Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gordon Little. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Gordon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?
I think this is a great question. I started my business in 2011 to bring exciting and new Australian wineries to the United States. At the time, I was coming from a different industry, so there was a HUGE amount to learn about how the wine industry works. While I’d talked to many people, and served a brief stint as a wine buyer in Manhattan, there was a so much I didn’t know about the SELLING side.
And that was actually a benefit. It was *because* I didn’t know all the ins-and-outs of the industry that I just walked into every place big or small to try to sell my wine. A more seasoned person might have said “oh they’re too big, there’s no way they’ll buy from you”; but I didn’t know that, so I just went right on in. And most of the time it didn’t work, but plenty of times it did. And that’s what formed the basis for ongoing success.
These days, I know from experience where I don’t need to waste my time. But that’s because I have a solid repeat customer base. When you are new and you don’t have that, you need EVERY sale you can get. So you gotta keep going from account to account and get told ‘NO’ 99% of the time in order to eke out that 1% who say yes.
Gordon, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Little Peacock imports and distributes a portfolio of Australian wine into the United States. We want people to be proud of their Australian selections, and we help them by curating a portfolio that is appealing to them and their customers. Australian wine is exciting and value for money; we want to share in that excitement!
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Check out Profit First by Mike Michalowicz. It is an easy-to-digest book that is well summed up by the title – put your profits first. When you’re starting out, you’re never factoring the full costs into what you’re selling, and mostly that’s about your own time. This book has clear strategies that involve taking a chuck of revenue you’re bringing in for yourself (profit) so that you can see how much cash you have to actually run the business. I didn’t start this until about year 8, but it’s been so helpful since then as, and helped me compensate myself for the true value of my time, and run the business more efficiently.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
Your people are your greatest asset. You have to know how to motivate them and listen to them. Nobody likes to be told what to do; give them the end-goal and let them decide how to get there. Then they have buy-in and can own the result themselves. When it comes down to product selection for us, I don’t decide alone. I have my team come and decide with me; they might see opportunities (or brick walls) that I don’t. And then when we do decide to bring a new product in, we’re all on the hook for trying to sell it as each of us has had agency in the selection process. It’s a far better way of selling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.little-peacock.com
- Instagram: @littlepeacockimports
