Posted September 13, 2010 by Ron Buist
Your Business As A Second Home

By Ron Buist – Canadian Marketing Guru & Inventor of “ROLL UP THE RIM TO WIN”
Buist was the Marketing Director at Tim Hortons for 24 years, where he turned a once unknown donut shop into one of Canada’s leading franchised organizations.
I have often been asked why I did not buy a Horton’s franchise myself.
First, it was because I loved what I did with the company as the Marketing Director and secondly I found out that Ron Joyce, the owner and CEO of Horton’s at that time, had secretly told others: “If I allow Buist to buy a store, he’ll end up living in it.” That was probably the truth. If I take something on, it will succeed or there will be a very good reason for its failure, which I would take on personally.
I have yet to see a successful entrepreneur or store/company owner that worked a 9 to 5 day. Good luck is the residue of hard work. Success in business requires you to think of your business as you would your own family.
Are the customers happy?
Am I spending enough time informing my staff of our business and future plans?
Am I making my staff part of the team that works with me and not for me?
Making your business a second home does not mean sleeping in the warehouse or all night at your desk. It does mean that you keep up with the times, new products and services and new opportunities. I avoid mentioning the competition, not that it isn’t important but I truly believe that if you lead the pack with innovative thought and action, the competition will constantly be changing to keep up with you and no the other way around. A great adage I have always remembered was stated by a motivational speaker once: “what would you like to do so much in life, you’d be willing to do it for free?” Maybe that is a bit extreme since doing it for free is a hard way to pay for groceries, but the attitude of desire is right on target. How about your work and business? Do you put yourself in this hypothetical category of “willing to do it for free?”
Food for thought.
For more information on Ron Buist, please contact Speakers’ Spotlight.





