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Entrepreneurs on Fire with John Lee Dumas

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From a Cold-calling Door-to-door Salesman to the UK’s Largest Online Fire Safety Supplier with Jon Butt

Jon Butt started a fire safety business as a cold-calling door-to-door salesman, and did OK selling to Kidde plc for 7-figures in 2003. He accidentally started another using ecommerce. Over $20 million later, it’s the UK’s largest online fire safety supplier.

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Resources Mentioned:

3 Key Points:

  1. Don’t try to do everything yourself. Outsource your work to talented people and focus on what you’re really good at.
  2. Be patient. Focus. Build your business slowly and steadily.
  3. Appreciate the people around you – put energy into creating a great company culture and you’ll reap the rewards.

Sponsors

  • DesignCrowd: Post your design project on DesignCrowd today and get a special $100 VIP offer! Visit DesignCrowd.com/fire and enter the discount code FIRE when posting your project!

 Time Stamped Show Notes

(click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.)

  • [02:14] – “I set up a site to show people how to use fire extinguishers – and they started buying them!”
  • [03:31] – Jon generates revenue through sales online
  • [06:30] – Worst Entrepreneurial Moment: Being undercut by his larger competitors
  • [07:00] – Know your numbers – know exactly what you can do and get away with
  • [08:12] – “You’re not going to succeed by trying to do what everyone else does”
  • [09:53] – Entrepreneurial AH-HA Moment: Realizing that he could replace himself in every single position
  • [10:47] – You don’t have to do it all yourself. If you do, it won’t be fun.
  • [11:10] – Amplify your strengths and replace your weaknesses
  • [11:43] – Biggest weakness? – “Impatience”
  • [12:18] – Biggest strength? – “I see opportunities”
  • [13:05] – What has Jon most fired up today? “Creating my podcast”
  • [16:43] – The Lightning Round
    • What was holding you back from becoming an entrepreneur? – “I didn’t have any entrepreneurial influence around me”
    • What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – “Stop playing at QuickBooks”
    • What’s a personal habit that contributes to your success? – “Appreciating my staff and team and treating them as equals”
    • Share an internet resource, like Evernote, with Fire Nation – Process Street
    • If you could recommend one book to our listeners, what would it be and why? – The Perfect Day Formula
    • Imagine you woke up tomorrow morning in a brand new world, identical to Earth, but you knew no one. You still have all the experiences and knowledge you currently have – your food and shelter is taken cared of – but all you have is a laptop and $500. What would you do in the next 7 days? – “Write down ten of the top online sales people and contact them, offering to work for them for free and show them why they need me.”
  • [20:50] – Parting guidance: “Slow and steady wins the race”
  • [21:15] – Connect with Jon on his website or try out his free marketing course

Killer Resources!

1) The Common Path to Uncommon Success: JLD’s 1st traditionally published book! Over 3000 interviews with the world’s most successful Entrepreneurs compiled into a 17-step roadmap to financial freedom and fulfillment!

2) Free Podcast Course: Learn from JLD how to create and launch your podcast!

3) Podcasters’ Paradise: The #1 podcasting community in the world!

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