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The head of website marketplace Flippa has heard plenty of advice in his day, but his favourite is a mantra for good customer service \u2013 although he can\u2019t quite remember who told him the proverb.<\/p>\n
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\u201cCustomers have your best ideas,\u201d<\/strong> he says.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBoth 99designs and Flippa came about largely when we started focusing on what our users were already doing on the SitePoint Forums way back when, and there’s obviously been a huge amount of success since.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSince then we’re always concentrating on what our large user base is doing, because if we can make their lives easier with a new product then we can probably sell that to others in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The head of Appliances Online<\/a> has been in business since he was young, with his father teaching him the ways of retail. But Winning\u2019s favourite piece of business advice actually comes from his grandfather:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou can’t control what you sell something for; all you can control is what you buy something for.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe market controls the sell price, so the only thing you can control is the supplier relationship and this will help you remain competitive.”<\/strong><\/p>\n Appliances Online has raised eyebrows for selling at such low costs and with free delivery. But based on the company\u2019s $300 million in sales, it seems this piece of advice is doing Winning and his family very well indeed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Eikmeier and his trio of co-founders at Vinomofo<\/a> have been enjoying a busy year after buying back their online wine business from Catch of the Day. His favourite piece of advice comes from his \u201cbiggest inspiration\u201d, entrepreneur Seth Godin.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon’t spend your resources on \u2018customer acquisition\u2019,\u201d<\/strong> he says.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cInvest in your product; get your product so right that people love it so much they have to tell their friends about it. It’s simple, but profoundly game-changing. It’s real, and it’s sustainable, and it keeps your efforts focused on what really matters.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tristan White has built his aged healthcare business The Physio Co<\/a> from nothing to a powerhouse with millions in revenue, double-digit growth every year and awards as one of Australia\u2019s best places to work.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n His best piece of advice comes from George Nadaff, the founder of the American fast food chain Boston Market: \u201cYou can\u2019t sit on two toilets.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201c<\/strong>George is adamant entrepreneurs should focus on growing just one business at a time,\u201d says White. \u201cNot trying to ‘sit on two toilets’ or run two businesses. George speaks from experience having grown and exited fast food franchises multiple times in the last 40 years.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The head of \u2018experiences\u2019 retailer RedBalloon, Simson has steered the company into huge success. Her favourite piece of advice harks back to 10 years ago \u2013 when the business was just a fraction of the size it is now. The proverb came from a colleague who attended a presentation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s meant to be, it\u2019s up to me,\u201d<\/strong> she says.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt is really easy to blame other people for how life is. Have you ever blamed the \u2018traffic\u2019 for being late to work? There is so much freedom when you learn to accept that you just did not leave home early enough.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo me this does not mean that I have to do all the work. In fact, what a bad leader I would be if I toiled 20 hours a day. What it means to me is that I am accountable, and I can live in a world without blame.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n8. John Winning \u2013 Control the supply chain<\/h3>\n
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<\/strong><\/p>\n9. Andre Eikmeier \u2013 Be careful what you spend money on<\/h3>\n
10. Tristan White \u2013 Don\u2019t try to do too much at once<\/h3>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n11. Naomi Simson \u2013 It\u2019s in your control<\/h3>\n
12. Jacqueline Arias \u2013 Your products aren\u2019t special<\/h3>\n