BBF125: Entrepreneur Is Not a Dirty Word with Andrew Griffiths

What a character we have on the show today. His insight was so good last time we’ve bowed to popular demand and invited him back. Andrew Griffiths is an absolute wheeler-dealer, having run over a dozen different businesses. At the age of just 18 he scraped together the money to buy a diving shop, and worked a full-time job in a bottle shop in the evenings just to make ends meet. He’s sold encyclopedias door-to-door, he’s had a publishing company and numerous marketing firms, he’s written 12 books, and now he gives TED talks and business coaching to budding entrepreneurs…. is there anything this man hasn’t done?

As Andrew tells us himself, he’s made so many mistakes along the way that it’s impossible to not learn from them. Read on for the great no-nonsense business tips he’s gathered along the way:

** Listen to your gut instinct. Intuition is the number one business tool.

** Let go of disasters. A loss of 300,000 AUD could save you 3 million further down the line.

** There is a price to pay for everything. While your business might seem more complex than other businesses, it probably isn’t.

** Don’t be a small-business martyr and say “I haven’t had a holiday in 10 years”. There’s nothing clever about that! Find ways to work smart.

** Learn how to communicate. That helps bring all your other skills to the fore.

** Always have a desire to learn. Make sure you don’t get so caught up in day-to-day business that you can’t find the time and headspace to innovate.

** Surround yourself with people who pull you up rather than pull you down.

** Never be afraid of making big money, but for true wellbeing, money should not be the number one motivating factor.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The definition of an entrepreneur

** The incredible story of how his business partner stole all of his assets and ran away, leaving a massive trail of debt for Andrew to deal with

** Long working days – a good thing or a bad thing?

** How he tripled his income and halved his working hours in just 6 months

** The top skills a successful entrepreneur needs

** The benefits of pier groups

** Some of the most innovative business concepts from around the world

** The importance of attitude

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Register for Ben’s workshops across Australia, “The 5-stage business growth blueprint”. http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au

** Andrew’s website: http://www.andrewgriffiths.com.au/

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

  If ever there was an example of someone who just got out there and had a go, it’s Andrew. Take some risks and scratch that entrepreneurial itch today! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell [phone]