Why Turn to Chris Reich of TeachU for Help with Your Business Partner Problems
A Message from Chris Reich
I have been self-employed as a business instructor and consultant for over 25 years. In my early practice, most of my clients were doctors in need of advice on growing their practice.
Early on, a number of partnership conflicts came across my desk. Resolving these kinds of problems is very rewarding and so I’ve focused my work on resolving partnership differences.
My educational background is pretty diverse ranging from business and technology to physics (helio-physics especially) and Western literature. You can see my lectures on the novel Ulysses on YouTube.
Is it possible to work on an emotionally charged dispute if you are not in my immediate area? The answer is, “yes!”
Because I am not acting as an attorney, my rules of engagement are very different. You can read more about that below. One benefit is that we can work less formally. We don’t need all ‘parties’ to sit at a table with ‘counsel’ for a serious meeting. Instead of 50 hours spent preparing for a crucial
We will work together using my video conferencing software. This is a great way to have us all together when ready without the cost of getting people in the same room. It works, it’s easy, and it’s less stressful than sitting across from someone you have a dispute with.
I Do Travel
There are situations where it’s important for me to be there. If there is a lot of money involved in a dispute or if a situation is so volatile that things could blow up at any minute, I get on a plane and go. I travel all over the country helping business partners get back on track or, sometimes, separate tacks to avoid a collision.
Before I propose working at your location, I ask myself 2 questions:
- Can this problem be resolved without being there?
- Does it make sense from a cost perspective?
If I see a situation where I know that working in person would be better but the business cannot afford the expense, I won’t propose travel. But if we can save thousands of dollars by avoiding litigation, I’m on my way.
No. My proximity to your office isn’t a problem.
?
You are not in my area. How can this work?
5 Reasons to Choose Chris Reich of TeachU to Work on Your Business Partnership Problems
I have a unique approach to resolving business partnership issues. If we get started before your partnership breaks beyond repair, things can almost always be fixed. You’ll be glad you called me as we work through your situation. Here are the 5 biggest reasons why you should work with me:
Cheaper
Let’s face it. Everybody wants to save money. If you retain an attorney, your partner or partners will need to “lawyer up” as well. That gets tense and expensive fast. At rates often more than $500/hr., getting lawyers involved runs the cost up in a hurry. I work for the business to help all the parties reach an agreement. My rates are less than a business attorney, and you have only a single party to pay. I can offer you processes that will prevent future fractures. You are strongly encouraged to avoid a fight with an uncertain outcome and work to fix things.
Not Adversarial
If you get a call or a letter from an attorney, you will immediately go on defense. An attorney, no matter how agreeable, is in it for her client and not you. You know that. We all get uncomfortable when lawyers get involved. That’s because the legal system is adversarial. Your lawyer and her lawyer act somewhat as proxy warriors.
My approach is totally different. I want everybody to be satisfied with the solution. I want the business to come through the stress of a partnership rift without being pulled under in the battle. I want everyone to participate in the process. My process is not adversarial. It’s open, confidential (nothing anyone says will be used against them), and successful in that most situations can be resolved without expensive legal actions.
When I talk with you and eventually your partner, it will be to work things out. Taking “I’m out to defeat you” out of the mix makes finding agreement a lot easier.
You Deal with Me Alone
Because there are no lawyers involved, all parties work with just one person, me. That saves money as I said above, and it also cuts communication errors. When there are many people involved representing different parties, the process is slower and there is a greater chance of misunderstanding. If you agree to allow me the freedom to do my work, I can bring resolution to your partnership issue much faster and smoother. For example, if I ask for a meeting with you and your partner, it’s easy to set up. At the meeting, everyone may speak freely because I am not trying to build a legal case. Partners often tell me how therapeutic my work is. Have you ever heard that about working with lawyers?! (Note: I do work with attorneys. Often, I’ll make a draft of our agreements and then work with your attorney to create formal, legal documents. I might kid about lawyers but I do respect their position in the legal system.)
Rules of Engagement Are Different
If your situation is already tense and lawyers get involved, there are rules that strictly govern what can be said to whom. When a party is represented by counsel, you need to have your counsel communicate with his counsel. I can talk freely and confidentially with you and your partner(s). I do not release any insight that I collect in my process. Everything said by both parties is treated equally. Agreements can be reached when all parties can talk freely without fear of anything being used against them. People have expressed anger, hurt, and even dishonesty. Because they won’t be sued, they speak freely and things get fixed.
Why “TeachU”? I teach YOU how to fix problems and avoid future blowups.
My Client Is the Business
Most of the time, when someone calls about a partnership problem, they want a neutral party to mediate. I take a slightly different approach to mediation that I call ‘moderation’. With mediation, all parties agree to the decisions of the mediator. I moderate. We all get together and talk through problems. I offer solutions and the partners tune my suggestions to suit their needs. I moderate the discussion by keeping it on track and guiding you through to agreements.
You and your partner decide what you want rather than having an outside party make ‘rulings’. I only offer my opinion when asked. When people have a chance to heard without judgement, agreements can sprout up that were never previously considered.
Those are the 5 biggest reasons why you should call me if you have a partnership problem. I hope you will contact me before your partnership tension gets too big to work out. If it’s already beyond repair, I can help negotiate a buyout.
Chris Reich, TeachU
(530) 467-5690