Business Tips by Chris Reich
Tips from growing a business to dealing with disputes
How a Mediator Can Help Your Family Business
As Moderator to many family businesses, I have helped with succession planning, compensation planning, and resolving of key questions around the operation of the enterprise. It can be difficult for an adult offspring to talk with Dad about a raise.
What Makes a Contract Legal and Binding?
As you see, a contract can be legal yet not binding. And, the most important take away is that a promise, even if written up and signed, is not binding. If an agreement is not binding, it isn’t enforceable. I assume you want your agreements between you and your partner(s) to be legal, binding, and enforceable. Let’s look at the pieces that must be included to make a valid, binding contract.
The Best Tool for Successful Negotiation
Before I give you the secret to easier and successful negotiation, let me explain a few things that don’t work. In fact, these will work against you. From years of watching people negotiate buying or selling, trying to change processes, or reaching general agreement, I have seen what works and what doesn’t when partners are negotiating with each other.
Problems in the Partnership? Fix the Communication
I’ve found a common problem with communication when I’m conducting mediation meetings. People always think they know what the other party is thinking. They’ll say things like, “I know Bill won’t like this, but I think…” Opening your thoughts with that sort of lead in is going to put ‘Bill’ on edge before you even make your point. Never start by negatively setting the stage. So then, how should you start a conversation about a hard subject? In this post I’ll give you the 7 steps to conduct less tense and more fruitful meetings with your business partner.
The Most Important Clause in Your Operating Agreement
To be fair, many Operating Agreements have at least minimal language regarding a Partner’s voluntary exit from the Partnership. But, most of the time, those clauses are so vague they make the situation worse.
Can You Be You with Your Business Partner?
Partnerships are much like romantic relationships. When it’s all new and exciting, we can easily become infatuated to the point of overlooking differences. After all, don’t the differences make the partnership stronger? Sometimes. Most often differences magnify with time and become triggers to arguments. As time goes by, the differences you ignored become important. What do you do when the differences break the partnership?
I Want to go Gordon Ramsay Sometimes!
Sometimes, in Partnership Mediations, people will dig into very irrational positions. And sometimes, when there is tension in a partnership, as a professional mediator, I can see an easy solution. When disputants won’t do simple things to protect their business, it makes me want to scream!
5 Tips for Successful Buyout Negotiations
My business partner and I can no longer work together. We’ve tried to talk about a buyout—I want to buy him out—but it always leads to an argument. Do you have any suggestions for conducting buyout talks that don’t turn into an argument? Read these tips to conduct Buyout negotiations without tension.
Make a Succession Plan for the Family Business
Family Business Succession Planning: Make a definite plan. How will they support the parents and when can they take charge. That’s what they want.
10 Tips to Conduct a Successful Partnership Buyout
Before I offer you my tips on conducting the buyout negotiations with your partner, let me offer a big piece of advice. Use a Mediator. I say that because there is a LOT of emotion around buyouts. It is an extremely personal and emotional process. People always underestimate just how emotional separating from a business is.
6 Steps to Deal With a High Conflict (Bully) Business Partner
The High Conflict Business Partner AKA the Bully is the most difficult type of person to deal with. Here are 6 Tips to help you deal with the Bully Partner.
5 Red Flags That Say Your Business Partnership is in Trouble
Business partnerships can be a fantastic way to pool resources and knowledge in order to create a successful enterprise. However, even the most well-intentioned partnerships can break down if certain warning signs are ignored. In this post, I will point out the 5 red flags that should never be ignored when you see them in your business partnership and provide you with guidance on how to deal with them.
Plan for the Day a Partner Wants to Leave the Business
If you have read my other posts, you know I strongly encourage people who form Partnerships to create a Partnership Agreement. The document must specify how a Partner can leave the Partnership voluntarily while ensuring that the business is protected from two potential disasters: firstly, by avoiding terms that could bankrupt the business, and secondly, by preventing the admission of unplanned Partners.
7 Reasons to Be Extra Nice in a Partnership Mediation
When partners seek mediation to resolve conflicts or disputes, it is important that they approach the process with a civil and respectful attitude. Partnership mediation is a non-adversarial way of resolving disputes, and it requires cooperation and collaboration from both parties.
Succession Planning in Family Business
Let’s look at how to plan for the next generation of your family to run your business. It’s never too early to make a succession plan and the earlier you start, the more options you have.
How to Escape Your Business Partnership
How do I get out of my partnership? And, it’s the biggest reason I am always ranting about having a Partnership Agreement. Without a Partnership Agreement, your options are very limited. You accept anything your partner is willing to give you, or you can dissolve the business.
Don’t Risk the Money You Put Into Your Partnership
Somebody puts up money with someone who agrees to contribute labor as their contribution to an equal Partnership. Once things are set up, and a lot of money is spent, the other Partner fails to perform, and the troubles begin. I get 2-3 calls like this every week.
Your Business Partner Keeps Taking Money from the Bank Account
Partners take advantage of partners every day and they get away with it. It is the most painful call I get. It sounds like this, “I put all the money I had into starting our business. My partner had bad credit and no money, but he promised to do all the work to get the business going.