There are many ways to tell Walt Disney’s story and it has been written many times because he was a wild success as a businessman and as a entrepreneur. Walt Disney was a dynamic entrepreneur and business magnate. He helped pioneer animation in film making and had talents in screenwriting, producing, acting, theme park design, and directing. He is what many think about as entrepreneurs because he did not come from money and yet had such impressive results in his endeavors.
It’s no secret that running a business can be quite a challenge. However, business owners are those that say, “Challenge accepted!” They have an option of accepting the “9 to 5” life that their peers have so accepted. But, they choose to not follow the beaten path and believe in blazing their own trail. However occasionally, even the toughest of the business owners may feel bogged down by the pressure. It is for moments like these that motivational quotes are for! They not only cheer us up, but also inspire us to not give up.
She went from $5,000 to billions, armed with only her own determination. Mary Kay Ash of Mary Kay Cosmetics seems the epitome of glitz and glamour. With her penchant for pink and sparkly everything, it’s hard to believe she ever lived a life that was anything but luxurious. However, her beginnings were very humble and her success came almost by accident. Mary Kay was born in Hot Wells, Texas in 1918. Her mother worked as the manager of a restaurant.
Bruce Halle, the founder and chairman of Discount Tire Co., is currently worth around $5.5 billion. He owns 900 stores in 31 states with estimated sales of $4.2 billion. He is undoubtedly successful. But with such a big business empire, does he have anything to say to the small business owner?
He absolutely does!
Think of a KFC restaurant. What images come to mind? The red and white striped bucket, the crisp juicy chicken, and Colonel Sanders. The image of the Kentucky gentleman with his signature goatee, crisp white shirt, and black ribbon tie is universally recognized around the world. Was this man born into a life of luxury? Absolutely not.
Harland David Sanders was born September 9, 1890. When he was just six years old, his father died. Harland quickly became the man of the house. He helped look after his brother and sisters. He also learned how to cook.
When you think of how successful Mrs. Fields' cookie shops are, it is hard to imagine that this business almost didn't make it. Debbie Fields was not an instant success. She encountered many obstacles and naysayers on her road to fortune. Debbie Fields, maiden name Debra Sivyer, was one of five children in the home of an U.S. Navy father and stay at home mother. Living in poverty, the family found that eating high quality meals was nearly impossible.
Toilets are not usually the stuff of heroic tales, but Pat Swisher set out on a quest to vanquish bathroom germs. He succeeded, but like most heroes, not without trials along the way. In short, he built a highly profitable corporation, went to jail, sold his business, built another, and eventually came full circle. Potential entrepreneurs can only feel inspired from Pat Swisher's determination, dedication and response to set-backs.
There is a proverb that says, "Necessity is the mother of invention." According to the Oxford Dictionary, the meaning of the phrase is, "when the need for something becomes imperative, you are forced to find ways of getting or achieving it." For British mom, Julie Deane, the need was a better school environment for her children and the invention, The Cambridge Satchel Company.
Let's be honest, most of us don't actually like to clean. Most of the time, cleaning can feel like a necessary evil, just one of those things we all have to do but very few enjoy. Now, to be fair, there are a select few out there who actually like cleaning. They thrive on that feeling of accomplishment when they take something from dingy and dirty to sparkling and shiny. One of these rare gems is Aaron Krause, or as most people know him, the inventor of The Scrub Daddy.
If you live in North America, chances are you've seen one of the Two men and a Truck's 1,400 trucks rolling around in your town. What you probably didn't know is that Two Men and a Truck started as two boys and a mom. When Mary Ellen Sheets' two sons, Brig and Jon, asked if they could borrow their mom's 12-foot truck during the summer, she never could have imagined where that would lead.