Family business

Richard Sharpe

How many family members in your business?
Today we have 3, back in 2004 we had 12 and 3 generations working in the business

What is your role in the family business?
Governance, advocacy, stewardship

Who is a major influence for you in the family business? Why?
My Grandfather, he was a visionary innovator and changed with the market, generally ahead of the market changing

What keeps you up at night?
Exciting new innovation, today we patent and build our own machines that get the job done quicker, safer and save on costs

What’s the key benefit of your FBA membership?
Alternative dispute resolution, meeting like minded people, and my priceless Forum Group that meets 10 times a year 🙂

[/special_functionality_column][special_functionality_column lg=”6″ md=”6″ sm=”6″ xs=”12″ ]Family Business Adviser

Michelle Hartman
Partner
Deloitte Private

Business services description
We’re a specialist group within Deloitte that seeks to be the advisor of choice in Australia for private businesses, high net worth individuals and the mid-market. At Deloitte Private, we take a personal approach when working with our clients, and uniquely combine a strong heritage of expertise with the strength of a globally competitive firm

Website: www.deloitte.com.au

How long have you been working with family businesses? 
Many years.  I grew up in a family business, and like many families in business, our lives revolved around the business.  I have been working with family businesses with Deloitte for 9 years.

What’s one of the most common mistakes you see in family businesses?
Communication can be a challenge because of the family dimension. Conflict often occurs where communication fails and as a result the family members involved may be less motivated. This can have an impact on the business performance

What is your “uh ha” moment with your clients?
Working with a client to help solve a problem –  when we have considered all options: weighed up the benefits, risks and commercial outcomes, had some robust discussions and together we have the ‘ah ha’ moment when the solution becomes apparent.
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