Reopening the Woodlands butcher shop was initially a lonely sole-operator journey as a 28-year old.
"I remember that was one of the hardest decisions ever made."
A butchery usually involved being part of a team.
"Just working away on my own was probably the hardest for me — with no-one to talk to."
He believed the launch’s timing was perfect — many butchers had closed but the dairy boom had just started.
"Southland changed dramatically over the next 10 to 15 years.
"The population and all the work that came with the dairy industry, the staff and all the home-kill business — it just took off.
"We couldn’t even keep up. It was just manic."
"I didn’t have the staff or the skills either. It was like a tiger by the tail.
"I was a butcher, but I didn’t know much about managing people or managing workflow.
"I was a complete novice just trying to keep up with everything.
"It was just a little shop, about the size of a car ... but people would come and buy a few sausages or a bit of mince, and it just got busier and busier," Mr Hamilton said.
The business continued to grow when the opportunity to extend into the neighbouring grocer opened.
Things became easier as he adapted to the business world and his management skill set grew.
Mr Hamilton now has three stores, more than 40 employees and the stores sell grocery items as well as takeaway food and coffee.
"Now we’ve got people in the door at 6 in the morning until 6 at night — just getting a coffee and a sandwich.
"The shops are busy all day long, which is the best part."
He credits the success to having business mentors and staff who had a good work ethic.
"But you’ve got to have the brains to listen to them as well. A lot of people don’t. They just blindly carry on in their own way of thinking."
Engaging a business adviser was a game-changer, he said.
People saw the good times, "but there’s a lot of hard times in behind it".
His bank refused him a cheque account as well as a small loan — it assumed he was destined to fail. But moving to another bank provided the pathway and finances were tight while the original plant and equipment was replaced.
But being responsible for 35 employees through lockdown was the hardest part of his journey.
"We had everyone else’s welfare [to care for] ... everyone was worried about their families — it was the hardest thing to negotiate that. There’s no rule book."
Meeting people from all over Southland had been one of the best parts of the business’ success.
"We’ve got some customers that have been here since day one — they’re sort of like friends really."
- By Toni McDonald
