Owen Tilbury of Clip Consulting: Shares how he built multiple ventures over 44 years, sold his consulting firm for 15× EBITDA, and now drives community change through storytelling, film, and the Great Regional City Challenge. (Episode 686 - Owen Tilbury)

In this episode of Grow a Small Business, host Troy Trewin interviews Owen Tilbury, founder of Clip Consulting who shares his remarkable entrepreneurial journey. Owen sold his first venture, a historic Tasmanian restaurant, for 2.45 times more than he paid for it, only three years after launching. He then built a consulting firm from a standing start in 1983, growing it into a systemized operation that sold for nearly $1 million in 2008, all through a 25-year bootstrap journey. Owen also discusses his philosophy on business as a means to a fulfilling life, community-led initiatives, and the power of systemization for sustainable success.

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Troy delves into our guest's startup journey, their perception of success, industry reconsideration, and the pivotal stress point during business expansion. They discuss the joys of small business growth, vital entrepreneurial habits, and strategies for team building, encompassing wins, blunders, and invaluable advice.

And a snapshot of the final five Grow A Small Business Questions:

• What do you think is the hardest thing in growing a small business? Owen Tilbury believes the hardest thing in growing a small business is finding and managing the right people. He explains that poor hiring choices can severely harm a business, and even well-qualified candidates on paper may not perform as expected. Letting staff go is never easy, but it's sometimes necessary when they aren't a good fit. He highlights the importance of setting clear goals, documenting performance, and being honest during the process. While he also discusses the challenges of systemizing operations, he makes it clear that people management is the toughest part of the growth journey.

• What's your favorite business book that has helped you the most? Owen Tilbury's favorite business book that helped him the most is The E-Myth by Michael Gerber. He credits it with fundamentally shifting his mindset about entrepreneurship, particularly the importance of systemizing a business rather than relying solely on personal effort. The book helped him move beyond the "myth" of the natural entrepreneur and focus on building scalable systems that could operate without him, which became a key factor in the long-term success and eventual sale of his consulting business.

• Are there any great podcasts or online learning resources you'd recommend to help grow a small business? Owen Tilbury didn't specifically mention any particular podcasts or online learning resources by name in the interview. However, he emphasized the value of lived experience over theory, suggesting that small business owners should learn directly from others who have actually built businesses. He praised initiatives like the Grow a Small Business podcast itself for featuring real-world stories and practical insights, rather than purely academic advice. His approach to learning leans toward practical, experience-based sharing, community engagement, and learning by doing rather than relying heavily on formal online resources.

• What tool or resource would you recommend to grow a small business? Owen Tilbury recommends systemization as the most powerful tool to grow a small business. He highlights the importance of creating structured processes that allow the business to operate smoothly without relying solely on the owner. Specifically, he developed a systemized consulting framework called the Profit and Growth Process, which included custom software, manuals, surveys, and templates to streamline business planning and improvement. This approach not only enhanced consistency and scalability but also made his business valuable enough to sell for 15× EBITDA. For Owen, systemizing operations is the key resource every small business should invest in.

• What advice would you give yourself on day one of starting out in business? Owen Tilbury's advice to himself on day one of starting out in business would be to focus early on systemizing everything and to build the business around the life you want—not the other way around. He emphasizes that business should serve your life goals, not consume them. He also suggests being clear on what success looks like personally, not just financially, and to celebrate small wins along the way. Most importantly, he would remind himself to create a product or service with a clear competitive advantage (USP) and to not be afraid of failing small while learning fast.

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Quotable quotes from our special Grow A Small Business podcast guest:

Business should serve your life, not become your life — Owen Tilbury You don't need permission to make your community better — just start — Owen Tilbury Celebrate early and often—small wins build great journeys — Owen Tilbury