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The World Famous Colonel: How Harland Sanders Got His Start

He is known as the Southern gentleman in the white suit, white goatee and black string tie, and he is perhaps one of the most famous colonels in the world. Despite not founding the business until he was 66 years old, Harland Sanders turned his local chicken stand into a multinational fast-food franchise. Today, KFC has more than 14,000 franchise outlets in over 100 countries, and pulls in over $520 million in annual revenue. That success, however, was the result of a long and uphill journey for Sanders.

Finger Lickin’ Good: Sanders Opens Kentucky Fried Chicken

In 1930, Sanders opened up a service station along U.S. 25, a busy highway which ran through Kentucky. It was not just a regular gas station. When people stopped to refill their gas tanks, Sanders made sure they refilled their stomachs as well. With home-cooked meals that his wife and children helped to prepare, Sanders’ first venture into the fast-food industry had begun. His station might have been simple, with only one table and six chairs, but it was a start.

Lesson #1: You Have To Get Yourself A Gimmick

If there was one thing that Sanders knew better than how to make a quick and mean fried chicken, it was how to sell himself. In the early days, Sanders understood that if he was going to make his small service station stand out from the rest, he would need something that was different from everyone else, something that nobody else could possibly have. The answer? Himself.

Lesson #2: Figure Out How To Whet The Nation’s Appetite

Within the industry, Sanders had come to be respected as a great marketer not just because his own face was plastered around the country. Rather, Sanders understood food and he understood what it would take to whet the nation’s appetite for his food. He was thus able to come up with a number of unique strategies for enticing customers to try his fast-food franchise.

Lesson #3: Dedicate Yourself And Follow Through

“I made a resolve then that I was going to amount to something if I could,” Sanders once said. “And no hours, nor amount of labour, nor amount of money would deter me from giving the best that there was in me. And I have done that ever since, and I win by it. I know.”

Lesson #4: Set High Standards So You Can Take Pride In Your Product

“If you’ve got time to lean, you’ve got time to clean.” That was one expression that Sanders was fond of telling his staff at Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets across the country.

Lesson #5: You Are Never Too Small To Get Started

Some entrepreneurs think that they need to wait until they get that one angel investor to come along for them to be able to start up their business. Others believe that until they get an office of their own, or perhaps even some part-time assistance, that they will never be able to get their business off the ground. But, if there is one important lesson to take away from Sanders’ experience, it is to get real and get started already.

A Little Colonel Of Truth: How Sanders Turned KFC Into A Global Success

“Life as I have known it has been Finger Lickin’ Good.” That was the title of Sanders’ autobiography. Indeed, for this entrepreneur who started off on the brink of poverty, life seemed to have gotten a whole lot better for him. After numerous failed startups, Kentucky Fried Chicken would be the one to finally stick. Today, the company has one of the most recognizable brands in the world. How did Sanders turn a little service station into the international fast-food franchising success it is now?

Harland Sanders Quotes

Harland Sanders Quotes

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