Multi-Talented Entrepreneur

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in training and development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dr. Bob Abell, President, and CEO of Automated Learning Division of Rovell Enterprises Ltd., located in Ottawa, ON, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Our primary business is e-learning for technical topics in the electronics, manufacturing, healthcare, and service industries. We have developed expertise over 22 years in this business, working with content experts from some of the best organizations in the world. Our development partners have included Lucent Technologies, the Mayo Clinic, BAE Aerospace, Lockheed, Curtiss Wright, and the Ministry of Health for the province of Saskatchewan, for example. Our customers range from small manufacturers to huge multinationals like Texas Instruments and HP and organizations that include NASA, Battelle Labs, and the U.S. Army. Our training has been used around the world, including in North America (Canada, US, and Mexico), Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Indian Subcontinent. We don't have the means for an exact student count, but it would not be an exaggeration to suggest hundreds of thousands have taken our courses over the years.

Tell us about yourself

I became interested in the potential of the computer to change the way we teach after some years as a classroom teacher in science. It was a very different technological world then, with mainframe computers and only the beginnings of the use of remote terminals. With an interest in electronics and computers and a passion for teaching, I enrolled in a Ph.D. program at the University of Alberta to study the use of computers in education. I then worked for six years at Athabasca University - one of the first distance ed universities in North America, where I focussed on instructional design and ultimately on building the computer department as Director of Computing Services. But a confluence of circumstances resulted in our going into business, first with another partner and later with my wife, who is also trained as a teacher. We have been in business for over 40 years and have started six companies. It has stayed interesting and motivating for two reasons. First, we have had the opportunity to work with some of the best in the business, and every new course is a new learning experience, with new subject matter experts in their field. It is a partnership. Second, we know that we are providing a needed high-quality service that is ultimately affecting millions of lives. It is very motivating when we get an after-the-fact call from a NASA subcontractor who says: "I just want to let you know the satellite is up, everything is working to spec, and NO ONE touched that satellite without first successfully; completing your training." We continue to get new trainees daily, with companies like Siemens sending us new students every few days. Today we were asked to quote a research center in the United Arab Emirates and enrolled students for two different customers in North America. One company has been training a couple of hundred students every MONTH and has been doing so every year since 2003. You can do the math on that.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I think that Automated Learning is a well-recognized and regarded company within our niche. We have always worked hard to provide top products and exemplary service. As a result, clients stay with us, and often when key staff change companies, we add that new company to our client list as well. We also have developed friendships and contacts that go beyond the training itself. So when I decided to write a novel that included as a key part of the plot a potential asteroid strike on earth, it took only a couple of days to set up an hour-long chat with the key individual at NASA in charge of the Near-Earth Object program so that I could be sure the science in the novel was correct.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

All businesses have their ups and downs. These can impact one's finances as an owner and also can involve downsizing. We, at various times, went through both. The one thing we never were willing to do was cut and run. We also had one bad experience with a partner. Transparency is a key requirement in working with others but is not a guaranteed thing.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Grow organically if at all possible. Avoid being beholden to banks or to shareholders who are more interested in profit margins than products, staff, and clients. Consider employee stock options to facilitate growth.
Always try to promise less and deliver more. Set the bar high, and eventually, you will gain the client's trust that takes you to the next stage.
Learn the language of lawyers and accountants, but remember YOU are the entrepreneur; you know or should know the product or service potential. Look for client validation, and don't rely on or even trust your lawyers and accountants to steer a direction for YOUR company.

No matter how hard you work to retain clients, there are things that throw a monkey wrench in the works. One is client merger and acquisition. At least three times, we have lost major client partners because they have been acquired by an even larger firm. These acquiring firms tend to hold the reins and often misconstrue what drives the success of the acquired firm. They have "their way" of doing things, and particularly in the training area, assume they are infinitely superior in resources and process. So expect the occasional "dear john" letter, thanking you for your wonderful and effective support of their workforce, but .... You can only shrug and move on.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.automatedlearning.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CorporatePreyMovie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rabell7
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-robert-abell-17b00b15/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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