Fifteen Minutes with...Aaron Tan

In 'Fifteen Minutes With...' this week we have Aaron Tan. If there is anybody who personifies the entrepreneurial mindset, I think Aaron has it down cold.

Aaron Tan is a serial entrepreneur, lecturer and speaker trainer. He has experience working in companies of all sizes which allows him to relate to the challenges many people have. Whilst working in an office, he often found himself being overlooked despite being credited with doing much of the hard work for contracts and projects. He then came out of the corporate environment to focus on creating his own opportunities which he credits to his ability to speak confidently in public.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in business, and how did you deal with it?

I started my business journey by taking over a struggling restaurant. The biggest challenge that I faced was changing the customers' perception of the restaurant so that they would come back and become regular customers.

The challenge here wasn't just changing one person's perception of the restaurant but changing the perception of many. Ultimately, I soon realised that whatever business you're in, people deal with people. Businesses exist because there is a need by somebody somewhere for your product or service. So if you can relate to other people and relate to your customers, you can only succeed in business. The difficult thing with this challenge was that I knew that I had to spend time with customers but the product - in this case the food - still needed to be produced. However if I hired people that would increase my costs at a time when cashflow was tight. So the key is connecting with people in a very short window of time and finding a way to not let it affect the operations of the business.

What's the best thing about being an entrepreneur?

The best thing about being an entrepreneur is the sense of achievement and inspiring others. Meeting friends and family the topic will always touch on how well the businesses are doing. Whilst it may be good for the ego to say that you're doing well, the moment you can inspire those close to you and see them grow then it lets you know that you are doing something right.

Being an entrepreneur you also get to meet other inspiring individuals. There is one girl who is only 7 years old who has an amazing story - when she was 2 or 3 she would have to find food from the bin to feed herself and her baby brother. Now she's in a loving adopted family. So when I meet friends and family complaining that they missed the first 10 minutes of a TV programme because of traffic, I tell them the story of the 7 year old girl and it really puts their "problems" into perspective.

What's your elevator pitch?

My elevator pitch is very simple and relies more on the context that I create. For the purposes of this question, we'll give it a go.

Have you noticed how in large companies it's not always the most able individuals that get the promotions?

If you're in business have you noticed that it's not always the company with the best product or service that is busiest? It's those that get noticed the most.

My name is Aaron Tan and I am a serial entrepreneur, lecturer and speaker trainer. One thing that has helped me greatly in my journey is learning how to speak confidently in public - and once I did I spoke in Vietnam in front of 200 people, opened up a photo studio and became a lecturer at Greenwich University within 2 months....And there is nothing special about me other than my ability to speak confidently in front of others.

Which business quote has had the biggest influence on your career?

My favourite quote has to be from Dwayne Johnson "Be the person that when your feet touch the floor in the morning the devil says "Aww **** - they're up"" This not only has helped me in my business but personal life as well.

To what single personality trait do you attribute your success?

For me I would say it's the desire to succeed. The reason being is that many people WANT to succeed in life but not many people NEED to. Those that need to succeed will work hard, whereas those that want to succeed will only work smart. Now there's nothing wrong with working smart, but people who only want to work smart keep thinking and thinking and end up doing no work at all.

How do you select employees? What process do you go through and what questions do you ask yourself?

I have an open mind when it comes to employees as everyone has something to contribute. The key for me is, is that candidate coachable. Is their mind open enough to learning whilst can they contribute as well. Can they teach me something too? Being an entrepreneur can be lonely and often times we spend more time with our employees or colleagues than we do with anyone else.

What was your first ever business idea?

My first business idea was always around hospitality - nothing too original really. I specifically wanted to get into bars and cocktail clubs. Many people say do what you're passionate about. One thing I have learned is that once you can succeed in a business regardless of the industry you will then become passionate about that industry.

What is the weirdest (or bravest) marketing tactic you have used?

This is interesting as the most effective marketing is all about standing out and if you do things such as radio adverts you're not standing out at all. For me I sponsored a Chinese themed night in an old folks home as I knew the local press would be there. I'm not entirely sure how successful that was but it did give me an appreciation for the work that care workers do.

What is your favourite business book?

One of my favourite business books is by my business mentor Eric Ho called "Think big build small". It's very accessible to understand and puts things into perspective. It's a good book to read to start your journey into business and really breaks down common issues in an easy to understand format.

Who would you most like to have dinner with?

I would love to have dinner with the actor Dwayne Johnson. By all accounts he's been very successful and is still a humble and down to earth guy. He works hard, he's successful and gives back when he can. No matter what level of success I achieve, it is important to stay grounded and be true to yourself in order to live a full and healthy life.

Aaron is an inspiration. To find out more about him and what he delivers, check out his Facebook page here.