Three Business Lessons I Learned From My Dad

My dad owned his own business, a gas station, when I was growing up long before I had ever heard the word entrepreneur.  I started working there when I was about 9 or 10 years old and did just about everything from pumping gas and checking oil to cleaning bathrooms, sweeping floors and feeding the most terrifying German Shepherd that my father kept as a watchdog.  Can you imagine driving into a gas station today and a 10 year old runs out, pops your hood to check your oil and then pumps your gas and checks the air pressure in your tires.  You'd probably call the police but this was a different time and my dad was a different guy.  So what business lessons did I begin to learn at the ripe old age of 10?

1. Work ethic matters.  While my friends were at the beach or at summer camps I was working 12 hour days under the watchful eyes of my dad.
2. Client Experience is King:  Even though self service had already come into vogue my dad never let a customer pump their own gas (hence the 10 year old me doing it), insisted on washing their windows, checking tire pressure and oil and had music piped out to the gas pumps.  He was also fanatical about keeping the bathrooms spotless and well stocked which is why we cleaned them top to bottom more times a day than I could count.
3. You can't continue to provide exceptional services if you give everything away:  I could give many examples, but suffice it to say we were poor.  My dad's Achilles heal was his generosity to a fault.  He ultimately made no money because he fixed cars for free, gave people free gas, towed their cars for free and on and on.  I think he didn't realize that charging a reasonable amount of money for exceptional service was okay.  He had so many pieces right but that missing piece ultimately cost him his business.

I was blessed to grow up the way that I did and I appreciate now as a business owner the valuable lessons I learned as a kid.  I'm committed to having that same work ethic that was instilled in me at a young age and to provide the best possible client experience and I understand that the continuation of that incredible service is the reason you need to make a profit.

Thanks dad!

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