Gerry Harvey

I'll be amazed in my lifetime if my business gets to being 5 per cent online.

I would think that most of the online business will be conducted by traditional retailers and that over 90 per cent of the e-retailers will, in fact, all go out of business.

There is no Internet business in furniture or bedding. Zero - practically in the world.

We're supposed to be an entrepreneurial company; we're meant to be expanding and looking for opportunities - but the minute you do it, you get your head bashed in.

If a company in Australia has to pay tax and the other one doesn't, of course it's a disadvantage.

The cost to do business in Australia is higher, and the lack of scale is a part of that - Australia is a very small market compared to the U.S.

I'm probably not your typical business person in many ways. I don't wear a suit. I don't carry a briefcase. I don't wear a tie. I'm fairly casual. I haven't got a big office, and it's in a very ordinary part of town. I'd much prefer to downplay than impress.

All I can say to you, if you look after your health, eat the right stuff, do enough exercise, keep your mind active, you might be around when you're 100 having this conversation with someone.

I think the main thing you measure your success by is what you do in comparison to your opposition. If you're in an industry where you're the leader, then you're performing very well.

I try to develop others. I get a great deal of joy out of helping people who, over the years, I've spent a lot of time mentoring - and just trying to get them to another level.

Making decisions quickly isn't for everyone, and I've had my disasters, but overall, it works for me.

You could go out and give a million dollars to a charity tomorrow to help the homeless. You could argue that it is just wasted. They are not putting anything back into the community.