Succession planning in a family business involves much more than drafting wills and trusts. While these legal aspects are crucial, they represent only a small fraction of the overall picture. To ensure the long-term success and sustainability of your family business, you must consider various factors, including culture, strategic growth, and the intricate dynamics [...]
Mastering Objectives and Strategy for a Thriving Future Approximately 20% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Additionally, 45% fail during the first five years, and 65% fail during the first 10 years. However, only 25% of new businesses survive [...]
Franchisees encounter various obstacles and unknowns as they embark on their journey as business owners. They must navigate through ever-changing market conditions, meet the expectations of employees and customers, and effectively manage their relationships with franchisors. To overcome these challenges, franchisees must adopt a strategic mindset, thinking several steps ahead like skilled chess players. [...]
Multi-unit franchising is a popular business model that allows entrepreneurs to start a business with an established brand, products, and services. While franchising can offer many benefits, such as lower startup costs and support from the franchisor, success is not guaranteed. In fact, according to the International Franchise Association, about [...]
Seasonality, inflation, politics, people, and technology are a few headwinds impacting fuel dealers, wholesalers, and service contractors in the energy space. We are often asked, "How can we create predictable revenues in an industry influenced by so many outside "threats?" In this episode, Doug Woosnam, a Consultant with Cetane Associates, [...]
Successfully integrating family into the business, whether as an employee, manager, or one-day successor, requires having a plan. Next-Gen business owners may need to invest their entire net-worth back into the business to compete with the larger consolidators. This means being less a caretaker of the business as generations past, [...]
Successfully integrating family into business leadership while balancing family dynamics is full of complexities. As Joe Chastang shares, many private and family business owners screw it up. Thanksgiving and Christmas come around every year, and the business provides for 100+ employees. Mis-matched expectations, communication differences, and management styles can create [...]
Hope is at the center of many dealers' business strategies. Hope that if they sell the business, the sale will return the cash they need to retire and support their dream lifestyle. However, many dealers have to show up with checks to pay debt and find a job to help facilitate [...]
Operating a store is hard work, but it is rewarding. A common question we hear is what are the options to keep the dealership(s) as a family asset if no family is interested or capable of filling the shoes as Dealer/Operator. The good news is that the world is your [...]
Many business owners lean on the DIY approach to strategic planning, integrating family into the business, succession planning, and positioning their business for sale on the open market. Where entrepreneurs are sharp in many ways, without outside help, they often suffer from being able to see the trees from the [...]
