​​​​George Marcou

I took an interest in my parent's businesses from an early age and liked to help out.  As I got older, I was allowed to pitch in more and get involved with the issues that the business faced.

This is how I first learned about book keeping, suppliers, rent, business rates, fixed costs, financing, breakeven points, cashflow and the myriad of other concerns and burdens that a business has to deal with.

It is partly from watching my parents work tirelessly that I picked up my work ethic.

Many of my perceptions and convictions relating to the responsibilities of business ownership come from watching how my parents coped with running their businesses and the challenges that went with it.

Keen to teach me the value of money and how it is earned (the fact it doesn't grow on trees, etc) my father included me in many of the issues and decisions.  

I had accompanied him on visits to the accountant since I was knee-high, now I got a look at the books and received an introduction to bookkeeping, bills, statements and the wonderful concept of never-ending business costs!

I learned several important lessons:

• Work doesn't get done on it's own.  If it needs doing, you just get on and do it.

• Making money takes hard work.

• You can't wish for results, you have to make them happen.

• There is no luck to achievement, just cause and effect. 

• Where there are problems, worrying is pointless. You just have to do what needs to be done to solve them.

• There can be no half-measures.  You have to do everything that needs to be done. Simple.

• When done right, you get the rewards for the work  that you put in.  Work first, then rewards. (in that order)

• You have to be smart to keep what you've earned.

• Invest for future rewards.

• Business has to be honest, to be sustainable.

I shared my father's disillusion with a number of things:

The ineffectiveness of marketing 

The limitations of outsourced accountancy

The selfishness of telesales callers

The heavy burden of taxation on small businesses

I have spent part of my career looking for better ways to accomplish better results from marketing, sales and accountancy as well as better ways to make money.

It is always interesting to see how people run their businesses and in the myriad different business models that are employed.  I have found myself mentally collecting these, and the problems that can arise from applying the wrong model.

Growing up around so many business owners has given me countless examples of how to run a business the right way and the consequences of doing things the wrong way.

I'm glad to say that my parents played a major role in teaching me the right ways and have deservedly reaped the benefits of a lifetime of honest work.

This has been the foundation of my business education.