Last week saw the death of technology genius Steve Jobs, a brilliant business man who was the inspiration to entrepreneurs all around the world. We asked several small business owners who their role models are and what they learnt from them.
Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple
Wayne Houldon, co-founder of Janison
Obviously Apple's innovations over the last ten years have been incredible, but even more impressive is the way Steve was able to believe in himself and learn along the way. What he did with NEXT after his first tenure at Apple ended, was inspiring for me. Even then he knew what the future would be like, he just had to wait for us to catch up! What a great example of how passion and belief will drive success in business.
Suzi Dafnis, founder of Australian Businesswomen’s Network
I started using a Mac 20 years ago this month. Steve Jobs has been, and will remain, an inspiration to me.
I remember lining up in San Francisco to watch his presentation for the launch of the first iPhone in 2007. I felt like a giddy teenager. Why? Because here was a self-made man who never finished school, who changed the lives of millions of people, who was as big a brand as the products he created and who never went with the flow. He demanded a lot of himself and those around him, and in doing so, has left an incredible legacy.
I salute you Mr Jobs.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin, co-founders of Google
Michael Fox, co-founder of Shoes of Prey and Sneaking Duck
Larry Page and Sergey Brin, co-founders of Google are my two biggest role models. They started out as brilliant software engineers developing the concept and then building the search engine Google.
Then they became brilliant entrepreneurs and business managers raising capital from some fantastic investors and hiring experienced people like Eric Schmidt, who was able to help them grow an amazing business. Having worked there for almost three years prior to launching Shoes of Prey, I know the culture they've built within the organisation is incredible, a testament to their skills as engineers, entrepreneurs and business managers.
Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop
Emma Isaacs, founder of Business Chicks
My business role model is Dame Anita Roddick. She was an entrepreneurial pioneer who built a great retail brand and left a tremendous legacy. She was a tireless human rights activist and environmental campaigner and brought these issues into the public eye. Plus, she was a mother of two daughters.
Jake Nickell, founder of Threadless
Simon Goodrich, managing director of Portable
I'm always interested in the merge of design and business and creating a profitable business which is also a beautiful incarnation. My hero in this space is Jake Nickell, the founder of Threadless, a t-shirt and design business which began on a $1000. Ten years later it is now a $100 million business, built on a great internet community, good design and excellent execution.
Sean Greeley, Olympic champion
Ariel Gonzalez, director of Motivate You Fitness and Personal Training
Sean Greeley was an Olympic wakeboarder, who overcame cancer. After his recovery, Sean went into running his own personal training business. Within three years of being in business, he opened up multi-location personal training studios. He later sold them and now runs a multi-million dollar fitness ,arketing business with offices and clients all over the world.
Sir Richard Branson, entrepreneur
Eve van Grafhorst, AIDS victim
Rosa Parks, African-American civil rights activist
Melina Schamroth, founder of m.a.d. woman
11-year old AIDS victim Eve van Grafhorst, showed me every person can make a difference. My aunt, Eve Ash, winner of 150 awards, inspired me to ignore limits. My Holocaust-surviving grandparents taught me nobody can take away your experience or knowledge.
From Rosa Parks, I learnt to stand up – or in her case, sit down – for what I believe in. Nelson Mandela taught me to never give up. Sir Richard Branson and Dame Anita Roddick give me faith in making up my own rules. Steve Jobs reminded me to see things differently and to be crazy enough to think that through my business, I can effect some positive change in this world.