The Owner to Owner Podcast

Russell Spokes and his wife ran Maggie's Kitchen successfully for well over 20 years out of a shopfront in Queenscliff, Victoria. That was their third business. In our discussion Russell talks openly about some of the high's and low's that come with owning small businesses. He also talks in detail about the process he and his wife went through to decide how they were going to tightly control their exit, and why that was so important to them. They considered selling but knew this could delay their personal plans for life post-business. They are out now and happy with the decision they made. It's an enlightening discussion on making your business work for you and knowing when enough is enough.

Anthony Bendoricchio talks about how this iconic Melbourne coffee brand got started and what it means to him and his loyal customers. Mario's Coffee House isn't just another cafe! Anthony had begun planning the sale of the business (and real estate), well before the onset of Covid19.  C19 has had a devastating impact on many businesses and owners, including Anthony and others like him who were planning to sell. Listen in to hear him talk openly about his personal approach to building this business and his hopes for the next phase in the life of the Mario's Coffee House brand. 

James Murphy is a business and social entrepreneur and the founder of the Kere Kere group (www.kerekere.org). James has managed to align his personal values with business purpose to create 3 very successful hospitality businesses. But as is the case for all owners there is a time to 'move on'. In this episode we discuss how he got started but also how he managed to successfully exit (sell) 2 of the businesses at the right time for him while also preserving the essence of what he created under new ownership. As a 2 time, successful seller he has some highly valuable tips and advice for other owners thinking of selling!     

The key to sustaining regional economies is to have viable small businesses. But just because it's viable doesn't mean the owner of the business will want to be there forever. At some point, they will want to retire, travel or just do something different. Carolyn Fryer went back to Fish Creek with a plan to retire to her new farm. But before she got farming she saw a key local business for sale. It was a bit tired but Carolyn knew how vital it was for it to be successful. She had plenty of previous business experience so she parked her retirement and bought it, then improved it and then eventually sold it. The local community is better off as a result. Listen in to hear Carolyn talk about her personal experience along with the tips she has for other regional owners and communities. 

Is the opportunity to significantly grow revenue and increase profits always a good thing? What if it came just when as you started to think about retiring? As attractive as the opportunity might have been it created a whole lot more stress and anxiety for experienced small business operators Helen and Colin Legg. They thought selling was the only way out. Turns out it wasn't. In discussion with Michael Kerr from www.kerrcapital.com.au they talk about how they prepared for selling, but ended keeping the business, complete with a great management team, who ran the business for them. 

Coles Bay, the picturesque town on the Freycinet Peninsula in Tasmania, is where Sandra Kain started and ran her very successful  2 small businesses for 26 years. In this episode, Sandra shares her very personal insights on the process of starting and then, eventually, selling. Unfortunately, selling took a whole lot longer than she planned. It was frustrating and she knows now this will be the case for many other regional small business owners. In discussion with Michael Kerr from www.kerrcapital.com.au she offers her very personal insights and practical tips to help other owners avoid the same issues she faced so they can more quickly get on with their retirement.