Case Studies in Succession Planning: The Case of the Reluctant Successor It comes as a surprise to most owners to learn that more than 50% of potential successors, whether they be children or key employees, either don't want the business or can't swing it financially. But many owners operate on the assumption that when it [...]
How To Know When You are Ready To Exit Your Business The answer to this challenge is both situational and personal. Whether you plan on leaving the business altogether or you want to work as long as you are able, most people agree that achieving financial independence should be a primary goal. You may want [...]
Managing An Underperforming Family Member WOW! What a topic! If you have ever attended a county fair, you may have witnessed a Mule Pull. This is a contest of mule teams pulling a weighted sled. Sometimes you will see an interesting and metaphorical phenomenon: A team of two mules will be pulling the sled. One [...]
Why I Am Not A Funeral Home Broker Jack B. Stalk has a special goose. His goose lays a single golden egg every year. That annual egg has enabled Jack to live in a nice home, drive a luxury car, take nice vacations, eat well, put his four kids through college and be a [...]
I have chosen to celebrate the re launch of my new website with an updated and improved funeral home valuation calculator. This calculator is part of my effort to help practitioners access quick and easy tools that will help them make better choices for their business. You can use these calculators any time and [...]
After the Newton Massacre I brought up the issue of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in a blog entitled: PTSD: The Slow Leak in Funeral Service’ Tire I got so many responses I republished it as: The Unspoken Affliction:PTSD and the Funeral Director Since then I have received a number of comments and participated in several discussions [...]
I love the story of two little boys fighting over the last piece of cake. Mom comes into the kitchen as they are pushing and shoving and with "Solomon - like" wisdom says, "Johnny, Billy, there is enough for both of you. Johnny I want you to cut the cake into two pieces and Billy [...]
The saying goes, "It's lonely at the top." Who do you talk to when you're the boss? Edgar Schein, Professor Emeritus at the Sloan School of Management at MIT, observed that the most common self - image among business leaders is that of the "Lone Warrior - Hero." I have found this to be true [...]
