CASE STUDY - TRICIA HUNTER, Minerva People Limited
Tricia Hunter turned to the Positive Action Club for advice on how to ensure the smooth exit and retirement of a founding partner of her training and recruitment company Minerva People Limited, and the introduction of her son Andrew as a director.
Tricia and her founding partner had worked as colleagues for more than 20 years and founded the Dumfries-based business in 1999. In 2007, she began withdrawing from the business, working four days a week, reducing this to three days in 2009, and finally retiring in March 2010.
Tricia joined a year-long Positive Action Club in Glasgow in June 2009 that consisted of a recruitment company, a construction firm, a surveying business, and an architect's practice.
Tricia admits she runs her business from her heart not her head. She and her founding partner did not have a single falling out in all their time working together, and Tricia was determined to keep the relationship perfect right until the end, and to also have a smooth succession with her son entering the company.
"I know that I am too generous in everything I do, and being with the group challenged me on everything I did and helped me look at what I was doing more from a business perspective," she said.
Tricia bought out her founding partner's shares and introduced her own son Andrew as her new director.
"My loyalty was absolutely to her," said Tricia. "I was used to sharing everything with her but I also had to consult my son. It was an ideal time for me to be join the Positive Action Club and being with such a diverse group of businesses and also to find that regardless of their size, they had some similar issues and concerns.
"When bringing up my family it was good to be around people who had similar aged children as we went through the various stages and there was always empathy, understanding and support. I obtained the exact same experience and support in the Positive Action Club but on this occasion dealing with a particular stage in my business.
"There would be many business situations I couldn't open up to my family and friends, whereas in the Positive Action Club it was the right place, at the right time with honest, frank discussions meaning I could really air my concerns with them.
"They asked very probing questions and dug into issues that I wasn't seeing. You left every meeting with some positive action points and felt obliged to carry them out so you wouldn't let your comrades down. It was a very rewarding experience that I would recommend to others."