Bouris back in business
Mark Bouris is helping some of Australia’s small businesses on his new show The Mentor. He explains to DANIELLE MCGRANE how he helps them get back on their feet.
He might be used to firing people on TV, but former Apprentice host Mark Bouris is more than happy to also help people keep their jobs.
In new series The Mentor his aim is to help struggling small businesses in Australia stay afloat at a time where he says they’re “doing it tough”.
“They can’t afford consultants, they can’t afford advice. They’re competing with the big guys. They can’t pump enough volume through the business, they usually need to borrow money or bring in an investor,” Bouris said.
So that’s where Bouris can help. He applies his expertise and gives advice to businesses that need it.
“I’m in there to listen to what their problems are and try to direct traffic a little bit for them based on their strengths and weaknesses, and to just let them ask me questions. And then I ask questions to find out what’s going on, it’s sort of a collaborative process,” he said.
“I don’t have all the answers, but I’m there to collaborate with them and try to work out what it is they need to fix. A lot of the time it’s stuff within their own person, conflicts that are holding them back.”
The successful businessman, who founded Wizard Home Loans in the ’90s and is now the chairman of financial services company Yellow Brick Road, doesn’t just rely on his expertise to help people. He’s the first one to admit he doesn’t know how to solve every issue, but he’s well-connected after decades of experience, and uses that to his advantage.
“Generally speaking I bring in an expert from somewhere, I know a lot of experts in a lot of industries,” he said.
He notices the same mistakes cropping up. A lot of the problems people face are personal and might relate to family dynamics or a lack of leadership. But there are also other issues that seem pretty easy to fix.
“Some of them just go to work every day, bury their heads in the sand and hope for the best, with no processes or procedures in place,” he said.
“But the big one, probably common to everyone, is per- sonality issues. Their ego gets in the way or they won’t listen to fundamental sales training, how you actually sell something. What is customer service? It’s not about over-servicing, it’s about closing a deal. They might be really good at their skill but they don’t know how to run a business.”
While the businesses make the same mistakes, they also have some positives in common too, such as how they care about their customers.
“Every single business we looked at are all really customer-centric, they just don’t know how to express it properly,” he said.
“They’re just normal businesses. There’s nothing fancy about them. These are real, genuine Australian family businesses that you see on the street every day of the week.”
Bouris follows up with everyone about a month later to see how they’re faring and the businesses also check in with him weekly. He even invests his own money to help.
“I do spend money. I spend money in each of the businesses. I’m not seeking equity or anything like that, it’s not a loan, but I do put money in with some conditions attached,” he said.
Bouris’s desire is to spread an appreciation for our country’s small businesses.
“Our small business community is not small, it’s huge. I want Australians to understand how important it is. I want politicians to pay attention to the unsung heroes of our economy.”