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Nov 6, 2024 | 
insidesmallbusiness.com.au | Bill Withers
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) wrote a report about SME succession, which stated that inadequate business succession planning was a growing macroeconomic risk. The CIBC found that 60 per cent of business owners aged 55 to 64 had yet to start discussing their exit plans with their family or business partners. In Australia, 80 per cent of SMEs are owned by Baby Boomers. These businesses have an aggregate valuation of roughly $3.5 trillion.
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Oct 25, 2024 | 
businessnews.com.au | Bill Withers
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Sep 7, 2024 | 
ceoworld.biz | Bill Withers
As a business strategist, over the last 10 years I have asked business founders what the reasons were for starting their business. A combination of the following is common:An underserved need that is not currently being met in the marketDeliver a service more effectively and or efficiently. More autonomyA different way of building wealthSee something in the world that does not existThis motivation added to the drive for financial security, forms the basis of an early-stage owner’s vision.
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Sep 3, 2024 | 
ceoworld.biz | Bill Withers
In my capacity as a business mentor, I was recently contacted by an owner I was supporting called Bruce. He had just received an offer for his business. This was totally out of the blue. Bruce was ringing me to help him decide whether to accept or reject this offer. I had been doing a lot of work with Bruce to help him document his owner’s vision. This work gave me a lot of clarity about what Bruce wanted so I was in a good position to support Bruce.
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Sep 3, 2024 | 
ceoworld.biz | Bill Withers
As a SME Owner since 1987, I have discovered a lot about culture. Whilst economists define SMEs by the number of people employed, I define them by the overlap between ownership and leadership. The Owner-Leaders will always be the ultimate leader(s) of the culture because their values and philosophies will define that culture. Also, they will be there for the long term and hence it is unwise to take a hands-off approach by delegating culture to others.
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Aug 30, 2024 | 
ceoworld.biz | Bill Withers
The more resilience you build into your business, the more you are reducing risks for any potential buyer – this will be valued. If you are going to seek investor capital or are looking to sell your business in the future, it’s wise to think about what impacts valuations. The following are common risks associated with the purchase of a business:Financial risks: Potential buyers will thoroughly examine the financial statements of your business to ensure it has a sound financial foundation.
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Aug 19, 2024 | 
insidesmallbusiness.com.au | Bill Withers
Bill Withers is a SME business strategist and author of Succession Thinking, a practical guide to building a resilient business that thrives. Bill has over four decades of business experience, founding mining software company acQuire in 1996 (sold in 2018) and adapt in 2014 where he is still an active owner. Adapt was founded to help other SME Owners build businesses that give them what they really want.
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Aug 19, 2024 | 
insidesmallbusiness.com.au | Bill Withers
As a business strategist, over the last ten years, I have asked business founders what their reasons were for starting their businesses. A combination of the following is common:They found an underserved need that is not currently being met in the market. A believe they could deliver a service more effectively and or efficiently. They wanted more autonomy. They wanted a different way of building wealth.
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Aug 16, 2024 | 
insideretail.co.nz | Bill Withers
As a business owner since 1987, I have discovered a lot about culture. Whilst economists define SMEs by the number of people employed, I define them by the overlap between ownership and leadership. The owner-leaders will always be the ultimate leaders of company culture because their values and philosophies will define that culture. Also, they will be there for the long term and hence it is unwise to take a hands-off approach by delegating culture to others.
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Aug 15, 2024 | 
insideretail.com.au | Bill Withers
As a business owner since 1987, I have discovered a lot about culture. Whilst economists define SMEs by the number of people employed, I define them by the overlap between ownership and leadership. The owner-leaders will always be the ultimate leaders of company culture because their values and philosophies will define that culture. Also, they will be there for the long term and hence it is unwise to take a hands-off approach by delegating culture to others.
