What about you, Jim?”

“I can never remember not working. When I was seven years old I started selling garden seeds door-to-door. Later, I played the trumpet at church picnics. In high school, I picked fruit, sold doughnuts and subscriptions to magazines, worked in a hotel as a page boy, and delivered newspapers.”

“When I finished school, I worked in a cannery and packing house, built bridges, and then worked on the CPR as a dining car attendant. Later, I washed cars at a gas station with a used-car lot. I sold my first car when the salesman was off the lot,” Jim laughed.

“What’s your story, Garrett?” asked Jim.

“I went to university and studied electrical engineering, and later earned a graduate degree in software engineering. I always knew I wanted my own business. I kicked around ideas with a couple of friends and we came up with an idea. I thought it was great and got really excited. I wanted to make it happen and I was passionate about creating the product,” said Garrett.

Their Risk Tolerance

“Did you take risks to make your idea become a reality, Garrett?” asked Jim.

“Yes. Investors in my area didn’t see the potential. I lived in a city where oil and gas reigned – not technology. I had to look for money elsewhere, and I’d invested every dime and many hours into the project. Eventually, I found seed money in San Francisco, but it wasn’t easy. I put everything on the line,” said Garrett.

“What about you, Jim?” asked Garrett.

“When I was 32, I needed financing for my first GM dealership. I took out a loan on my life insurance and house. I had to convince the bank manager to lend me eight times the branch limit. I borrowed the rest from GM,” said Jim.

“What about you, Alain?” asked Garrett.

“I worked two stores myself when I started. One of the companies was in a franchise network. I told them I wanted to start my own store and they said they couldn’t afford to lose me since I was the only one with the experience they needed. I told them I would only stay with them if they would give me two franchises. They said yes. My banker told me I was too aggressive and I was growing too fast. I changed bankers,” said Alain.

Their Passion

“Jim, you’re 90-years old. Why haven’t you retired?” asked Garrett.

“I have fun going to work every day,” Jim said. “I like what I do and so I just keep doing it. I get up at 6 am every day.

Years ago, I left my job at GM for a guaranteed $50,000 a year selling pots and pans. I went back to GM for $12,000 a year because that was where my heart was. I learned that it isn’t enough to simply make a lot of money.”

“What about you, Garrett?” asked Jim.

“I fell in love with computers when I was 10-years old. My uncle lent me his Macintosh Plus for the summer. After that, I wanted to learn everything about computers and the internet. I’m still learning, and I still love what I do,” replied Garrett.

Alain clearly relates and says, “Life is too short to spend on doing something you don’t like. If you don’t like what you are doing, you should do yourself a favour and leave. It comes down to attitude. If you have a good attitude, keep your ego in check, and work hard at something you enjoy, you will be successful.”

Their Customer Focus

How important is customer focus to you, Garrett?” asked Alain.

“StumbleUpon is all about the user. It’s a community-driven tool to help people find webpages that interest them. I always think about one user action and then design the product around it. That’s what I did with Uber. I believe it is very important to seek and capture feedback too,” said Garret.

“What about you, Jim?” asked Alain.

“The customer is always my priority, no matter what our business decides to do. I wouldn’t have a business without them. It’s not about me; it’s about customer satisfaction,” responded Jim.

“I agree,” said Alain. “When you know who your customers are, that can give you an edge on the competition. Customer service has to be part of our DNA every day. It has to be a part of your thinking every day.”

Their Ability To Seize Opportunities

Do you think it’s harder to build a business today?” asked Garrett.

“No, easier,” answered Jim. “There’s much more access to capital and there’s much more change today. Anytime there’s change, there’s opportunity. I don’t think I’ve ever seen more opportunity for young people than today – ever.”

“How did you come up for the idea for Uber, Garrett?” asked Alain.

“I was waiting for half an hour for a cab and it made me late for an appointment. I saw many taxis whiz by and many were empty. I knew there had to be a better way than using an old, uncoordinated dispatch system. I checked the App Store on my iPhone and didn’t see a solution.”

“What about you, Alain?” asked Jim.

“I knew I wanted my own business, so I grabbed every opportunity that came my way until I had two franchise stores. My strategy has always been to look for opportunities, which later included snatching up my competitors,” said Alain.

Their Determination

“Have you ever failed, Jim?” asked Garrett.

“We all fail – I have failed so many times, but it never discourages me. I just pick up and go,” answered Jim. “If you owe the bank enough money, you decide what you have to do to pay your bills,” he explained.

Garrett responded, “I understand. People don’t realize it takes a little time to get a system up and running and everyone forgets the first couple of years, because you are toiling in obscurity. Every time I make a mistake with a company, I write it out and try to figure out why it happened.”

“I definitely see a correlation between how many things a company gets right and how fast a company grows. You face plenty of adversity. People said Uber wouldn’t work in New York because taxis were too easy to get. Later, we had plenty of bad press and operational issues,” said Garrett.

“And you Alain?” asked Garrett.

“My father was ill-prepared to run a business. He lacked good counsel and poorly managed the debts owed him. I was determined to do things right, but I certainly had many setbacks along the way. You learn from your mistakes and do better the next time,” said Alain.

Their Work Ethic

“What are entrepreneurial characteristics a person needs for success, Jim?” asked Garrett.

“Well, first thing is total honesty, integrity, hard work, and caring about the customer. Remember, it’s not what you like. It’s what they need,” responded Jim.

“What about you, Alain?” Garrett asked.

“My father told me you have to first make your name. You only have one. The most important asset anyone has is their reputation, not money.”

“What’s your take, Garrett?” asked Jim.

“Absolutely, you need to decide what’s important. For example, the decision to replace our Uber CEO was very difficult, but we knew we had to improve our culture and practices,” said Garrett.

Their Strong Teams

“Did you go it alone, Garrett?” asked Alain.

“No. I teamed up with friends for my first business while I was at university. In the case of Uber, I had the idea for about a year. I had registered Ubercab.com early on. I was working on the prototype, and it was all very casual. And then my cofounder Travis Kalanick saw it. He got the vision and became my most active collaborator on the product.”

“You want people who are really passionate about the idea. I would rather have someone who is super-passionate about the #3 idea on my list than me taking my #1 idea and trying to get people onboard,” said Garrett.

“And you, Alain?” asked Garrett.

“When I started my company I wanted to build a big foundation to make sure we were on a solid base and then we could build a house. I discovered early in my career as an entrepreneur that I’m not good at many things, and I said, ‘I need help.’”

“I surround myself with good people. My father lost everything, because he was not well-surrounded. So I searched for the right people to help me with the things I was not good at. You need a partner to help you build your dream,” said Alain.

“Did you go it alone, Jim?” asked Alain.

“No. You need a good team if you want to grow. Today, I have a team that looks at 300 to 400 deals every year. I give my divisions leeway to do what they like, as long as they meet targets, although I still look at the books of every company on Monday mornings. I’m very results focused,” said Jim.

*****

While the chances of these three meeting in a bar might be remote, what’s written here comes from the interviews and the entrepreneur quotes of these three successful businessmen.

If you can relate to what you’ve read, it’s time to nourish your entrepreneurial spirit and discover financial freedom. Postcard Portables has franchise opportunities throughout Canada. It is simple to get started operating your home-based business.