News Archive

John Hughes doesn't ever plan to retire.

At nearly 80-years-old, the owner of his own car sales empire still heads into the office six days a week, spends time on the sales floor, and makes time to deal with customer complaints personally. On top of this, he also spends four or five business hours at home on Sundays.

The secret, he says, is doing what you enjoy.

Speaking at a public lecture at The University of Western Australia Business School last week, Hughes had some advice for budding entrepreneurs and business leaders.

"Find something you're good at that you also enjoy," Hughes said. "When you do this, you will never have to work a day in your life."

For Hughes, his passion for business and customer service translated into a bank loan and patch of land in Victoria Park - and his own car sales business, named Paramotors.

In the 45 years since Paramotors came into existence, Hughes has turned the car sales venture into a thriving business. Now called ‘John Hughes,' the business employs around 650 people, selling more than 1800 vehicles every month and enjoying an annual turnover of $650 million.

The business' success, says Hughes, is in large part due to his focus on the customer.

"Listen to your customers," Hughes said. "They are the best source of advice you will have."

Not only does Hughes listen to his customers - he also takes customer complaints, whether about cars, or about the background scenery in his television advertisements!

Hughes also shared his other tips for entrepreneurial success, including: focus; don't get distracted by non-core business ideas; remember the importance of leadership and setting an example; and be prepared to go out on your own, because perceived obstacles are just stronger motivation.

But as for embracing technology? Hughes is still working on it, he says, recounting a story of his own misadventures. When Hughes' staff - against his wishes - equipped his office with a new computer, Hughes inched the machine a little closer to the edge of his desk each day - until the day it fell off, meeting an untimely end.

Hughes himself, however, refuses to slow down. Formerly a director of Channel 9 in Perth and Burswood Management Limited-roles which he held alongside leading his own company-he now oversees a vast business.

‘John Hughes' has diversified to include its own Insurance Company, its own Finance Company, and four Finance Broking Operations. It also underwrites its own extended warranties, is in the tyre and battery business, provides its own roadside assistance, has eleven mobile service vans, and has its own fleet of trucks to transport vehicles to and from varied locations.

That's enough to keep anyone busy. It's a good thing Hughes doesn't consider any of it to be work.

Media references

Karen Della Torre (UWA Business School)          (+61 8) 6488 8538
Verity Chia (UWA Business School)                   (+61 8) 6488 1346