|
Tomas Bata
(1876 – 1932)
A important Czech business man who was born in Zlin and who also built a business empire in this city. He was involved in shoe production handicraft. His shoe company Bata is still well-known in many countries all over the world. He also created a unique management system which is still an inspiration for many modern businesses. He made the concept of a garden city with original functionalist architecture real and the style spread along out together with its factories to other places in Europe and America. Some of his quotes shall inspire us:
“If you want to build up a large company, first build up yourself.”
“Courage is halfway to success.”
“Don’t be afraid of competition. The competition will not beat us; it is far away. We will be defeated by the dust in our shop window and on the shelves of our shop, because that is near. This will make every good costumer leave our shop.”
"There are traders who are eager to increase their profits. They would be much more successful if they also bothered to think about the way how to increase the profits of their business partners and thus earn money with them. Business that is beneficial for us only will be loss for us one day.”
“No businessman whose mouth was slandering and whose heart was jealous because of other competitors’ success, and who knew how to uncover the errors made by competitors, has ever got rich. However, no one who serves the customers with words of courtesy and whose eyes see the competitors´ bright side of nature rather than the bad one to make use of these, has never had and will never have a bad life.”
“The increase in business ethics cannot be achieved by law or other law enforcement agents. Even the best social legislation is often more harmful than beneficial to working people. Although the legislation can order the entrepreneur to do well, no one can force anyone to become and remain the entrepreneur. Still, the worst entrepreneur is better than no entrepreneur.
This higher moral level of business is caused by increasing entrepreneurship. Only a good businessperson pushes away a bad businessperson. A strong competitive match procures this sorting. Monopolies, either public or private ones, any freedom restriction or protection of all businesses, whether large or small ones against domestic or foreign competition, lead to a decrease in production morale. This is certain impediment to progress in production.”
"Become global entrepreneurs, whether you produce machinery or potatoes. Let’s start from the idea that the whole world was created to serve us and we were born to serve the whole world. Let’s do the slightest thing. However, let’s do it the best way we can do. "
"Businessmen are the salt of countries. They are closest to life, and life is closest to them. The degree of prosperity and wealth of nations depends on abilities of their businesspersons."
|
