Peter Kenyon at Montville recently
MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER, author and inspirational story-teller Peter Kenyon captivated Montville business people recently with his countless stories of ordinary rural people who succeed by daring to be different.
Peter was invited by Councillor Jenny McKay to present his powerful business tools for getting the most out of small business operations.
Peter’s popular book, Good Enough Never Is charts the extraordinary rural entrepreneurs who, with few resources, have discovered and developed attitudes, behaviours and skills that set them apart from most business operators.
Inside Montville’s Village Hall Peter ran through inspiring story after story of business people he had met who often overcame enormous personal challenges to succeed in their chosen small town business Anita Roddick (The Body Shop), Tom O’Toole (Beechworth Bakery), Syd Rusker (Aboriginal NT transport business), Elvis Parsley (Woodford greengrocer).
Peter described the small towns of Kaikoura, Bulls and Tirau in New Zealand that were suffering acute economic depression until they explored new entrepreneurial options. Now they are thriving through playing to regional strengths or creating humorous visual themes.
Peter’s challenge to small business people is that they recognise the need for change and being a learner is essential to a vibrant business; that standing still is a recipe for failure. You have to be hungry for ideas.
Peter set out seven lessons that he has learnt and passes on for the success of small business:
• Positively outrageous customer service
• Innovative marketing
• Staff pride, enthusiasm and involvement
• Community connectedness
• Idea obsession and continuous learning
• Collaboration and networking
• Passion
Peter also stressed the importance of business leaders ‘talking up’ rather than ‘talking down’ commercial opportunities. He said the three community and business problems in rural Australia is negativity, cyncism and resistance to change. Those three attitudes are killing our towns he said and we must make efforts to turn around those negative attitudes.
Peter Kenyon is recognised in Australia and around the world as a leading authority on Business, Town & Regional Development. He is a keynote speaker and facilitator at events and programs around the world, including at key global events with the United Nations.
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