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After more than 15 years running a busy and successful company, Nanaimo entrepreneur Dominic Staniscia says the biggest mistake he made was not launching his business sooner.

香蕉视频直播淎 friend of mine and I had been talking about it for years,香蕉视频直播� says Dominic, owner of City Tile Nanaimo. 香蕉视频直播淚 should have done it sooner.香蕉视频直播�

Dominic was selling turkeys and chickens for Lilydale 香蕉视频直播� a job he香蕉视频直播檇 been doing for 10 years 香蕉视频直播� when he finally decided he香蕉视频直播檇 had enough.

香蕉视频直播淲e were out fishing one day and we were 25 miles offshore and I said, 香蕉视频直播榁ince, let香蕉视频直播檚 do this, I香蕉视频直播檓 ready to do this,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� Dominic recalls.

That was August of 2003. By the end of November, Dominic and his partner, Vince D香蕉视频直播橝ndrea, opened City Tile Nanaimo. For Dominic, the drive to be his own boss and make the company a success fuelled his passion.

香蕉视频直播淔or nine years, I worked seven days a week, and then my kids got involved and I was able to take a day off,香蕉视频直播� jokes Dominic, who is 60 this year and still works six days a week. 香蕉视频直播淚 just love it 香蕉视频直播� I love the business.香蕉视频直播�

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All of that hard work and passion has certainly paid off. City Tile Nanaimo celebrated its 15th anniversary last November and business is booming. The first location was 2,200 square feet. After seven years of growth 香蕉视频直播� including during the recession 香蕉视频直播� they expanded 400 per cent to a 9,100-square-foot facility before buying land to build their current 13,000-square-foot location on Boban Drive.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e grown it to the point where now the kids can run it,香蕉视频直播� says Dominic. 香蕉视频直播淚n order to do that, you have to train the kids properly, so I香蕉视频直播檓 working lots to show them what true work ethic is. If I didn香蕉视频直播檛 work as I hard as I do, I don香蕉视频直播檛 think they香蕉视频直播檇 get it.香蕉视频直播�

Dominic and his wife, Rose, have three daughters and they all work in the business, along with two son-in-laws. It香蕉视频直播檚 a family affair and Dominic says it香蕉视频直播檚 also important to treat staff like family.

香蕉视频直播淭he best advice I香蕉视频直播檝e ever received is that you can香蕉视频直播檛 do it on your own,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淵ou need good staff and you have to treat your people properly and respect them. You need to treat them like family, and if you do, everything should work out.香蕉视频直播�

Dominic admits that when he started the company there was a lot to learn. And over the years, he says, the biggest lesson has been about buying product.

香蕉视频直播淵ou don香蕉视频直播檛 make money selling 香蕉视频直播� you make money buying,香蕉视频直播� Dominic explains. 香蕉视频直播淵ou have to buy right or you香蕉视频直播檙e not going to make a profit. You have to focus on getting it at the right price and then selling it at the right price. If you don香蕉视频直播檛, you香蕉视频直播檒l be stuck with product and you香蕉视频直播檒l lose money.香蕉视频直播�

Dominic travels all over the world to source the best tiles. He regularly travels to Italy, Turkey, Spain, Brazil and China. It香蕉视频直播檚 something he loves to do, but also says it香蕉视频直播檚 key to the businesses香蕉视频直播� success.

香蕉视频直播淵ou really need to do this because the manufactures are there with all the newest trends in design and if you香蕉视频直播檙e not there, you lose out,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淲e receive these containers on a weekly basis and it香蕉视频直播檚 nice to see the world in a different way.香蕉视频直播�

One of the ongoing challenges is to keep inventory fresh in a face-paced industry with constantly changing design trends. A few years ago, they ran out of space to hold new products and had to decide what to do with older stock.

香蕉视频直播淩otating stale product with new product involves risk, decisiveness and, at times, sacrifices,香蕉视频直播� says Dominic. 香蕉视频直播淲e came up with a solution that gave us both room and cash flow. We purchased two tents to hold the outdated product and priced it at such a significant discount, the products sold very well and that gave us much-needed cash flow to purchase new inventory.香蕉视频直播�

Looking to the future, Dominic still wants to grow the business but says his goal is also to 香蕉视频直播渟emi-retire香蕉视频直播� and let his children run it.

香蕉视频直播淚 plan on slowing down a little bit because you have to have balance,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淢y wife and I have been married 38 years come September and we want to travel more.香蕉视频直播�

As for quitting his day job and deciding to launch the business? Better late than never.

香蕉视频直播淚 was 45 years old when I started the company, so it香蕉视频直播檚 never too late to start a business or do things you香蕉视频直播檝e always wanted to do,香蕉视频直播� Dominic says. 香蕉视频直播淵ou香蕉视频直播檝e got to love what you do. If you don香蕉视频直播檛 go to work happy and raring to go, you香蕉视频直播檙e not going to succeed. You have to be passionate about what you香蕉视频直播檙e doing.香蕉视频直播�

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