I often tell people that opportunities don't just show up by accident. They are attracted. They are drawn to the person who is ready for them. Back then, while I was still struggling to keep my small store alive, Michael was already building partnerships that opened doors far beyond what his personal effort could achieve.
I remember asking him one evening as we sat outside his shop, "Michael, how do you get all these opportunities? People just seem to come to you with business deals."
He laughed gently and replied, "James, opportunities don't come to those who wait, they come to those who prepare, position themselves, and prove they are reliable."
That line stayed with me. At the time, I didn't fully understand it, but looking back now, it makes perfect sense. Opportunities are like seeds, if your ground isn't fertile, they won't grow.
How Opportunities Find You
When Michael first started his store, he didn't just focus on selling furniture; he focused on building relationships. He partnered with carpenters, interior designers, event planners, and even small real estate agents. He knew that if these people trusted him, they would refer clients his way.
Meanwhile, I was so focused on just making sales that I missed chances to build a bigger network. Michael was planting seeds while I was simply eating the harvest of today.
One of the biggest lessons I've learned is this: opportunities don't find you because you're available, they find you because you've built credibility.
Take Howard Schultz, the man behind Starbucks. Before Starbucks became a global name, Schultz focused on relationships, with coffee farmers, suppliers, and early investors. He once said,
"In life, you can't have everything.
But you can have the things that really matter to you." For Schultz, building trust and quality mattered more than quick profits. That foundation attracted investors and partners who believed in his vision, and soon Starbucks became more than just a coffee shop, it became a global culture.
Knowing When to Expand
One mistake many entrepreneurs make is opening another branch too early. I almost made that mistake myself. In my mind, opening a second shop would mean I was finally "successful." But Michael stopped me with a hard truth.
"James," he said, "if your first shop isn't running like a well-oiled machine, why do you want another headache?"
That hit me deeply. The truth is, expansion isn't about ego; it's about efficiency. A business should only open another branch when:
1. The first branch is profitable and stable. If it still depends on your daily presence, it's not ready.
2. You have systems in place. Everything from customer service to inventory must be documented and repeatable.
3. You have trusted people. You can't be in two places at once, so you need leaders who will run your new branch like you would.
4. The market demands it. Don't expand just because you want to. Expand because customers are already coming from outside your area and asking for you.
I once read about Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart. He didn't rush into opening stores everywhere. He started in small towns where others ignored, tested his model, and only expanded when he knew his formula worked. Walton once said,
"There is only one boss, the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company simply by spending his money somewhere else."
That's the mindset: expand only when your customers, not your ego, demand it.
How to Manage Multiple Branches
When Michael finally opened his second store, I watched carefully. I expected him to be in both places every day, running around and losing sleep. Instead, he shocked me. He wasn't there all the time.
"How do you manage it?" I asked.
He smiled. "James, I don't manage branches, I manage systems and people."
Michael had trained one of his loyal staff members, invested in him, and gave him authority to run the new store. But here's the genius part, he created a system of accountability. Sales reports, customer feedback, regular audits, all automated so he didn't need to physically be there.
That's when I understood the principle: you don't grow by adding more of yourself, you grow by multiplying leadership and systems.
A real-world example is Ray Kroc of McDonald's we mentioned him earlier but there's another lesson we can learn from him. Kroc didn't invent hamburgers, but he built a system where McDonald's food could taste the same in Chicago, London, or Tokyo. He trained people, documented processes, and created accountability structures. He once said,
"The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves."
Michael wasn't just running stores, he was building a mini McDonald's model in the furniture industry. That's why his branches thrived.
The Difference Between How the Rich and Poor Expand
The poor in business often expand emotionally. They think, "If I have two shops, people will respect me more." They see expansion as a trophy, not a responsibility.
The rich expand strategically. They wait until the model is proven, then duplicate it carefully. They don't ask, "How fast can I grow?" Instead, they ask, "Can this growth sustain itself without killing my foundation?"
This was one of my biggest mistakes in the early days. I thought growth was about size. But Michael showed me that real growth is about strength and sustainability.
Practical Advice for You
If you're reading this, here are some key lessons I've gathered about attracting opportunities and expanding:
1. Build Relationships Before You Need Them. Don't wait until you're desperate. Plant seeds today, help others, network genuinely, and show reliability.
2. Let Opportunities Find You Prepared. Be like Michael, set up systems, so when opportunity knocks, you're not scrambling.
3. Don't Expand Too Early. Master one branch first. Expansion is multiplication, not experimentation.
4. Invest in People. Identify loyal staff or partners, train them, and give them responsibility. Without people you trust, you can't manage multiple branches.
5. Track Everything. Use systems for sales, customer feedback, and accountability. Never leave it to chance.
6. Stay Humble. Remember Sam Walton's lesson: the customer is the real boss. Don't lose quality as you expand.
My Reflection
Looking back now, I realize how much time I wasted thinking expansion was just about having more shops. If I had followed Michael's advice earlier, I would have saved myself years of frustration.
Opportunities are like doors, you don't break them down, you attract the key. And expansion is like planting a tree, you don't plant ten trees at once; you nurture one until it's strong enough to produce seeds for the others.
Michael once told me, "James, never let your business grow bigger than your character or your systems. Otherwise, it will collapse under its own weight."
That lesson changed me forever. And I hope it changes you too.
In Chapter 14, I will walk you through one of the most important truths in business:
failure is not the opposite of success; it is part of success.
Too many people treat failure as the end of their journey, but successful entrepreneurs see it as a classroom. I will share how Michael taught me to stop running from mistakes and start studying them. Instead of blaming circumstances, he would say: "Every failure is simply feedback, it shows you what not to repeat."