Why every person in business is important

In 1992, Bill Gates quoted in Forbes Magazine: 

“Take our 20 best people away, and I will tell you that Microsoft will become an unimportant company.”

What separates Microsoft from other companies is not its product, but its people.

The second quote on the same theme comes from Rupert Murdoch in the second of his series of Boyer Lectures in November 2008, in the midst of the worst global economic crisis in 100 years.

The subtitle of our book on Employee Share Ownership Plans and the Peak Performance Trust – Build It – is a simple question, “What would it mean to your business if your employees were as committed to achieving success as you are?”

We have been doing a lot of work with businesses looking to implement an employee share plan and scheme or profit share scheme in their business. Why? Because they recognise the importance of their people and the need to have them involved in the business at a higher level than just as an employee. This approach benefits both employee and employer and where it has been implemented successfully, immediate benefits result. In example, decrease in sick days being the most easily attainable and obvious measure of the change in attitude and approach.

As business owners, we rarely have sick days. If we can have our employees thinking and acting like business owners, this change in behaviour alone is worth a fortune to most business owners.

Get in touch with us to find out if an Employee Share Ownership Plan will work for your business.

Dr Craig West

Founder & Chairman | Succession Plus

Dr Craig West is a strategic accountant who has over 20 years of experience advising business owners.

With a background as an accountant in practice and two master’s degrees, Craig formed a strong view that the majority of business owners (and often their advisers) were unprepared and unaware of the steps required to prepare for exit. He then designed and documented a unique 21-Step Business Succession and Exit Planning process to assist owners and their advisers in navigating this process.

Craig now acts as a strategic business and financial mentor for mid-market business owners. Craig has written four critically acclaimed books educating business owners on employee incentives, succession planning, asset protection, and exit strategies. Additionally, he has completed doctoral research on Employee Share Ownership Plans (ESOPs) for succession.

Craig is a Member of the Forbes Business Council where he leverages his extensive experience to contribute valuable insights on helping business leaders navigate the complexities of growing and exiting their businesses.

In April 2024, the Exit Planning Institute admitted Craig to the International Exit Planning Circle of Excellence.