After making the decision to be his own boss, Matt Turner, a licensed auto mechanic, looked into the regulations for opening a mechanic shop. He faced obstacles, though. Turner says, "I just really wanted to work for myself and have the satisfaction and recognition of my own work being done," adding, "not to mention the huge benefit of making more money as a self-employed person." He also noted that he thought he could achieve more than what he could as an employee. For these reasons, Turner decided that it was time to launch his own business. After speaking to the City of Ottawa to inquire about getting a business licence, Turner was devastated to learn that, in Nepean, Ontario, no more permits to open an automotive shop were allowed unless the shop was built from the ground up. "After learning this," says Turner, "I wasn't sure how I was going to get all the money needed to build a building from the ground up." Turner decided to have a business consultation with Chris Castillo, who is a business coach. After thinking about the obstacle together, they came up with a new opportunity. "If we can't build a new mechanic shop," they said, "then why don't we go to people's homes to fix their cars? What if we can ?" By asking a simple "What if" question, they gained a new business idea: an idea that proved to be brilliant since it allowed Matt Turner to start his business with low overhead and low start-up costs. Turner quickly turned to researching how to outfit a van so it could serve as a mobile automotive shop and what his competition would be. After doing some research, he confirmed that he could turn a van into a mobile automotive business. So, together, Matt Turner and Chris Castillo launched Mechanic To You Inc. "Customers love the new approach to service," says Turner. "Customers have the ability to now save time and the hassle of driving their car to a mechanic shop. They also save money because customers now don't have to pay for towing to the shop, and because labour is 35 percent cheaper than other shops." The business's Core Benefit Statement, "We Come To You," firmly communicates the benefit of using this service. "It really is a win-win situation for everyone," says Turner. "The customer gets automotive service to their door, they save money and time, and I have realized my dreams of being my own boss." The marketing for Mechanic To You has been made easier by driving the van. "The van is a moving billboard," says Turner. "People see the van drive by, take down the phone number and website, then call. Or, when I am working on a neighbour's vehicle, other neighbours enquire about the service. "What's most satisfying for me is having the ability to drive around town working on customers' vehicles and meeting new and interesting customers each day," says Turner. This business modelof a mobile automotive repair businesshas proven to be a winner. Now, Mechanic To You Inc. is growing by offering franchises. With two new franchisees and more on the way, Mechanic To You Inc. is a true Canadian success story of a bootstrap-begun business.1 Why did Mechanic To You Inc. become a huge success story? The reasons are as varied and as complex as the entrepreneurial mind, but here are four major factors. PASSION Like most successful entrepreneurs, Matt Turner had passionin his case, to pursue working on cars and he turned his passion into a business. Never giving up, even with the challenges of obtaining a business licence, he acted on the belief that his new and innovative way to service vehicles as a mobile auto mechanic could a truly competitive advantage. OPPORTUNITY SEEKING Matt Turner had the ability to recognize a market opportunity and do something about it. The opportunity Turner saw was that customers wanted the convenience of staying at home or their place of employment while a mechanic worked on their vehicle. Offering this flexibility was a huge benefit to customers since many preferred to have their cars fixed while going about their daily routine. PERSISTENCE Matt Turner was persistent. He never gave up. He wanted to pursue the dream of owning a business even though obstacles were placed in his way. But the challenges he faced made him a stronger and more determined entrepreneur. These characteristics helped him to sustain his goal of starting and growing a successful business. BUSINESS PLAN Matt Turner worked on a comprehensive business plan to start and operate his business. His success in business is attributed to the importance of the development of a comprehensive business plan. In this business plan, Turner worked out what kinds of licences and permits he needed to start the business. He also looked into how to market his business and to ensure that he gains enough customers to make the business profitable. He planned out how he was going to get parts delivered or picked up while working throughout the city of Ottawa. Finally, as well as projecting sales, costs, and profits, he worked out a financial plan to see how much money he needed to start his business. The comprehensive business plan was a key part of his success. Action Steps : 1. Keep a 24/7 Adventure Notebook. 2. Find out why you want to be an entrepreneur. 3. Assess your interests and abilities. 4. Expand your self-assessment. 5. "Inc." yourself. 6. Interview entrepreneurs. 7. Take your "new eyes" into the marketplace. 8. Begin your industry research. Business Plan Building Block WHERE AM I NOW? From the point of view of the potential readers of your business plan (bankers, loan officers, rich relatives, close friends with money, venture capital professionals), the most important part of the plan is you, the entrepreneur who wrote the plan. Your goal, from the very first sentence on the very first page, is to inspire confidence. Before you business plan, study how you look from some of your old rsums. What picture do the rsums present? Who are you? Where have you been? The rsum work is for your eyes only. Jot notes to yourself about strengths and weaknesses. To trigger your brain to perform this task, review the eight Action Steps in this chapter as you search for ways to transfer your skills and aptitudes to an entrepreneurial situation. If you already have a business up and running, use this same start-up energy to improve it. No one is perfect. Recognize your shortcomings and make a list of people who have talents that you might lack. It's never too early to think about team building. With hard work and an honest look at your personal skills picture, you'll be able to fine-tune this information when you showcase your founding team in your final business plan. WHERE AM I GOING? Now that you've looked at the past and the present, think about where you are going. How do you see yourself in the future? How do you want to be known? Take a closer look at your personal goals. What are your likes and dislikes? Are you passionate about what you want to do? Are you ready to put in the long hours? Case Study: Mechanic To You We want you to go back and reread the Mechanic to You story in the opening vignette. Matt Turner is a successful entrepreneur with POPhe is passionate, opportunity seeking, and persistent. Turner recognized a market need, satisfied it, and translated it into a financial benefit. We can all learn from Turner's successful entrepreneurial experience. Take time to check out his website: http://www.mechanictoyou.ca. Case Study Questions and Activities 1. Mind mapping Mind mapping is a great way to get and record ideas. Many entrepreneurs, such as Adrienne Armstrong of Arbour Environmental (Figure 1.2), mind map naturally. They are visionaries, and they think in pictures. But mind mapping is an entrepreneurial skill that can also be learned. In Action Step 5, we encouraged you to mind map of your future, or "what you want to become." We now want you to hone this skill further. Reread the opening vignette and review the Mechanic To You website. Now, answer this question: Why do you think Matt Turner was so successful? Mind map your reasons. 2. Entrepreneurial skills Many people want to start a business, but to do so successfully, they require skills and characteristics discussed in this chapter. What entrepreneurial skills and character traits helped Matt Turner launch his successful business? To refresh your memory about entrepreneurial skills and characteristics, you might want to go back to "The Age of the Entrepreneur" on page 6 or link on to the CFIB report Do You Have What It Takes? at http://www.cfib.ca/research/reports/rr3000.pdf. 3. Roadblocks Along the way to success, Turner was challenged with barriers. Briefly describe how he overcame these major roadblocks. 4. Entrepreneurs as networkers As we learned in this chapter, entrepreneurs are not loners. They constantly learn and get help from others. Briefly explain the help that Turner received. 5. Innovation Innovation is often the result of asking questions of "what if" scenarios. Matt Turner and Chris Castillo asked, "What if we go to people's homes instead of them coming to an automotive shop?" Why was a mobile automotive shop such a brilliant innovation? What other services or products can Mechanic To You offer? What other businesses do you think can also go mobile? 6. Business plan In this case study, start-up financing required a comprehensive business plan. a. What is a business plan? b. What is the purpose of a business plan? c. On which areas did Turner focus in his business plan