For this week’s episode of ‘That Bad Review’ Podcast we do things a bit differently. Instead of asking the questions, I’m interviewed by Michael Vincent for The Seachange Business Podcast. Through his podcast, Michael seeks to understand the back story behind what makes business owners successful. I was honoured have a chat with Michael about my own experience and the knowledge I’ve gathered along the way. I hope by sharing my tips for success with podcast listeners, it helps them navigate the often difficult and overwhelming situations that come hand in hand with owning a business.
Everyone has a Story
It’s a well-used phrase, but one that couldn’t be truer; everyone has a story. Like many others, I’ve had to overcome difficult periods in my life. Several times I felt completely lost, unsure if my life was going in the ‘right’ direction. However, I soon learnt that each test of my life’s purpose would be followed by a period of learning and growth, and eventually a positive outcome. I share some of these instances with Michael during our chat.
Adrian & Casey during a four month trip around the UK in a campervan
I explain how a broken marriage engagement led to a five-year overseas adventure. During this time I met the love of my life. We chat about how a wish to make my Mum proud led to a career change that involved overseeing security teams at major events. Example of such events were Wimbledon, Royal Ascot, the British (Golf) Open and escorting the six nations trophy around the United Kingdom. I explain to Michael how a four-month adventure travelling round Europe in a campervan ignited a spark within me. And how the trip inspired us to seek work in the accommodation industry when Casey & I returned to Australia.
Tips for Success
When discussing tips for success, I wouldn’t be true to myself or my business if I didn’t take the opportunity to put forward feedback as my number one tool. It’s hard to cop bad feedback. And easy to take it personally. As a small business owner, it’s easy to dismiss it as just someone’s opinion. It’s comforting to think ‘I’m the expert, I’m the one who’s in the business. They don’t appreciate how hard I work to do these things.’ But, off the back of that, if you can manage to take negative feedback on board, without taking it personally and actually analyse the feedback, you’re going to find diamonds. Once you start implementing solutions that address the issues raised, you will start seeing a positive shift in the growth of your business.
‘If someone walks away from your business and they are not prepared to recommend it to their family, friends or colleagues, then something is wrong. You should seek their feedback and act on it, especially if the feedback is negative’ – Adrian Easdown
Michael and I discuss this further in the podcast and touch on other key tips for running a successful business. We discuss embarking on that envious sea change journey, and what should be considered when buying or starting a new business.
How to Successfully Scale Your Business
Once business owners feel established within their business, with happy customers & reliable staff, the right systems, policies and procedures in place and a positive revenue stream, the natural progression for business growth is to think about scalability.
Adrian & Casey Easdown – Proud award winners in ‘Excellence’ and for ‘Business of the Year’, Evans Head Holiday Park (2017)
I chat to Michael about how Casey & I started off in the accommodation industry, with a $40,000 debt and six months to prove ourselves. I explain how within eighteen months we had tendered for and taken over the management of one of the biggest holiday parks in the southern hemisphere. And how now, ten years later, we manage four parks simultaneously. We discuss how, in order to scale a business, you have to remove yourself from the day to day operations and how one way to do this is by empowering staff to make decisions.
‘You can’t afford to be the part of the puzzle that is indispensable. You can’t scale yourself, only your business, so you need to empower staff and make yourself replaceable’ – Adrian Easdown
Also, in this week’s podcast
In this episode Michael and I also discuss:
- The benefits of getting out of your comfort zone
- The difference between Aussie and English pubs
- My career before starting in the accommodation industry
- Camping as a disconnect from devices and a reconnect with relationships
- The loss of productivity through social media and staff disengagement
- Key metrics to determine success
- The importance of guest satisfaction
- Showing empathy and understanding others perspective
- How to get buy-in from locals when starting a business in a new town
- The benefits of mentorships and role models
- The importance in trusting gut instincts
- The benefits of understanding firsthand the roles and responsibilities of your team
- Practical tips to consider when starting a new business
- The importance of having short, mid and long-term plans
- Book keepers vs accountants and the importance of both
- What I like to do in my downtime
- What the future holds