will cooper
Case 1: Will Cooper
Will Cooper had spent a total of sixteen years as a successful oil company service station lessee-operator1 in Halifax. In the fall of 1988, he was approached by the owner of another service station who wanted to sell his operation to Cooper. Cooper rejected the offer, but the owner persisted. Cooper eventually agreed to consider the matter seriously, committing himself to a decision by early January 1989. This was a genuine opportunity for Cooper to become the owner of his own operation for the first time; however, he had serious reservations. Since business was always slow during the week between Christmas and New Year's, Cooper took a few days off to focus his attention on the issue; he was resolved to reach a firm decision by the week's end.
The Man
Will Cooper entered the service station business as a mechanic's apprentice in 1966. Four years later, when he was only 21, the oil company that owned the service station where he worked offered to lease a Halifax service station to him. His lack of training or experience in business management made him very hesitant to accept the offer, but the oil company persuaded him to become a lessee-operator. In six years he increased the service station's annual gasoline sales from 40,000 litres to 4 million litres. He was a good manager and the oil company was delighted with his performance. Nonetheless Cooper chose to leave the business. The service station demanded his full attention and left no time for his young family and no time for relaxation or vacations. In his words, "life had become all work and no play."
Cooper then went to work as a delivery truck operator for a local bottling company. The job soon proved to be unchallenging, and he found himself in need of something more. He took a course in refrigeration and was promoted to a more demanding and rewarding job with the same employer, but found that this, too, was unfulfilling. After that, Cooper expanded his endeavors to include
Will Cooper had spent a total of sixteen years as a successful oil company service station lessee-operator1 in Halifax. In the fall of 1988, he was approached by the owner of another service station who wanted to sell his operation to Cooper. Cooper rejected the offer, but the owner persisted. Cooper eventually agreed to consider the matter seriously, committing himself to a decision by early January 1989. This was a genuine opportunity for Cooper to become the owner of his own operation for the first time; however, he had serious reservations. Since business was always slow during the week between Christmas and New Year's, Cooper took a few days off to focus his attention on the issue; he was resolved to reach a firm decision by the week's end.
The Man
Will Cooper entered the service station business as a mechanic's apprentice in 1966. Four years later, when he was only 21, the oil company that owned the service station where he worked offered to lease a Halifax service station to him. His lack of training or experience in business management made him very hesitant to accept the offer, but the oil company persuaded him to become a lessee-operator. In six years he increased the service station's annual gasoline sales from 40,000 litres to 4 million litres. He was a good manager and the oil company was delighted with his performance. Nonetheless Cooper chose to leave the business. The service station demanded his full attention and left no time for his young family and no time for relaxation or vacations. In his words, "life had become all work and no play."
Cooper then went to work as a delivery truck operator for a local bottling company. The job soon proved to be unchallenging, and he found himself in need of something more. He took a course in refrigeration and was promoted to a more demanding and rewarding job with the same employer, but found that this, too, was unfulfilling. After that, Cooper expanded his endeavors to include