Why it’s important & how to foster it
What makes for a happy workplace? What’s the key quality family business consultants can help their clients cultivate to create a happy workplace?
…What makes for a happy workplace? What’s the key quality family business consultants can help their clients cultivate to create a happy workplace?
…Based upon feedback from the national network, the Galliard Team and members of the network share great ideas about tools, resources and opportunities to improve your skills, expand your practice and enjoy your craft.
…Once a company completes their strategic plan, no matter how simple the document is, they face the challenge of cascading this plan down through the rest of the organization.
…We all know that this is a tricky issue and sometimes a challenging conversation.
…A 60-minute presentation from John Warrillow, founder, The Value Builder System™ and author of Built to Sell and The Automatic Customer.
…As a business evolves and grows, the roles and expectations of managers, including owners, begins to shift. However, in many cases, this simply happens by default, with little or no discussion. Problems can arise when expectations differ and when people don’t perform in a way that is consistent with expectations.
…If someone told you that about half the people who run half of America’s most active and inventive businesses will retire in the next four years, would you care? You should.
…Family business owners often ask us how a solid exit plan can increase the value of their business and ensure a fair price if and when they put their business on the market. In addition to making sure you have a successful products and services, there are actions you can take to increase both the value of the business and the likelihood that you will realize that value.
…Lisë Stewart discusses the impending crises facing small family businesses everywhere, and how we can divert it with effective succession planning
…Have you ever…
There’s an old saying about economists that crops up every now and then, and goes a long way toward explaining why economic analysis sometimes gets a bad rap. The saying is that an economist will look at a person with one foot in a bucket of ice and the other in a bucket of fire and proclaim that, in terms of an average temperature, that person should be just fine.
…For all of you who heard John Warrillow’s riveting webinar last week, this won’t come as any surprise. However, I learned that one of the factors that influence the value of a company – or rather the amount that someone might pay for company (value can mean many different things to different people) is how much “touch” the founder and other key employees have with customers.
…For companies wanting to build their Bench Strength. Lisë Stewart, Founder and Director of Galliard, provides a practical, clear and usable outline for designing and implementing a simple mentoring program in any size of company.
…As small business owners, we’ve all had the knock at the door or the call from a ‘friend’ who tells you that they ‘do’ succession planning and can find you a buyer for your business. I recently had an interesting conversation with a business broker who assured me that she “did succession planning” with her clients.
…An Advisory Board consists of a group of carefully selected advisors, chosen for their knowledge, expertise and interest in your business, to provide feedback, ask challenging questions and offer ideas and advice to maximize the potential of your company.
…In the US today, only about 10% of business owners develop a strategic plan. In fact, most owners tell us that they have lots of plans and goals for the company, but they tend to walk around with those in their head, rather than writing them down on paper. Why is this?
…I recently gave a speech to a very large audience of state and federal employees. The room was filled with young and old, and I was talking about the differences between the generations. At one point I said that one thing all generations had in common in the workplace is that we all hate the evaluation process. This got a quick round of applause. Then I said, “I think we should do away with performance evaluations” and this got a standing ovation!
…“A consultant will just borrow your watch and then charge you to tell the time!” … “Attorneys and insurance salesmen are all alike – they confuse you and cost you!”
You may have heard these complaints and more.
…Every generation takes a slightly different approach to life and work. With the emerging millennial generation workforce, these different approaches are affecting how business owners think about the workplace and the future of their companies. The gap can feel particularly pronounced in family-owned businesses where parents and children are working together.
…Do you work with a trusted estate or tax attorney? Have you found a CPA who speaks your language? Does your insurance agent really give you ‘peace of mind’? Many small business owners have voiced some frustration in finding and working with professional advisors. Trust is not always high and there is often a disconnect in the language spoken by advisors – whether it is the use of ‘legalese’ or financial jargon that can be confusing at best.
…During our recent economic recession, many wise family business owners took the opportunity afforded by slower sales and production to re-evaluate their businesses. Advisors have been busy helping their client companies to develop new strategic plans, and explore new products and new markets.
…Business owners planning to transition out of their business someday often ask me what I recommend as the first step. Regardless of whether they want to pass the business down to the next generation of family members or sell to an inside or outside buyer, I am likely to recommend the same activity: develop your own company prospectus.
…Many people ask me, how can the new generation of leadership honor the family legacy and tradition, while still putting their own ‘stamp’ on the company culture? This can be particularly difficult in this day and age when we have so many generations working in the same place. However, history and tradition inform a strong foundation for the company culture and provide stability and help to build loyalty.
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