Who's On Your Bus?

A few years ago now a rather astute client told me about his business being a bus.  I looked at him with a quizzical expression, so he elaborated.  What did he mean?  Well, let me tell you.

A business is like a bus with various seats.  The owner and entrepreneur is the driver.  They decide where the bus is going, what route it will take to get there and how fast it'll travel.  They also decide who to let on, will sometimes kick people off and may let the bus stop at different points.

I see the key as making sure that you not only have the right people on the bus to take it where you want to, but just as importantly you need to have them sitting in the right seats.  It is no point having people on the bus who don't agree with where it is going, or have no idea where it is going.
Make sure everyone on the bus understands where it is going, what direction it is going and that there may be a change of direction at some time.  If they're not "on board" with this then they shouldn't be on board the bus.

Importantly, ensure the passengers know the driver is in control.  And don't be afraid to change which bum is on which seat or to replace seat warmers with people of action.

Remember that if its YOUR BUSINESS its YOUR BUS.  You want the ride to be smooth and enjoyable.  So is your bus going the right way with the right people in the right seats?

Spring Time = Spring Clean

Well spring has sprung here on the South Coast of NSW.  The days are beautiful and warm, weekends are great for swimming and relaxing outside, and all the lawns and flowers are perking up.

 image credit to suphakit73

So the usual thing to do is start and have that clean up and clean out of your house, garage and shed, getting rid of the accumulated "stuff" that you really don't need.  And with the warmer weather many people are starting to get rid of the extra layer that has accumulated around their middle over the cooler months.

While we're concentrating on our homes and storage and bodies, what about our businesses?

Maybe its time to get rid of some stuff that is cluttering up your business.  And I'm not just talking about boxes here and there either.

Do you need to replace or update some furniture?

Is your bank being unreasonable and making it difficult to progress forward?

Should you sack that time-sucking client or customer?

Is the team you have right for the future?

What about your business partner/s?

It's your business and it's your call.  So when are you going to spring into action?

All In The Family

I love the idea of a family business. Parents and children working together in building a business that passes through the generations. A business that supports all the family members as well as the families of the team that works together.

A great example is a business I know which was started in the shed of the parents some 15 years ago. It built steadily over the years with the business moving into premises and then the 3 children coming into operations. The business now has a significant turnover with a dozen staff and the whole family involved. It's really heartwarming.

Now comes the but.

But there is a potential problem brewing. Who is going to take over? Is it the right of the eldest? But what happens if the eldest is a good "doer" but not an entrepreneur or manager?

This highlights the need to have an open and frank family discussion whilst everyone is able to. There is likely to be someone upset out of the process, and there can be an element of division. But at least the wishes of the parents who established all this and gave the kids what they now have and will have is understood by all. It gives everyone the chance to have their say and get it resolved rather than becoming a huge legal fight at a time when emotions are running high.

People underestimate the value of agreements especially when all involved are family members
So have the discussion sooner rather than later to go over the wills and wishes of the parents, and ensure that the situation is understood.

When is your family meeting going to be?