From the Blog: Recovering from a loss

Before my current job, I worked for a very small software house (90-94). There were about a dozen of us, on four sites, spread across most of England. I only met the owner once, when he interviewed me. About a week after I started he was diagnosed with a brain tumour from which he never recovered. He survived for almost exactly a year, but never had any significant input into the company. Fortunately he'd negotiated a very good contract which gave us a breathing space of about two years, but after that the company went downhill rapidly, eventually ending in bankruptcy when we stopped paying the accountants. (I'd actually left by then, but my pension plan still has the scars!)

I suspect that my advice (which I would have great difficulty in following) would be to have a 'number 49 bus plan' in from the day I took o my first employee. "What would happen to X if I got run over by a bus on my way home tonight?" It's difficult enough to have a decent succession plan in a large company. With a smaller company it's almost impossible, but so much more necessary.

Shane, that probably doesn't help much, but it might help to know that others have been in this position. You seem to be much better prepared than we were.

I'd also like to express my sympathy and condolences to you. As I said, I only met our owner once, but the sight of my immediate boss, a six-foot four rugby second row forward, with tears streaming down his cheeks as he told us has never left me.

Steve