Business Succession
January 22, 2016 | by Tom | Business Succession
It’s never easy to look at an important subject like family business succession planning and offer just three big takeaways to help families protect their hard-earned wealth. But after delivering more than 800 speeches in more than 20 countries on the subject, here are my three favorite Golden Rules. Golden Rule #1: He who has […]
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September 6, 2012 | by tomdeans_admin | Business Succession, Family Business Management, The Role of Advisors
I’ve certainly enjoyed more than my fair share of quality time on airplanes to contemplate some of the fascinating family business stories I’ve collected on the speaking circuit. It’s pretty common for professional speakers to spend a little time with audience members who confess their stories and share details about their family firm fiascos after […]
Tags: attorney, business lifecycle, business succession planning, estate planning, exit planning, Family business, family business advisor, family business succession planning, family feuds, family shareholder agreement, gifting shares, Legacy, Matriarchs, succession planning
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July 28, 2012 | by tomdeans_admin | Business Succession
Last month I was speaking at a convention in Vancouver and took a question from the audience that made me laugh, even though I’d heard versions of the question before: “How do I get my 85-year-old father to stop coming to the office and causing all sorts of disruption?” Before I could answer someone in […]
Tags: business advisor, business founder, business life cycle, business lifecycle, business succession planning, estate planning, exit planning, Family business, family business advisor, family business consultants, family business succession planning, founder and honourary chairman, honorary chairman, Legacy, succession planning
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July 9, 2012 | by tomdeans_admin | Business Succession, The Role of Advisors
It was on the 18th green that a friend who owns a successful executive search firm answered a question about family business leadership that had challenged me from the very first day I sat down to write Every Family’s Business. Finally the penny dropped. As he stared at his improbable 60-foot putt he opined that […]
Tags: business advisors, business consultants, business life cycle, business lifecycle, business succession planning, estate planning, family business advisor, family business consultants, family business succession planning, leadership succession planning, Legacy, selling your business, succession planning
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May 29, 2012 | by tomdeans_admin | Business Succession, Selling Your Business, The Role of Advisors
For me, business has always been about dominating the competition – not just beating them but seriously overpowering them. Personal enmity has never driven this approach but rather a kind of institutional loathing underpinned by the idea that there is a finite number of customers worth battling for. I have never sought my inspiration from […]
Tags: attorney, Best-selling author, business advisor, business life cycle, business lifecycle, business succession planning, estate planning, Every Family's Business, exit planning, Family business, family business advisor, family business consultants, family business speaker, family shareholder agreement, selling your business, succession planning
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May 1, 2012 | by tomdeans_admin | Business Succession, The Role of Advisors
When the sale of a family business is all about a founder becoming wealthy and their children losing their jobs, you can see why so few ever put themselves in play and sell. The CEO – the Chief Emotional Officer (Mom, and increasingly Dad) – just can’t stand to see the family pull itself apart. […]
Tags: Associations, Best-selling author, Business Broker, Business Owners, Convention Speaker, Dynastic Family, entrepreneurs, estate planning, exit planning, Family business, Inheritance, M&A, professional speaker, Retirement, succession planning, Transition, wills
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February 15, 2012 | by Tom | Business Succession
I was speaking to a friend who owns a successful manufacturing business and asked him when he plans to sell his business”. His response echoed something that I’m hearing more and more from business owners in my audience. “I can’t afford to sell – if I sell and take the proceeds and invest in this […]
Tags: business advisor, business life cycle, business succession planning, Buying a Business, entrepreneurs, estate planning, Every Family's Business, exit planning, family business consultants, family business succession planning, family shareholder agreement, Legacy, Matriarchs, professional speaker, Saving tax, selling your business, succession planning, wills
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April 13, 2011 | by Tom | Business Succession
When the Young Presidents Organization brought me to El Salvador to speak to their newly formed chapter last year, I was both apprehensive and curious to see how my contrarian message on family business succession planning would translate in the Latin culture.
Tags: Best-selling author, business lifecycle, Buying a Business, El Salvador, exit planning, Family business, Matriarchs, professional speaker, San Salvador, Spanish family Business, succession planning, Young President's Organization, YPO
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March 23, 2011 | by Tom | Business Succession
When the world’s largest speakers’ bureau sent me an email announcing that it had given me its Speaker of the Year Award, I was awash with emotion. My ego swelling with self-congratulation, I proceeded to moonwalk across my office – not pretty.
Tags: business life cycle, Every Family's Business, family business awards, family business consultants, Family Business Magazine, family business speaker, family business succession planning, Family Firm Institute, investment banks, Legacy, M&A, wealth preservation
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February 18, 2011 | by Tom | Business Succession
I was playing my regular Saturday morning squash game and had my friend two games to zero. I was only three points away from taking the match in a clean three-game sweep. But something happened. I started to drift and lose focus.
Tags: business advisor, gifting shares, selling your business, succession planning
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