Brian Scudamore: Business is All About People

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BC Safety Charter signatory Brian Scudamore, Founder and CEO 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, You Move Me and WOW 1 DAY Painting is recognized as one of Canada’s leading entrepreneurs.

Winner of many leadership awards including The Globe and Mail’s Top 40 under 40,Fortune Small Business Best Bosses Award and a three-time winner of the Best Company To Work For award, Brian has built his business by investing in people with vision and the right attitude.

After 5 years in business Brian faced a hurdle that was impeding the further growth of his junk removal business: his employees. In a bold move that catapulted his business onto a path of future success, Brian fired all of his staff and started over.

“Business is all about people: finding the right people and treating them right. You’ve got to spend time with your people, care about them, understand what motivates them and show them how they fit into the vision.”
Brian Scudamore

The turning point for 1-800-GOT-JUNK? came as Brian rebuilt his business from the ground up with people who were personable, understood his vision and shared his passion. This freed Brian to pursue a direction of sustainability in his business including environmental stewardship (1-800-GOT-JUNK? recycles or donates 61% of everything they collect, keeping an estimated 2 billion pounds of junk out of landfills) and investing in his employees.

In addition to offering 5 weeks of vacation to all employees, maternity leave top-up payments and flexible return to work arrangements for new mothers, ongoing employee development with tuition subsidies for courses and professional accreditation, Brian offers a profit-sharing plan that is available to all employees to keep them fresh and motivated.

Brian’s newest endeavor is a commitment to worker safety and a promise to his workforce to make the necessary changes to ensure their well-being. As a proud BC Safety Charter signatory, Brian Scudamore is proving yet again that leadership is an integral part of every organization and investing in the people who make up your company makes great business sense.