This Mother’s Day we share some of the pearls of wisdom small business owners have been given by their mums for life and business.
Linda Reed-Enever, Co-Founder of Business, Business, Business
“My Grandmother told me that if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all and that is the founding motto and guideline for Business Business Business and our 26K members.”
And it is exactly this attitude that has motivated Linda to establish an online community of support and encouragement for business owners to connect , learn from mentors and upskill their business know–how.
Jake Smith, Co-Owner of Smithers Men’s Swimwear
Taking a humble approach to the swimwear industry, Jake has a special relationship with his business partner, his mum Donna. The pair both bring different skill sets to the table with Jake focusing on design, sales and marketing, while Donna shows her creative flair for all things fashion with her patterns, designs and quality control. Jake has two big pieces of advice that were drilled into him by his mum from a young age:
- “Speak less than you know, have more than you show”
- “Raise your level of sophistication”
It’s these two family sayings that act as pillars to the business. You can see this is reflected in their desire to support Australian manufacturing,, their attention to detail and the timeless designs that are cleverly named after a characteristic that makes up the modern day gentleman.
Aodhan MacCathmhaoil, Owner of Waster.com.au
Providing waste and recycling services to small businesses such as cafes, owner of Waster.com.au Aodhan shares two invaluable pieces of life advice his Mum gave him:
“Rome was not built in a day” – I think this is very applicable when it comes to starting and building a business, we need to work constantly over the years to build a business or achieve anything.
“Treat others how you wish to be treated” – in business, this motto applies to staff, suppliers and customers. You can burn people for a quick profit, but you will only destroy your own business. You need to be fair, honest and provide the customer with just as much value as you charge them.
Mark Schiralli, Owner of Own Your Mark
Growing up, mum would always be shouting, “it’s ten-to guys! We’re going to be late!”
Little did Mark know at the time, that his mum’s respect for time was one of the wisest lessons he would learn when it came to business.
“Mum has always impressed upon us the importance of not only being on time but being early.”
“She would say that being early allows you time to think, to not be stressed, to correct any mistakes and importantly, to give off the best impression possible to others”.
As a Business Mentor, Mark believes that making the effort to be early is a definite strong suit and particularly important in a service based business.
“It allows you to surprise and delight your clients and it’s one less thing for them to worry about in their stressed business lives”.
Zhanna Gee, Creator, Founder & Holistic Nutritionist of SLIM BY NATURE
After migrating to Australia at the tender age of 17, Zhanna Gee credits the loving support of her mum to the proud realisation of her dream. She arrived in Australia with no knowledge of the English language, no friends and no family. Six months later she was at university, four years later she was running her father’s business in Australia and negotiating contracts for 12 months in advance.
One piece of motivational business advice she recalls her Mum giving is “Zhanna, never give up on what you love doing and never stop dreaming.”
Now a mother of two daughters, Zhanna has her own wise words when it comes to self-belief and following your dreams.
“My mother’s unconditional belief that I could do or be anything, gave me the wings to fly. It’s so important for us as parents to support our children – no matter what, no matter how crazy, risky and dangerous some of the ideas our kids bring to us. All my mother has ever shown me is her unconditional support, encouragement, love and an unwavering belief in my abilities!”
Sue Parker, Chief Human of DARE Group Australia
Inheriting her mum’s passion for delivering exceptional customer service with a dash of cheekiness, Sue shares how her mum’s approach to business has driven her own business’ success.
The best advice my Mum gave was “to have a bit of fun in sales, ask lots of questions and always get back to people quickly.” She was also a real stickler for good customer service. And she had a real knack for sniffing out anyone who was not genuine. I think her easy conversation style encouraged people to let their guard down and so they shared more.
Banter, fun, prompt communication and being able to quickly assess people are lessons that I am so grateful for. And even in the years before she passed in 2011, I used to ask her advice about people. Her instincts were generally spot on even in her declining years.
Time management, great customer service and never giving up are some of the wisest words of advice when it comes to running your own business, as is making sure you have the right business insurances to protect it. We can help, by providing instant and competitive quotes here.
