The Family Business.
I never really thought much about that for myself. My parents were musicians. My husband is clergy. I’m an artist. Not a common thread of business in there!
But many of my closest friends did grow up in a family business. Entrepreneur parents modeled a unique pathway for my Uncle Peter (printing), my childhood best friend Allison Butler (dairy distribution), and my high school bestie Brandie Dixon (manufacturing).
Sometimes they worked for them, sometimes they had to work for someone else first, and sometimes the businesses were sold, but the idea of The Family Business always felt far away to me.
Until this spring. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program changed my perspective on what is possible for my own family business. (I am now a halfway through the intensive ‘MBA for your business in just 3 months!) Like so many opportunities, I had no idea what I had really signed up for, but they said they could help my business grow to create new jobs. That sounded like a community building kind of plan!
So I joined a group of 34 small business owners across Iowa, and the very first assignment was to create our exit strategy. Wait. What?
I am saving for retirement now, but I arrived to that game late in life. I had no Exit Strategy for Katherine McClure Photography! I don’t even have my husband on board to actually retire when we hit the traditional retirement age! (Pastors.)
So, I sat down and mapped out our kids, their ages, when they would be graduating high school, when they could legally be working for me, etc. (Yes, I was nauseous actually looking at these things.)
But a beautiful thing emerged. An exit strategy that didn’t just help me leave my business someday, but could help me launch each child into their adult life. A plan to bring them in part-time, train them with skills that apply across industries, help them save toward their own goals, and then move on to whatever life has for them.
And if they don’t all leave my industry… well, we could truly have a Family Business. It doesn’t just have to be a launch for them, but a real possible future creating artwork just like their momma.
But first steps first!
Lorien is officially working for me part-time! Help me welcome her when you see her in the studio helping unload your car, out on location helping me with lighting, or all by herself cleaning and organizing (Hallelujah!) It will be another ten years before Vivian joins our staff, but we are in love with these images of the McClure girls by Amy Doerring Photography!
Celebrate with us this small step toward what will eventually bring new part-time and full-time employment opportunities to my little town, and a variety of new services to our clients in Central Iowa and beyond.
Maybe a family business is not so far away after all.
With joy,
Kat