QFF A Director and Owner at Rodgers Reidy, with 19+ years of experience in corporate and personal restructuring; now helping small-medium business owners overcome financial distress while not having to be alone. (Shelley Brooks)

In this week's QFF episode, Michael interviews Shelley Brooks, a registered liquidator, director, and owner at Rodgers Reidy. She's based in lovely Hobart, Australia. Shelley's a seasoned corporate and personal restructuring veteran; she's been in the industry for about 19 years and counting. During those 19 years, she gained exposure to a variety of industries facing financial difficulties.

Small-medium business owners are as fallible as everyone else. They are susceptible to falling into a financial bind, especially when outside factors like COVID are involved, a mean pandemic that struck in 2020 and put financial distress on almost all business owners. It can be hard for them to bravely tread these stormy waters. The good thing is, they don't have to do it alone. For 19 years, Shelley has successfully helped small-medium business owners who are on the brink of bankruptcy through corporate and personal restructuring; designing arrangements to return to a state of commercial viability, and getting the business back on its feet.

Throughout Shelley's 19 years worth of experience, as a recommendation based on her knowledge and expertise in her area, she heavily emphasized the importance of small-medium business owners who are stretched thin to be brave and reach out, ask someone for advice sooner rather than later, instead of sticking their heads in the sand. Topping it all off by saying, "A fresh set of eyes can be your saving grace."

This Cast Covers:

• The condition of being in financial difficulty.
• Shelley's 19 years of experience in corporate and personal restructuring.
• Financial distress has major implications for business owners' mental health.
• Taking action on the situation immediately before it's too late.
• How the ATO (Australian Tax Office) affects small-medium business owners.
• A formal restructuring process to rehabilitate the business.
• Possible reasons why a business is under financial distress.
• The ins and outs of rehabilitating a business under financial distress.
• Different classifications of corporate restructuring.
• Ensuring the return of business viability.

Links:

• Shelley's Linkedin

Additional Resources:

• Corporate Debt Restructuring in Emerging Markets: A Practical Post-Pandemic Guide by Richard Marney, Timothy Stubbs

Quotes:

"If people put their heads in the sand for too long and don't come in and seek any help, they might find that it's too late." — Shelley Brooks.

"It doesn't matter what people think, what the public thinks, what your friends think; you're actually doing the right thing." — Shelley Brooks.

"For directors of a company in particular, because the idea of a company structure is to try and protect your own assets." — Shelley Brooks.

"You might be great at building houses, but it doesn't mean you're great at doing finances." — Shelley Brooks.

"A fresh set of eyes can be your saving grace." — Shelley Brooks.