Sally Wright, Wongwibinda Pastoral Co

'When we decided that, as a family, we needed to employ David Duffy to work with us we knew things were not quite right and we wanted to make some changes.  We knew we had a lot of talents within the family but we were not planning or meshing together to get the lifestyle and the future that we wanted.  We really didn't know exactly what we wanted or needed to change but we knew that change was necessary.

We weren't working efficiently. Our income and savings were still not exactly where we wanted them. One of our sons had recently come back into the business and we wanted to create a situation where he and his partner could flourish. We have 2 other children and we want them to flourish as well and to feel they are treated fairly. We were not happy with our succession plan and we needed to know what the children felt about our future and theirs.  We wanted to set up a system that would endeavour to meet every family member's needs and not create disharmony. We could see all around us evidence of family disasters that could have been avoided with a bit of communication and planning.

We had met David in his role as a facilitator for EDGE Management and felt he would suit our family as a change initiator and we feel certain now that we made the right choice for us.

I'd like to say that, since our weekend with David,  it's all sorted and we're running a top notch business on our way to a perfect retirement with 3 successful happy children doing exactly what they want.  But of course it's not quite like that.  We still have a lot of work to do but we believe David has at least set us on the right path - and perhaps if we'd done all the homework he's given us we'd be even further along the path.

The first thing I can say about the actual weekend is that it was fun. It felt a bit like Christmas because everyone was home - only better because the focus was on the brain not the stomach!  There were hard parts because we had a few issues that had to be dealt with, but with David's help we at least got most things out on the table and now - 6 months later- communication is much better and we know what we're working towards and why.

During the weekend we covered many things:

• We learnt about each other's personalities, which has helped us to understand other family members better, and outlined how we can communicate better with each other.
• David worked with Edward and I on our current financial position and business structure.
• The whole family explored our visions and goals, as a family as well as on an individual basis. This provided an excellent basis for future planning.
• We looked at the costings of our visions, and had a preliminary discussion on how they could be integrated into our current busiiness structure.
• The three working family members had a session on the day-to-day operations and management of our business, which included discussions on Roles and Responsibilities, Communication, Timelines, Stategic and Operational Meetings and general planning tools and mechanisms.

As a result of the weekend we feel that we are much closer as a family. We understand more where each other is coming from, and are more empathic with each others' challenges. This has enabled us to begin working more effectively as a team towards a future that each family members wants, as they have had input into the decision. We are excited with the prospect of working towards a bright future for ourselves and our children, and reaping the rewards with a high sense of satisfaction.'

Sally Wright
Wongwibinda Pastoral Co
Ph: 2 6775 8528
November 2002

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Peter Scott, Scott's Parts Plus

"At some stage in the life of a growing business you need a David Duffy.

David's expertise is a valuable tool and his professional approach has been most beneficial to me, my 54 year old business and the future planning for both identities.

David is able to look into your business from the outside and can clearly identify things that are sometimes unable to be seen from within. David understands the success of strategies and succession planning in a business and has a basic approach to implementing the necessary steps towards this rewarding goal.

I look at David's advice as a business investment, and sometimes wonder how I could have done without it.

Thank you David."

Peter Scott
Scott's Parts Plus
March 2005

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