ENTREPRENEUR PROFILE
JOHN ROBBINS
Owner : John Robbins, General Manager
Business Name: Robbins Brick & Block
Industry Business: Construction & Retail, Trucking & Transportation
Education: BS Business Administration, ASU
Professional Background: Management – Milliken & Company, Manager – Charlotte Engineering
ENTREPRENEUR INTERVIEW
(Interview conducted by Scott Hutchins)
My interview with John Robbins was somewhat different because his company is a 60-year-old family business started by his father. This company is operating two businesses; Robbins Block & Brick, the retail business with 3 locations and Robbins Block & Brick Haulers, the trucking company that does contract work for the first company.
John had plenty of stories to share about his father and all the hard work required to build the business over the years. One of the biggest challenges facing the company now is the economy. The high amount of unemployed has decreased individual’s disposal income. Along with the housing industry, that has taken a huge hit due to the financial crisis and now due to foreclosures. Because of these problems, no one is building or spending money on things that can be postponed to another day. This seemed to be a major issue that kept coming up during the interview.
This business has 32 employees, which is down from 50 due to layoffs. You could sense that there was pride in the business because his father had started it originally. He shared information about having good people working for them over the years.
Again, in every interview I conducted, I tried to ask some of the same questions to each business owner. I asked several questions relating to advice they could give to others and one question very specific; what do you think should be the top five issues that individuals should consider when starting their own business. My goal as the interviewer is to determine a greater understanding of what one must consider and avoid when starting a business.
Mr. Robbins had the following response to the first question, “what advice would you give to someone thinking of starting their own business?” The second question, “what would be the top five issues or obstacles that should be considered when starting your own business?”
Response to question one:
1) Don’t be afraid of failure
2) Learn from your mistakes
Response to question two:
1) Having enough capital is critical
2) Build business relations with suppliers and customers
3) Have a plan to go by
4) Stay aggressive on receivables
5) Enjoy what you do
After completing five interviews now, it is apparent that having enough capital and enjoying or being passionate about what you are doing is essential. This was the oldest company and largest that I interviewed. However, some of the same problems and opportunities still exist.
Note: Copy of Interview Questions posted on our cohort site.
