My first business was a thriving public accounting office, built over 5 years. A young friend of mine was struggling to pass his final exams to qualify as a chartered accountant (CPA). I invited him to join my business where he would get a broader range of experience than he was getting from a national…
Read more
Picture if you will: a woman, working in a stainless-steel kitchen, working with butter, infusing it with herbs and packaging it in small, stylish packages for sale in specialty stores and at farmers markets under the label Gourmet Butter. An agent of the government walks in “I’m closing you down because you are making butter…
Read more
As the cabin attendant came toward our seats a thought came unbidden to me. Who is she? What is her story? What are her dreams and aspirations? I tried to picture her at home on Christmas morning, relaxed and surrounded by loved ones, instead of here at 35,000 feet efficiently looking after her passengers. I…
Read more
Some years ago I was watching a film about a photographer from National Geographic. The program was about how he did his work, he selected the shot through his viewfinder, aware each shot could be the picture that defines his career. Early in the film, this man said something that struck a cord for me.…
Read more
Every November I give special thought to my parents. Both, in their own way, fought the Nazis in the Second World War; my father as a bomber pilot in the Royal Air Force, my mother as a teenager in Nazi-occupied Norway. My father flew 69 missions, including flying through the Battle of Britain. He was…
Read more
I have found myself wondering, in recent weeks, what my thought process would be if I was an executive in the sports complex at Penn State University, when emails about Jerry Sandusky’s activities arrived in my inbox. Would “winning” be the only thing? Our society seems to easily confuse winning and losing with right and…
Read more
Shortly before my father died, at the age of 80, I asked him why he and my mother had decided to up-root the family and move with their four sons to Canada from Edinburgh. His response was immediate, if he didn’t do it two sons would make the move and he didn’t want the family…
Read more
My father told me you can’t have progress without friction. When I go to the trusty Thesaurus (that is only a click away when I am writing my blog) there are many synonyms for “friction” including: resistance, abrasion, hostility, antagonism, conflict, strife. If you’re leading a family business these words would seem to be terms…
Read more
The Logo There is a story, quoted in James E Hughes “Family Wealth: Keeping It in the Family” that I like. Marshall Lyautey, was one of Napoleon’s greatest generals. General Lyautey was famous for having the most beautiful gardens in France. One day as he and his head gardener were looking over the estate and…
Read more
I stood Saturday evening beside a Salvation Army Kettle in a big shopping center in Niagara. I was there as a volunteer from my Kiwanis Club to assist the Salvation Army with their traditional Christmas fund raiser. It’s fun to watch the people go by, and to thank the ones who stop and put their…
Read more
At Copper Beech Company, we believe that planning for the future helps create the future you want. We help clients identify goals and we care about the results our clients achieve. Whether the goals are improving financial position, growing the business, transitioning management and ownership. Helping Clarify goals, plan the route and holding the client accountable for achieving the milestones along the way is how we bring value to the engagement.
