By: Brittany G.
Have you ever been interested in
running a business? Have you every wondered what it’s like? Well, maybe this
can help. My father began his own business with my mother and a few of his
friends about seventeen years ago, and he was the CEO of the business for
fifteen years. From my point of view, it seemed like he worked all the time and
barely had time for anything else. There was a time not too long ago that I
started to wonder what exactly it took to run a business. So, I asked my dad.
Here is the interview I did with him. Hopefully it gives you a good idea of
what being an entrepreneur means and maybe even inspires you to think about
running your own business one day.
What is it like to run your own business?
The first
day feels like it was yesterday. I
bought a card table, the best laptop my credit card would approve, the chair I
am sitting in now, and the poster which still hangs on my wall captioned: “You
cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” Running a business is much like a taking a fantastic voyage
into the unknown.
What are the advantages of starting a
business?
Most
entrepreneurs I know are driven by ingenuity and creativity. A big advantage to starting a business
is the ability to break free from convention and to build differently something
superior. I was also tired of the politics, finger-pointing, and the “not my
job” attitude of corporate life.
So personally, it was big advantage to have the opportunity to try to
create a better workplace and culture.
What are the disadvantages of starting a
business?
Sure,
setting your own course and charting your own destiny sounds appealing. But the poster’s is also entitled
”RISK”. Starting is a business is
not easy, glamorous and without risk.
The saying is very true: If it were easy, everybody would be doing
it. The truth is that most small
businesses fail in the first two years and the odds only get worse with each
passing year. So while many
courageously attempt the voyage, few will successfully return to port. And as captain of the ship, be prepared
to perform every job at some point, including scrubbing the deck!
How did you make your business successful?
As a
software company in a very competitive industry, our mission was to provide the
most powerful, easiest to use suite of products and services. This meant constantly trying to grow
and improve what we offered. We
thrived on the opinion and feedback of our customers and we challenged
ourselves to make enhancements that far exceeded their expectations. With each new software release our
customer base grew not only in size, but also in loyalty. When your customers greet you with a
hug and treat you as a team member, you definitely are on the right track.
Who do you look for to help you start your
own business?
While many
entrepreneurs look for capital, or someone else’s money to start a company, I
took the road many others have taken: I roped in some of my best friends. We all had worked and lived together at
some point, so there was already a sense of familiarity and deep respect for
each other. And because we all put
it on the line together, each of us was highly motivated to do whatever it
would take to be a success. If you
decide to captain your own business, always remember that a captain is only as
good as their crew. So while you may have confidence in yourself, surround
yourself with the best and have confidence
in them as well.
How do you balance home life and work life?
A question
to be asked regardless of starting a business...in my case, one of my business
partners was my wife. Many then ask, how are we still married? But it helps when, in addition to being
your best friend and business partner, your wife is also your soul mate. We
tend to be on the same wavelength, so to speak. While the lines between home and work were sometimes blurry,
we were committed to being successful partners both at work and at home. My advice is the same that was given to
us by my grandfather at our wedding: end each day with a kiss and never go to
bed angry.
What do you wish you had done differently?
This is
similar to the questions we asked our customers and ourselves each year. What did we do wrong? What didn’t work quite right? What could be done more easily and
efficiently? Every summer we would
gather these answers and build a prioritized list of things to be done over the
next year. Certainly many items on
the list related to fixing and improving our products and services, but and
equal amount it seems were related to improving how the company operated. Because I feel we were true to the
process of continual quality improvement, there isn’t much of significance that
I would have done differently.
What advice would you give others who might
be interested in becoming an entrepreneur?
I believe
the success of a business is directly linked to the qualities and character of its captain. You don’t want to be alone and
abandoned by your crew when the seas are rough, the winds are howling, and you
are trying to stay afloat. So as
an Eagle Scout, I would advise any current or former Boy Scout to follow the
lifelong principles of the Boy Scout Laws and lead by being Trustworthy, Loyal,
Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean
and Reverent. But having only
daughters and nieces, I simply say to your interested readers: remember the
three Cs, Courage, Confidence and Character (It’s easier than TLHFCKOCTBCR)!
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