Donut secrets

Business is difficult. Secrets make it easier. Nike’s secret was the running wave. Starbucks’s secret was the “third space”. Bloomberg’s secret was information delivery.

Secrets, like mythical treasures, are out there.

William Rosenberg was a lifelong entrepreneur. He had odd jobs as a kid and entered adulthood in the eighth grade when he dropped out of school to deliver telegrams.

After World War Two, Rosenberg came home to the baby boom, industrialization, and American prosperity. Some secrets are dumb luck. Others are discovered.

Rosenberg opened cafeterias in American factories.

His first secret was gaining market share by offering plant owners a cut of the sales. His second was noticing how many sales were donuts and coffee. His third secret was supplying his own donuts, rather than paying wholesalers.

After that he opened his own stores outside the factories. From there he negotiated favorable payment terms, expanded the donut lineup, and began to franchise.

Dunkin’ Donuts' success is one discovery after another. In his book, Time To Make the Donuts, Roseberg wants entrepreneurs to follow his lead. Don’t rediscover these secrets, start with them to find your own we might hear him say today.

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