Barbara Braithwaite from Safe Swallowing Education shares her experiences from selling her first speech pathology practice.

@BarbaraBraithwaite is the principal #speechpathologist at @SafeSwallowingEducation in Sydney, and #founder of a couple of #smallbusinesses in or around #SpeechPathology. 

Barbara came into talk about her experience selling her first practice. In the episode we talk about;

• early-career guidance to steer her away from Accountancy and towards Speech Pathology
• her love of being able to empower a client whether a child through communication, or developing their literacy skills, or an adult improving their communication skills
• the positive influence from having  a father who owned his own business
• starting out in a #CommunityHealthCenter and struggling with the long wait for clients (up to five years)
• becoming pregnant with her first child, going on maternity leave, and using that opportunity to start my own private practice
• the source of her passion - #empoweringpeople, and #empoweringstaff
• her #onlineeducation program for #AgedCare staff about safe swallowing which is a massive issue in the elderly
• the impetus to sell her practice so she could devote more time to education
• hard, internal questions
  • "Should I sell my practice?"
  • "What should I do?"
  • "How can I still keep within the profession?"
• #mentoringstaff
• moving more into managing which enabled me to present the practice as a Speech Pathology practice that could continue to grow with or without me
• google searching to get the inside word on selling a business
• working with a #businessbroker
• deciding not to sell staff about the sale at the beginning for fear the whole thing falls through
• why her practice was like another child
• dealing with people inquiring about my business whose names she recognised  and learning to detach
• what happened in the year or so it took to sell
• working with a good buyer with intent and with credentials
• her advice to start putting things in place to sell while you have the energy
• the emotions
• the importance of really understanding the buyer's intentions
• why buyers will have a different plan for your business and how that translates to different values for your business

@kerrcapital

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Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.

michael.kerr@kerrcapital.com.au

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