It’s 5:46 am, and I haven’t slept a wink all night. Sleepless nights aren’t unique and I don’t suspect the mere mention of me having one is cause for empathy, but the reason behind this lack of peaceful slumber is noteworthy.
Sales at Branded Logistics are brisk – we’re in the midst of an ERP implementation and its consuming time and resources to the point that the team is running with engines wide open to keep orders going out the door on time and complete while managing thru what, at times, is a mind-numbing experience to get the new system operational and our people sufficiently trained to make the transition to our new (and vastly improved) internal process. You can only run wide-open for so long before someone burns out and we don’t want what should be an improvement to the business to negatively affect our team in the short-run – we’re reaching the threshold point where we have to implement, launch, and move on.
The rapid evolution of PromoCares and the associated work-load that goes along with that journey is a full-time job in and of itself. Sourcing stories, keeping the promotional products industry up to speed on our progress and course-correcting with the multitude of giving souls participating in the stewardship of the movement requires focused dedication and effort. It’s a labor of love for me, but nonetheless the requirements of the job would more than cover the daily activities of a full-time employee should the opportunity to staff the role occur. In the meantime, I’m doing everything in my power to honor our objective with the requisite amount of time and effort necessary to keep what we’re doing on track.
Our family business has grown rapidly – so much so that I find myself considering making our first full time hire. It’s a challenging decision and one our family doesn’t take lightly. We’ve built something that could provide generational opportunities for our family, and a misstep at this stage of the businesses growth could set us back in ways we’re concerned we’d have to work even harder to recover from.
A legacy business I’ve built with a partner has reached an inflection point, and the most appropriate answer appears to be finding a buyer – something I’ve never done before. Not only am I unsure how to structure the true value of the business, I’ve never sourced a potential buyer for a business before and am not exactly clear on the best method to do so.
Most people associate sleepless nights with worry. Most of the time, worry and lack of sleep go hand-in-hand. As I anticipate the sunrise this morning, however, I’m not burdened with worry, but more importantly, the desire to set the appropriate path that accommodates each of the needs as articulated above in a way that ensures customers are happy, employees are happy, and my family and I remain the happy bunch we are traditionally known to be.
All of us are faced with a night absent any real sleep from time to time. What’s most important in moments like those is to come to a conclusion about whatever it is stealing your most precious resources (time and sleep) and determine a path forward. Decisions won’t make themselves, and even if your choices aren’t exactly correct (they never are), deciding on a course of action you can live with often is the fastest path back to a restful night.
Roger has spent 20+ years making complex concepts more understandable for both buyers and sellers alike, and has devoted the majority of his recent career to writing and executing sales and marketing plans for early and mid-stage businesses. He is a student of organizational behavior and the disciplines successful selling organizations use to achieve the greatest reach, even in instances of scarce resources. He loves the outdoors and seeks memorable experiences whenever possible. Contact Roger at roger@branded-logistics.com or 810-986-5369