Carman’s Founder Carolyn Creswell’s top 5 business tips for success

Learn from the best: Carolyn Creswell’s top advice for business success

There aren’t many supermarket foods out there with an owner as well-known as Carolyn Creswell. Speaking at our recent ‘Business Talks’ webinar, the Carman’s Founder shared her top 5 tips for business success; it’s advice that anyone looking to start, grow or run a successful business can take on board. 

“An overnight success that’s 30 years old” – the ups and downs of the muesli business

Carolyn Creswell has learnt a thing or two about running a successful business since co-founding Carman’s muesli back in 1992. 

With over 30 years’ experience, countless awards and appearances, a product that dominates the supermarket breakfast (and now snack) aisles and last year posted a revenue of $137 million, when Carolyn shares her wisdom – other businesses lean in. 

She says resilience, problem solving and a genuine passion for being the best she can have driven her success story. 

Here, she shares her top advice for fellow entrepreneurs looking to achieve small business success, including how to avoid “the most dangerous phrase you can ever hear in business”

1. Create a ‘circle of success’ 

For Carolyn, success isn’t accidental. Creating a high performing culture comes from a series of important steps, repeated again and again to ensure the chain continues. 

“Hire great people, build a great culture, develop great strategy and ensure great execution.” This is the circle of success Carolyn, and Carman’s live by. 

“Great execution needs attention to detail - and you can't be sloppy. I'll often send something to myself at home before we send it out to customers just to see how it arrives. And I want every interaction that anyone has with Carman's to say yes, they dotted their i's and crossed their t's, and had great execution.” 

Once the circle’s established, you can’t stay stagnant, she says. “To be the best you can be, you have to keep going around that circle and addressing what needs to be done – because you never know what’s going to change or what adjustments needs to be made.”

2. Know your numbers 

All the numbers. Off the top of your head. Says Carolyn, “A buyer doesn't care how tasty my muesli was, they want to see that it’s selling.”

Early in her career this might not have been a focus, but Carolyn now says it’s important to know the weekly numbers off the top of her head. Top and bottom line. And what’s happening in customer research, too. 

“So that you can grow your business, you need to know more than just what’s selling - you have to actually make sure there's some profit in there. And research - what are you doing that's attracting new customers? Is it working or not? Why?”

Being number and data-focused will help you grow and learn – and importantly – avoid doing things the same way, simply because it’s how they’ve always been done. 

“That’s the most dangerous phrase that you can ever hear in business,”, says Carolyn. 

3. Embrace customer-centricity 

Carolyn says the customer is absolutely at the centre of everything they do. “I love this quote from Sam Walton from Walmart; "there is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everyone from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else”.

She says being customer-centric in your decisions means your focus is always on what your customers want – “not the supermarket buyer, but the shopper spending their $6 on our product. And I think that is the essence of Carman's success”. 

4. Glove your ideas – then act on them

Moments of inspiration don’t always come when you’re expecting them. So, you need to know how to catch them. Accomplishing them comes from simply putting one foot in front of the other. 

“For me, I send myself an email, so I know it’ll end up in my inbox. Some people carry notebooks. And I love the to-do app on your phone. 

“Once you've got those ideas, how do you prioritise them? Sure, there’s a million things on your to-do list but what are the most important things to do? I say, if it takes less than five minutes, just do it. For harder tasks, book time with yourself to create the space to work on what needs to get done.”  

5. Become resilient 

Finally, Carolyn advises against looking in the rear-view mirror. 

In business, you will have setbacks. Calls will go against you. It is what it is, she says. “Don't spend a lot of time trying to change something you can't”. What is in your power is how to move forward when it happens. How to change the future rather than looking back at the past. 

Her final piece of advice for business owners – regardless of the industry, size or job title you have – is to remember that growth is a long game. 

“Do something every day that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow. Because it’s not just the major decisions that will change your business. When you look back after five years, you’ll realise it's all the little ones too”.