The Ghost of Business Future (Why We Get Ebenezer Scrooge Wrong)

Its beginning to look a bit like ... 'Bah, Humbug!'

December has a specific weight to it, doesn’t it? As business owners, we reach this time of year often running on fumes. We have spent the last twelve months putting out fires, managing people, and chasing cash flow.

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For those of us with children, young or older, the task of juggling the season and its additional expectations, always seems to fall to the shoulders of busy people.

We are all tired.

So, the last thing you probably want right now is a lecture. If you saw ‘Financial Planning’ or ‘Life Insurance’ in a blog title this close to Christmas, you likely prepared yourself for a lecture on mortality tables, statistical risks or the affordability of life insurance premiums that can be paid from a super fund.

A Re-introduction

But let's put that aside and instead, in the spirit of the season, I want to re-introduce you to a colleague of ours. A small business owner named ‘Ebenezer’.

For many folks, we grew up thinking Ebenezer Scrooge was a villain - a miser who hated Christmas - the original 'Grinch' if you like. We see the nightcap and the scowl, and we judge his greed. But looking at him through the lens of a small business owner, I see something different.

• I don't see a villain. I see a man who was traumatised by scarcity.
• I see a man who worked every holiday, not because he was greedy, but because he was terrified that if he stopped, even for a moment, the whole empire would crumble.

Scrooge wasn’t evil; he was burnt out. He was the original ‘overachiever’ entrepreneur who forgot why he started building in the first place.

He was isolated by the grind and terrified of letting go. He made the classic mistake that so many of us make: he believed he was the only thing holding the walls up.

So, borrowing a page from Mr. Dickens, I have written a short story for you. It is a bit of rhyme, a bit of truth, and a gentle reminder of what we’re actually protecting.

A Visit from the Spirit of Unfinished Business

Imagine, if you will, a scene not unlike the counting houses of 1843, in the time of Charles Dickens - the business office of Scrooge & Marley Accountants, though perhaps today, the ledger is now a laptop and the quill a smartphone.

The office was silent, the staff had gone home,
But the owner sat there, still glued to his phone.
The world outside bustled with laughter and cheer,
But he couldn’t join in; he was captive to fear.

"The margins!" he muttered, rubbing his eyes,
"The payroll, the BAS taxes, the vendor supplies!"
He wasn’t a miser, he wasn’t quite mean,
He was just a machine, fed by caffeine.

He’d built this whole business with sweat and with grit,
But he was the fuel that was keeping it lit.
"If I step away," he thought with a dread,
"The business will falter, the ledger run red."

Just then, the room chilled, the air turned quite thin,
And a Spirit (of sorts) came wandering in.
It wasn't a ghost with a chain or a moan,
It looked like a lawyer, speaking in monotone.
"I’m the Ghost of the Future," the Spirit declared,
"Of the Unfinished Business for which you’re unprepared."

The owner looked on as the scene came to life,
He saw his confused and panic-struck wife.
The bank froze the accounts, the vendors lost trust,
The empire he built was turning to dust.
Not for lack of profit, or lack of demand,
But because the Foundation was built on one man.

The Spirit looked kind, and lowered his head,
"You gave them your profits, but left them with dread.
To truly protect them, to secure what is theirs,
You must build a safety net that catches their cares."

The owner awoke with a gasp and a start,
A new understanding etched in his heart.
He picked up a pen, not to check on a cost,
But to sign a new deal so nothing was lost.
An agreement that said, "If I’m not here to guide,
There’s a safety net waiting right by their side."

The Morning After

When we read The Dickens classic Christmas tale, A Christmas Carol, the joy comes from the redemption - the moment Scrooge wakes up from his ghostly dream and realises he still has time; time to focus more on who he is working to protect and provide for, time to choose to reconnect with loved ones and to tweak, and refocus, his priorities.

Real wealth isn't just the profit in the general ledger. It is the foundation you build underneath it. It’s knowing the people you love - and the future you’ve worked for -are secure, no matter what the New Year brings.

Perhaps Ebenezer Scrooge wasn’t so greedy; he was simply unprotected and the weight of his indecision and procrastination robbed him of a security of a quiet mind.

The most powerful business move you can make is ensuring your legacy can stand on its own. That is what business continuity and life insurances really are. They aren't about death; they are about predicting life. They are the agreement that says the show will go on, the family will be safe, and the empire will not turn to dust.

A Holiday Wish for the Weary Business Owner

Don't let the ghosts of 'What If' haunt your holidays. This season, I encourage you to disconnect. Turn off the phone. Ignore the emails, play with the kids, chase the dog and hold the hand of your partner.

Remind yourself of who - or what - is most important to you.

Whether you hug them, kiss them, or pet them. (The dogs, that is) .

Enjoy the moment completely. Let us worry about the 'what ifs.'  When you're ready we'll be there to help build that safety net, so you can finally put down the pen, close the general ledger, and sleep soundly at night.

Merry Christmas, Friends. Merry Christmas Everyone

Drew Browne
Small Business Advocate & Risk Specialist

Drew Browne is a specialty Financial Risk Advisor working with Small Business Owners & their Families, Dual Income Professional Couples, and diverse families. He's an award-winning writer, speaker, financial adviser and business strategy mentor. His business Sapience Financial Group is committed to using business solutions for good in the community. In 2015 he was certified as a B Corp., and in 2017 was recognised in the inaugural Australian National Businesses of Tomorrow Awards. Today he advises Small Business Owners and their families, on how to protect themselves, from their businesses.  He writes for successful Small Business Owners and Industry publications. You can read his Modern Small Business Leadership Blog here. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.  Any information provided is general advice only and we have not considered your personal circumstances. Before making any decision on the basis of this advice you should consider if the advice is appropriate for you based on your particular circumstance.