Growth Newsletter

It’s early in the New Year and already, a number of my family business clients are pointing out the stupidity they’re having to deal with from their large corporates clients.

I’ve long argued I have one of the most privileged roles of any professional, bar none. People tell me things, about their business and about their lives, that they don’t tell any other professional – not even their doctor. Sometimes, what they say isn’t all that new to me. What is surprising, however, is their honesty in being willing to admit what their foibles are, or what they can do better.

I learned very early in my career just how detrimental to a business’ livelihood it was to have a reliance on a large client. I’d started a new job in North Sydney with a small accounting firm, lured by the promise of new and exciting work – and a reasonable pay rise.  The City based firm I’d been with were already paying me well and throwing me interesting work. Perhaps I was greedy – the offer of more was on the table and I jumped at it.

I’ve had some interesting conversations with family business owners and managers over the past few weeks. The return to work after the Christmas/New Year break inevitably brings up the issue of what people did with their time off. As many and varied as these people are, there’s a constant theme amongst all the conversations. Everyone was ready for 2020 to finish.

Last week, my wife and I took advantage of the Christmas/New Year break and ventured into regional New South Wales. A week of wine tasting, enjoying local produce, driving though gorgeous countryside and catching up with relatives was the perfect way to start 2021.

Happy New Year! May 2021 bring you and your family good health, much happiness and great prosperity.

As we head into Christmas, I feel it’s appropriate to give thanks at a time of year when we take a moment to reflect on what has transpired and how we’ve all come through it:

Trying to find staff at the moment? So are plenty of others. It’s almost like there’s a chorus of “where is everyone?” amongst business owners and managers right now. It seems as if the issue doesn’t discriminate between industries or geographies. Everyone is singing the same tune.

How close our world is these days?

December is always a month of celebration in our household, but this December is all the more special. On Friday of this week, my wife, Trish, celebrates a milestone birthday. As you know, a lady never discloses her age, so let’s just say there’s a zero in there somewhere.