Success is calling! Interview with Maxine Horne, Fone Zone

By Maxine Horne

For the third consecutive year, Fone Zone has been listed in BRW's 'Fast 100', a premium list of Australia's fastest growing companies. The company is expected to turn over $55 million in 2000-01 and plans to open another 20 stores in the next eight months. At the helm of this empire is the very passionate co-owner and CEO, and mother of two, Maxine Horne.

How and why did you start Fone Zone?

My husband, David, and I had moved from the UK in 1992 to Australia for the lifestyle. We never had any interest in starting a business.

When we first arrived, I worked with a telecommunications company for 18 months, but found I wasn't particularly happy. I was working a couple of levels below my capabilities and wasn't being allowed to develop my skills base.

On a trip back to the UK, we noticed very clearly that mobile phones were being sold to consumers through retail outlets, whereas in Australia, mobile phones were used only as a business tool. My husband and I discussed the idea of starting a business and thought, "Let's just have a go!"

What challenges did you face when starting the business?

I was pregnant when we started the business, which made things more difficult. But I was very fortunate in that it was our own business and I could start my own little crèche in the corner. When my son Jack was a little older, I could utilise day care services. With my second child, Grace, it has been much easier as I have hired a nanny and that has made a huge difference.

How did you define the roles in your partnership?

We didn't really set out to do what we are doing now so setting up 'partnership' roles wasn't something that we ever did. Being the strong individuals that we are, however, has meant that we ended up with clearly defined roles naturally. David is the strategic planner - he has the big ideas and sees the big picture. I make sure that the ideas come to fruition.

Living and working together is not a problem. Sometimes we go for days without seeing each other at work. Once we get home we have a rule that we don't talk about business in the house. If my six year old hears us talking about work, he will let us know by saying, "It's not about business. It's about me!"

What hurdles do you face today?

The main challenge that I face in the business is creating and nurturing the culture within the organisation. With a company of 20, for example, it is easy to promote a very positive culture, whereas with an organisation of 260-280 people it takes a lot more effort to infiltrate that. It is something that has to be worked on.

I spend a couple of hours a day on the phone calling each store and making sure that the staff know that they are appreciated. We've developed incentive schemes and recognition awards and this is of great importance to the organisation.

People often ask how I find being in the phone business, but I say that I'm not in the phone business - I'm in the people business!

Where does your inspiration to succeed come from?

I read a lot of books about success stories, not just in business but life stories also. I find these very inspirational. A lot of people laugh when I say that Margaret Thatcher is inspiring to me, but I admire the way that she handled herself in a very male dominated culture.

Does being a woman affect your position in this industry?

I believe that men and women bring different strengths to any organisation. David does the facts and figures and I look after the culture, the attitudes and the spiritual side of the business. We have different strengths that complement each other. It doesn't matter what gender you are as long as you have the belief, the attitude and the desire - that will ensure you succeed.

What is your advice to others starting in business?

This is easy! I have three key strategies to success:

1. Have a your clear business plan.
   
   
2. Relay this vision to your staff - and look after your staff.
   
   
3. Look after your customers and know what they want. I believe that if you follow these three strategies, you can be successful in business.

One of the reasons for our success is that we built the business for the long term. We didn't expect to make it overnight. We've put in the hard yards and now we're seeing the results. Make sure you have a very clear idea of where you want your business to go in the future.

If you had your time again, is there anything that you would change?

We wouldn't have started the business while I was pregnant! It made the work that much harder. Perhaps we would have done things differently had I not been pregnant, but my husband often says that our naivety helped us out.

For more information about Fone Zone, please visit www.fonezone.com.au.