John Ilhan was the man behind the Crazy John’s mobile phone company. He was one of the richest young people under 40 in Australia according to the Business Review Magazine. He immigrated from Turkey when he was 5 years old and grew up in a working class family. Best selling books published by or about John Ilhan include “John Ilhan: A Crazy Life“.
Mini John Ilhan biography: Born Mustafa İlhan in Yozgat, Central Anatolia Region, Turkey on the 23rd of January, 1965. John Ilhan was married to Patricia and they had four children: Jaida, Yasmin, Aydin, and Hannah. John Ilhan died on the 23rd of October, 2007. He was 42 years of age.
Business Quotes by John Ilhan
If you treat staff as your equal, they’ll roll their sleeves up to get the job done. John Ilhan
I remember wanting to be somebody. The opportunities weren’t there if you come from a working-class suburb. John Ilhan
It takes a lot more to run a good business than just trailing commissions or kickbacks otherwise everybody would succeed, wouldn’t they? John Ilhan
The best thing about making money is you can help society and the community. When you come from a working-class background, you see how underprivileged people struggle. John Ilhan
It was quite tough, not many opportunities. I remember in primary school, one of my teachers said, “As for you young man, you haven’t got much of a future.” John Ilhan
My children are my biggest concern. I do take them to visit my parents in Broadmeadows and I still have a lot of friends who are builders and plumbers. My children won’t be given everything. John Ilhan
It’s a very, very tough market. So unless you do a really good job, you buy the right products from the manufacturers, you service the customer, they keep coming back, they bring their friends in, it’s all about numbers, numbers, numbers. John Ilhan
This may seem simple, but you need to give customers what they want, not what you think they want. And, if you do this, people will keep coming back. John Ilhan
When you haven’t got a dollar in your pocket the best way to market is to have a crazy name. I mean, you need something to boast about. And you can’t boast unless you’re different. John Ilhan
I’m fed up with Telstra’s bullying. The company isn’t competitive any longer. John Ilhan
You just work hard and the rewards come. It’s not like winning Lotto overnight – you don’t think, Wow, I’m rich! I only really noticed it when they mentioned it but, being a bit competitive, I did like being No. one. John Ilhan
The first million was the hardest to make, and the easiest to lose. John Ilhan
We react very quickly in the market. We can make quick changes. John Ilhan
The harder it got the more I felt I had to win. John Ilhan
Don’t let anyone say you can’t do it. John Ilhan
When you do something you love, it’s not really work. And I’ve been doing it for sixteen years – it’s just part of what you do. I’ve been lucky, I’ve chosen a field I love, so it’s not work. I love dealing with people. I love the challenges of growing a business. It’s like a work of art – you always try to improve it. John Ilhan
The first five years of my business life … was a blur, because I spent all day, all night in the shop, worrying about every cent. I used to sleep in the store on the floor. John Ilhan
More Mustafa Ilhan
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