Think you are stunted by your current job?
Do you feel in your gut that there is a lot more that you good be? Well, chances are your right. The fact is that most people just never strive enough to reach their potential. They live ordinary lives and settle for mediocre achievements when the truth is that, with a little bit of courage and a good deal of determination they can totally transform the path of their fate and make a mark in this world.
This is exactly what Duncan Bannatyne’s book “Anyone Can Do It” preaches through his inspirational story of how he transformed his humble ice cream vans business into a the starting point for what became a legendary empire.
Everyone has heard of Duncan Bannatyne. He is one of the most well known entrepreneurs in the UK today – the director of a multi-billion dollar enterprise of health clubs and hotels. But what many people aren’t aware of are his humble beginnings- that his first ever business was catering trailers – a simple ice cream van – Duncan’s Super Ices. He started by pooling in his meager savings and purchasing his first ice cream van for £ 450. Till then he was involved in menial jobs like driving a taxi and working in an ice cream parlour. But his catering trailer business took off quite well and before you knew it, he had a whole fleet of vans on the streets.
The secret to Bannatyne’s success was that he seized up opportunities the minute he saw them. He noticed that the government was paying for the housing of the unemployed during the 1980’s. He saw this as a lucrative proposition so far untapped commercially at least to a large scale and immediately jumped into the market of setting up homes to provide to the government on rent. That is when he sold his ice cream van business for £ 28000 – a stepping stone to much greater things.
Of course that is far from the end of the story as he went on to invest in health clubs, hotels, spas and casino where he made his real fortune but the point is that even when he had almost nothing to his name he dared – he took the leap of faith. And that is all the difference that makes for a true success.
So maybe you should consider ice cream vans as a way into business!
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