My neighbour is a Paralympian. To be more acurate, my neighbour is an old Paralympian. From Atlanta '96 before lottery funding had taken hold, where training fitted around a full time job and fundraising to pay for the travel, accommodation and to purchase kit was the order of the day.
Total spectators for the Atlanta Paralympics was 388,000, compared to London 2012's 2.7m in ticket sales plus prime time coverage on Channel 4.
What's that got to do with anything? The wheelchair basketball team may not have medaled in Atlanta but that was just the start. Sue has spent much of her time since then involved in youth groups and sports teams around the North West, promoting the sport, coaching youngsters and supporting events.
For the delayed Tokyo games she was getting up in the middle of the night to cheer on the mens team as they won bronze. She was part of that achievement and had coached some of the team as young kids. She was partly responsible for their enthusiasm for the sport.
That is her lasting legacy.
What's your business legacy?
As a business owner, have you thought about the legacy you would like to leave?
It could be something simple like maintaining employment for your local area. It could be changing the world with the discovery of the next Graphene. It might be saving the planet in environmental ways. Or, if the business carries your family name, do you just hope that it doesn't get dragged through the mud by future owners.
Having a clear idea of the legacy you want to leave in your business means you can strategically plan to deliver it. Strong employment directives, procedures and guidelines could maintain the focus on local employment long after you have retired.
Having innovation at the heart of your business makes the likelihood of big discoveries more realistic.
Giving yourself time to plan your strategic exit from your business means you will have the flexibility to find the person who will continue to look after that brand.
To have a free and no obligation about how you can start planning for your strategic exit from your business, looking at legacy and many other aspects, please call me on 0161 393 6978.
Business Partnership is a national network of business brokers which has been operating since the mid 70s. Working alongside my husband, Paul, we operate mainly through Manchester and Cheshire. You…
