The latest issue of American Fortune magazine published 1 1 the self-reported family history of a self-made millionaire. They are distributed in finance, IT, media, retail, express delivery, sports and other industries, and their own enterprises have now become world-famous big companies. Reading their stories carefully, we can find that these great entrepreneurs all have one thing in common, that is, they all start from ideas, dare to do things that others think impossible with their whimsy, and stick to their beliefs. They have created millions and billions of wealth, and even had a vital impact on the development of certain industries and fields. From the bold decision to tap the first bucket of gold to the business strategy in the process of rapid expansion of enterprises, the performance of these outstanding leaders in the process of creating wealth may bring people deeper enlightenment.
Don't give up accidental inspiration.
While other computer manufacturers around the world are experiencing the pain of sluggish sales, Dell computers continue to prosper. When its global shipments increased by 18% in the second quarter of 2002, the shipments of other manufacturers decreased by 4%. Michael dell, 37, has been the CEO of the Dell Computer Company he founded for nearly 20 years. 1984 When Dell Computer was founded, its registered capital was only 1000 USD. By 200 1 year, its sales reached $3 10 billion, with 36,000 employees worldwide. In the Fortune Global 500 in 2002, Dell ranked 13 1.
Why can Dell maintain such rapid development? The "direct selling mode" of selling directly to customers and the "market segmentation" of classifying customers are its two magic weapons. But in fact, all this comes from the accidental inspiration of its founder michael dell when he was young.
When michael dell was a child in the 1970s, his parents talked about inflation and the oil crisis at the dinner table, which made him interested in business since he was a child. /kloc-at the age of 0/2, he took the first business adventure in his life-in order to save money, he didn't want to buy stamps from the auction, but persuaded his neighbors to entrust him to buy stamps, and then published advertisements selling stamps in professional journals. Unexpectedly, he earned 2000 dollars. This made michael dell feel the power and gains of "direct contact" for the first time, that is, the benefits of no middleman. At the same time, he realized that if there is a good idea, it is definitely worth taking some actions. After tasting the sweetness of direct selling as a teenager, michael dell took this "direct selling model" to the extreme in his later entrepreneurial attempt.
In junior high school, michael dell owned an Apple computer and soon turned his interest to the business opportunities behind the computer. Soon, he noticed that IBM personal computers had more commercial uses. He eagerly learned all the knowledge of computers, used the money earned from selling newspapers to buy computer parts, modified the computer and sold it for profit, and then modified another one. During this period, he found that the price and profit margin of computers were very irregular. An IBM personal computer costs $3,000, and parts can be bought for $600 to $700. Moreover, most people who leave computer stores don't know much about computers and can't provide technical support for customers. At that time, he had bought exactly the same computer parts, upgraded the computer and sold it to people he knew. So michael dell came up with an idea: as long as he sells more, he can compete with those stores. Because there is no middleman, his modified computer has not only the price advantage, but also the quality and service advantage, that is, it can provide computers with different functions according to the direct requirements of customers.
Shortly after he became an unusual freshman at the University of Texas, he drove a white BMW with three computers in the back seat. He realized that computers would become the most important tool in the 20th century, and he faced a huge opportunity. At that time, major manufacturers in the computer industry, including Apple Computer and IBM, chose to sell computers through distributors, but michael dell hoped to provide customers with better value and service through direct sales, and hoped to become a leader in this field. 1984, michael dell dropped out of school and started his own company in an office of about 93 square meters in Austin, named "Dell Computer Company".
When michael dell was a student, his money for playing with computers came from his part-time job selling newspapers when he 16 years old. That summer, he was responsible for winning subscribers for the Houston Post. The newspaper gave him a thick phone book and asked him to call to sell it to customers. But michael dell soon discovered in his sales promotion that there are two kinds of people who will almost certainly be willing to subscribe to newspapers: those who just got married and those who just moved into a new house. Then after investigation, he found that couples will definitely register their addresses in the court when they get married, and some companies will sort out the list of loan applicants according to the amount of housing loans. So, he managed to get the information of these two kinds of people around him, and sent them letters directly, providing information about subscribing to newspapers. In this way, michael dell earned $6.5438+$8,000 that year, which not only made him buy more computers, but also inspired him to establish a market segmentation strategy of "knowing customers better than customers" in the future.
Build a strong team
As michael dell said when explaining why the company can grow at an unprecedented speed, for a company, the most important asset and the biggest threat come from employees. After digging the first bucket of gold, the strength of team spirit has become an important factor affecting the further development of enterprises. Similarly, Fred Smith operates the FedEx brand through the management of "people".
197 1 year, Fred Smith, who was born in the US Marine Corps, retired and started his express delivery business, although this business was not optimistic at first. But now, FedEx has established the world's leading fast delivery network, covering 265,438+065,438+0 countries around the world, with more than 660 cargo planes and about 95,000 trucks, employing more than 265,438+05,000 employees and independent contractors around the world, and handling 5 million express mails every day on average. Fred Smith's creative action is to create an overnight express, so he is called "the man who created a new industry". Since the establishment of FedEx, many airlines, telecommunications companies and financial enterprises have followed suit.
In Fred Smith's view, the secret of FedEx brand management is that everything is "people-oriented". Within FedEx, both new express salesmen and senior managers always call their chairman Fred. In FedEx China, the name is "Schweider" full of China flavor. Fred Smith believes that a successful entrepreneur must be able to communicate with employees smoothly. He said, "I don't want employees to think about how to do the least work all day without being fired." I hope what they think is how to do their best. The key to this goal is communication and feedback.
Employees want to know what the company expects of them and what they should do. They must have an appraisal form. They want to know what is recorded in it and what it means to them. So we have made a lot of incentive plans, a lot of profit sharing and a lot of internal promotion. These things are simple, just to tell employees that they are doing well. At the same time, you must communicate with your employees to ensure that they understand the significance of what they are doing. We always tell our employees that you are engaged in the most important business in history, and the items you constantly transport every day are not sand and rubble, but may be pacemakers for heart patients, drugs for treating cancer, parts for F- 18 aircraft, or legal evidence that determines the outcome of a case. He believes that a perfect enterprise system is helping him to become a successful entrepreneur.
"I believe that the dedication of employees comes from the words and deeds of the management of the organization." Fred Smith set an example and spent a quarter of his time solving personnel problems. His main goal is to let employees handle and decide everything as much as possible. He said: "When employees know that they are highly expected by the company and those who make outstanding achievements will be rewarded, I believe that the company will accept his advice and allow their ideas to be implemented in their work. I believe that the achievements of employees will be extraordinary. "In order to let employees know what the company expects of them, Frey Smith advocates that the company provide training courses for all employees. At any time, 3% to 5% of FedEx employees receive training, and its annual expenditure on employee training is about $654.38+55 billion, making it one of the enterprises with the largest investment and training in the United States.
In addition, Fred Smith attaches great importance to promoting talents from within, and employees who are confident of doing their jobs can usually become excellent managers. Within FedEx, there are many employees who have worked as unloading workers, mechanical maintenance workers, cargo distributors, courier salesmen, drivers and inspectors, but they have been promoted to management because of their outstanding performance. David Robert joined the company part-time from 65438 to 0976, and he was promoted continuously because of his enthusiasm and dedication. So far, he has served as the senior vice president of the US Operations Department. He does everything himself, and he is well aware of the scope of work done by his 60 thousand employees. He said: "I always put myself in others' shoes, which enables me to consider the feelings of employees when making decisions."
In addition to equal and extensive promotion opportunities, FedEx has also set up a series of reward systems. Every employee understands that as long as they work hard, they will have a chance to be rewarded. In addition, Fred Smith also invented a program that is most popular with employees, that is, all FedEx planes are named after employees' children. In order to spray the name of their precious son or daughter on the plane, the employees gave their precious name to the company. Every time a new plane joins the flying team, they will draw lots to decide which baby will name the plane.
Fred Smith is proficient in management. He knows how to rely on the strength of all employees to expand and develop the company, and he has successfully created the warmth and cohesion of a big family within FedEx. In 2002, FedEx's annual turnover was $654.38+09.6 billion, ranking 246th in the Fortune Global 500 in 2002. Howard H., former senator of Tennessee, USA. Baker Jr. comments: "The unprecedented success of FedEx depends on many factors, but the most important thing is the spirit and attitude of all employees."
Stick to different views
Another essential factor to become a super-rich person is not only to have a unique viewpoint and vision, but also to have a persistent spirit of sticking to one's own opinions. Happy Company, founded by Happy Rowland, is the first company to think that there is a service gap in the market for girls aged 7 to 12. At the same time, it also makes black and Spanish dolls that children of all colors like. Happy Company's contribution to the world is that it clearly proves the connection between knowledge and customers' tastes. By bundling dolls and related books, the combination of learning and playing becomes fashionable. With the growth of Roland's business, in the 1990s, you can see that girls before the age of 65,438+02 have not only become the core consumers of books and dolls, but also set foot in the fields of music and entertainment.
Some people may think 45 years old is too old to play with dolls. But this is a historic beginning for Happy Roland. Roland entered the children's toy industry in middle age, which not only made her a hero in the hearts of American girls, but also made her a giant in the toy industry. Everyone thinks that little girls will abandon dolls when they are over 6 years old. But Roland doesn't think so. She believes that girls aged 7 to 12 are a consumer group neglected by toy manufacturers, which contains billions of dollars of huge business opportunities. After the launch of American Girl, a series of dolls and books for girls of this age, American Girl became the second best-selling toy in the American market after Barbie doll with sales of 82 million dolls and 7 million books. Happy Company's 200 1 year sales: 350 million US dollars.
But Roland insists that these books have opened the door to the success of American Girl. Each of the eight "American Girl" dolls has six books to tell her story. The details of a happy life in the American colonial period taught girls how to grow up during the economic depression ... The wonderful combination of these books and dolls brought girls to another world. While selling well, the magazine American Girl founded by Roland has more than 650,000 subscribers. "Chocolate cake rich in vitamins"-Roland described this wonderful combination of magazines, history and profits. She knows that mothers are looking forward to such a product, which can not only arouse the interest of girls as children, but also allow girls to extend their time as little girls.
Roland used to be a primary school teacher, TV reporter, textbook author and publisher of a small magazine before he founded Happy Company at the age of 45. She described the beginning of this career that later influenced a generation of American girls as follows: "1984, my husband and I took part in a traditional activity in colonial Williamsburg. I thought it was just a little pleasant holiday, but in fact, it has become one of the most precious experiences in my life. I like to sit on a high-backed bench in the church and recall that George Washington was here and Patrick Henry gave a speech here. I like the clothes, family and daily life there-all of them attract me deeply. I remember sitting on a bench in the shade of a tree, and I couldn't help thinking about how boring the history lessons given to children at school were and how sad it would be to prevent more children from visiting the living history classroom here. I asked myself what I could do about it.
Next Christmas, I want to buy a doll for my two nieces who are 8 years old and 10. But to my shock, cabbage dolls filled the whole Christmas market. I think they are ugly, but Barbie dolls are not what I want. I believe I wasn't the only depressed American woman that Christmas. My experience in Williamsburg was combined with the depression at this time, and an idea suddenly occurred to me. I immediately wrote a postcard to my closest friend-it is still in the archives of Happy Company. I wrote: What do you think of making a set of books about different historical periods for a 9-year-old girl, which contains dolls worn in different times and some accessories for children to perform? I don't make new toys. I just simplified the fond memories of colonial Williamsburg into books and dolls that children have always liked. "
After Roland's idea took shape, she immediately made a detailed business plan including a series of books, doll clothing styles and production lines within a week. After that, although Roland's idea was different, her business idea was a great success. In the following four years, the brand value of "American Girl" rose to $77 million only through mail advertising catalogue and word of mouth. In order to expand the brand, Roland and her happy company also launched baby dolls and supporting books for younger girls, and created more fashionable dolls, American girl magazines and books on how to communicate with others at the request of children. In the following five years, the turnover of "American Girls" increased by 50 million dollars every year, and finally reached 300 million dollars.
After witnessing the successful implementation of his business plan step by step, Roland sold Happy Company to Mattel for $700 million on 1998. Now, Roland, who is successful and happy, is enjoying a comfortable retirement life brought by her bold attempts and decisive decisions at home.
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