124 - An Accountant Turned Entrepreneur

Peter Evans got his first business lesson — the importance of listening to customers — while working the front desk at a Howard Johnson in Skokie, Illinois at age 16. From working at HoJo, Peter went on to become an accountant working for Deloitte Touche then as a controller for a bank. Then the entrepreneur bug bit at age 34. Peter joined partners to form a hotel ownership and management company until 2001. He now co-owns and co-operates Balar Equipment, a provider and servicer of municipal equipment. Peter shares the lessons he’s learned from his background including: what personality traits lead to success, the struggles managing impatience, the importance of cash flow and capitalization, and why he avoids being over leveraged. Lots of business gold in this discussion.