Page 234 - Paulisms: Gold Nuggets for Small Business

In my experience, a licensee in the early stages of their business is like a newborn baby with the world revolving around the parents. The maturing stage is the teenager who pushes back on everything. In a mature licensee network, it became an expectation for some to sit back and let the licensor give them work with little gratitude. This leads to mediocrity!
Unfortunately, when greed creeps in, money takes over. I sacked two contractors around the same time who I know were making a life-time- opportunity fortune out of us. One had continual quality issues. I warned and warned him. He was making serious money. He ran out of lives, as greed got to him and he didn’t appreciate the opportunity. For every adversity... The team we replaced him with were better.
Even today, twenty-six years after being given the Solatube opportunity, although there were issues at the start, I will always thank Malcolm Hughes, Bill Wilcox and John Hanley (Solatube Australia, 1992) for the leg up they gave me. I still have the highest respect for them and we talk regularly. I will always appreciate the opportunity they presented me with in 1992 – no matter what. Additionally, I respect the many others who played some part in the journey.
On the other hand were our customers, who were the ones that gave us the work. It was not about jumping, but how high. Money never came into sorting issues and giving exceptional service.
Then there was Brian McGowan and Venu Gopaul (both moved on from this world). I am incredibly privileged for the opportunity they created for me.