Solomon Islands is a nation blessed with so many different skilled people. A nation that continues to strive even though the realities of today are pushing the nation down. Many great leaders have passed through the island nation and the joys and sadness of memorable events that happened in the islands are long lived in the lives of the people.
In January, it was a very sunny day that the action of a stranger caught many people’s attention. A stranger who took with him, rice, water, bicycles, malaria and skin medicines and shared it along the road on his way down to Selwyn College. It was not any election campaign neither was any organized program but just someone sincerely helping the communities living along the road as he passed by with his fellow work people. This action of generosity by this man have caught so many people’s attention that I have decided to track him down and get more information about himself.
It was such a miracle that I stumbled across the man who was a stranger and helped the communities in Solomon Islands, living in Auckland, New Zealand. Alex Bushe of Auckland is a business man and indeed it was very unusual of how he has offered his help to the communities living on the road to Selwyn and indeed, I interviewed him and it was quite refreshing to know about his story.
What is your personal background?
My specialization for the last several years is Due Diligence, Know-Your-Client procedures and policing and Anti-Money Laundering Compliance for international companies doing business in the Pacific Region – New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and other countries.
Also, I am one of the owners, along with my business partners, and Director of several investment companies which work to develop and generate stable and increasing profits for our clients
How did you become a business man?
It was about 10 years ago when I decided that I better be responsible for my own decisions in my work rather than for some others who cannot see “outside of square” and make, softly saying, not a very smart decisions and same directions.
But when I was a kid I was already myself making money with my brother by washing cars on our street. I was about 12-13, my parents had their own business, but they were always encouraging me to do something to get money. You know, I did not have to, but I liked to be independent and it was a pride when you make more money than most grown-ups in the neighborhood and can afford to buy what you need without asking parents for that. That was the time when I learned what customer service is, at that level, of course, some financial discipline, great responsibility lessons and that you pay for your mistakes. That time gave me understanding that only by working hard and by treating others around you the way you want to be treated would bring you success.
Who are some of your inspirations in becoming a businessman?
First – my parents. From my early years, I could see how much our family life had changed financially positive way when they started their own company. It was an accounting firm which was servicing several huge factories in our region. At that time there were no computers with accounting and management software and my mother had to do everything manually. I remember piles of notepads, fat stacks of reports and 20 hours a day work. Later there were retails shops, wholesale warehouse. My father was administering all those companies sorting out problems and working with employees. They both had to work very hard and a lot but it was worth it.
Second – my employers, Edward, with his Air Conditioning company, where I was working as a sales person. After I had implemented several improvements into company operations he had offered me to take a course of Management and Business Operations studies and he paid for that. So, in addition to my degree in Social Studies and Languages, I gained a knowledge which gave me a “push” to move from another employee position to a top-management level. The opportunity I had was to be a “right hand” of company owner and to manage a whole operation of a company with 20 employees and 5 crews of subcontractors. That was a great experience. Unfortunately, due to family issues, Ed had to move to another region and move his company to a new place.
Third – Graeme from Christchurch. This is a man who made himself from nothing to one of the most successful businessmen in New Zealand. For a long period of time, I was working in one of his companies and he was always teaching me things in business which you will never learn at any University of courses. Customer service, attention to details, relations with other employees, setting and completing deadlines and targets. This was a great experience working and being friends with Graeme. Even now, when sometimes I have doubts about a certain decision or step, I just pick up my phone and call him for an advice.
What is your view of running a business?
My view is very simple – be a professional at what you are doing or just don’t do it. Director and CEO must know all aspects as to what a company does and how it operates just as like they were to work on their own in all positions.
You can always become a professional by working and learning hard, but some only learn a little and they decide to start their company. Such companies fail to provide product and service which clients and market require and, as a result, lose their money, reputation and affect other companies, who are real specialists within the same industry.
Also, people, I employ and work with make one of most important keys to any business success. I absolutely agree with a former Apple Corporation CEO Steve Jobs who said – “it does not make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do, we hire smart people to tell us what to do”. I’d rather spend time and money on training someone with a “bright head” and looking for goals and achievements but not having enough knowledge and experience than hiring someone with a perfect CV and ambitions of professional but, in fact, being lazy and placing himself above everyone else. My personal intuition plays a big role too.
What is your background in your current business?
For last five years, I was mostly involved with several financial companies in Europe and New Zealand. I was contracted as a compliance director for one, GM for another, therefore, had a good chance to learn all operations from inside. Also working as GM for one of Auckland-based law firms gave me a great knowledge of corporate laws, rules, and regulations which are common to most jurisdictions of the Pacific Region.
How do you find Solomon Islands as a country?
Solomon Islands have a great potential for growth and a further development in most sectors, I would accent on primary industries, agriculture, mining, and tourism sectors. It’s only a matter of having right direction and conditions which would attract investors to take part in such development. I believe it is possible to achieve and that will create many workplaces, increase education level for local people, bring effective and modern technologies and, at the same time, will help to filter out those companies which, as I’ve heard a lot, simply take advantage of Solomon Islands and don’t make any input into wellbeing of local communities and economy.
What is does your business do in Solomon Islands?
We are still in a process of setting up in a number of directions therefore, I would not like to talk about it now. All I can say at the moment is that we are in a financial and entertainment sectors.
My partners and I are currently supporting and sponsoring a number of local communities providing them with a goods and medications of immediate needs, we are now a general sponsor of Western United Football Team and at the moment assist them with their trip to New Zealand for a participation in games in Auckland. We also support and promote one of the local known music bands in order to bring their performance to an international level. So, I think, it is a right way – if you want to work and make business in a particular country – support it and assist people and economy.
What are your future goals in your business to achieve in Solomon Islands?
There are many projects which we have to put in a “future” list. We are establishing a structure which will not only induce a development of Solomon Islands but will also further improve this great country on the face of the world and increase its involvement in a world trade.
Apart from being a business man, what else would you do?
I have many hobbies in my life. It’s easier to say what I don’t like to do. Reading, fishing, hunting, music recording, web development, video filming and editing, driving, exploring new places – these are probably main spare time spending activities. I try to spend more time with my kids. Junior is 14 and is a professional gymnast with an amazing achievements for his age, very mature and “I-can-do-it” young man. Nikolle is 9 and is a proper daughter whose requests and wishes are impossible to resist as a father. She is into music, singing, and dancing. Me and my wife, Aliona, support our kids in their choice of what they want to do and help the to develop their skills in that.
For the local business men and woman of Solomon Islands, what would be your advice for them in the business world?
Keep educating themselves in their preferred industries, further develop customer service, implement new technologies. Don’t be afraid to take new steps in business. It is better to know that you have tried and, even if it was not a successful try, at least you’ll never say – “I had an opportunity to try, maybe I had to go for it” and you will learn a lesson and gain an experience which is priceless.
Thank you.
It was a very interesting interview and to find out about how much this stranger have in his strive to make Solomon Islands a great nation and also be successful in his career. Indeed, it is time Solomon Islands people take a look at our business side of life and really know which business will benefit us and which will not.
Picture from left: Oscar, Alex, Helen Paul
