William Hayes http://www.airblastafc.com 2m 524 #patience
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
With the rise of internet billionaires and lucky developers whose simple apps go viral and earn them thousands of dollars or pounds in the process, many entrepreneurs are hoping that their idea will turn into big business overnight, but for most people this is not the case.
You should not start something in the hope that it will instantly take off. You need to put in the time, develop the company gradually and have a thorough plan of where you want the business to go.
Today’s entrepreneurs can take a lesson from successful businesses still operating that started out as just an uncomplicated idea. For example, Airblast AFC – a successful surface preparation and finishing equipment manufacturer working on multi-million dollar projects across the USA and Canada – was actually founded in the UK in the 1970s as a one man blasting contractor called REH Cleaning. It was not until 1986, with more than a decade of experience under his belt, that the company’s founder decided to use his knowledge of surface preparation to start manufacturing and distributing his own range of products under the name Airblast.
Since Airblast’s inception, their goal had always been to provide a complete service by taking a holistic approach to surface preparation and finishing and so as the years went by they began adding more and more equipment to their range and the company grew and grew. In November 2008, the company purchased Eurospray, which gave them the ability to provide a comprehensive range of paint application equipment to complement their existing products. They also added a wide range of Personal Protection Equipment including the latest protective clothing and breathing equipment.
As a result they were able to secure and fulfill large scale projects for a number of prestigious organisations including all fast jet surface preparation and finishing whole aircraft facilities for the Royal Air Force since 2005. The marine sector covering gas, oil and shipbuilding had also become a significant market for Airblast Eurospray and they were providing huge turnkey surface preparation and finishing facilities for companies like Global Energy in Nigg, Scotland, where they provided extensive grit blasting and painting facilities for sub-sea structures.
With their success in the UK, the company was then given the opportunity to expand internationally through a joint venture with AFC Finishing Systems. The partnership with AFC began in 2010 and has allowed the company to offer their expertise and equipment to the North American and Canadian markets including the installation of a multi-million dollar facility for the US Army.
Today, Airblast Eurospray continue to pride themselves on their experience, their knowledge and their holistic approach to surface preparation and finishing, all of which they have achieved not through some quick fix but through years of hard work and smart business management.
If you’re an entrepreneur dreaming of the big time, don’t fall into the trap of believing that your business will take off overnight. Successful, long-term businesses are built with patience and perseverance and the only way to ensure the longevity of your company, is to be prepared to put in the time it takes to grow a business.
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