Stand Back to Grow: Make Your Business Work Without You (Unabridged‪)‬

This business novel is a story about Bob Bingham. He’s overwhelmed by running his small business. He works all hours – fixing production problems, designing special products, selling, keeping customers happy, and trying to manage his staff whom he considers mostly idiots.

As his company has grown, the bottom line has stagnated. He’s under pressure from a once-patient investor who now wants returns. A big customer has stopped paying bills. Stock control is poor, causing last-minute buying at high prices. Bob’s marriage is at risk. He’s gaining weight because of a lack of exercise.

He sees no way out and carefully plans to hang himself in his office late at night. But his total fatigue causes him to fall asleep before the final act.Aside from Lena, his operations manager, he feels that his staff are incompetent idiots who “just don’t understand”.

Totally overwhelmed, his attempted suicide fails. A half-hearted, unprepared attempt at a staff meeting is disastrous; Bob has an acute anxiety attack and is hospitalized for several days.

On his return, Lena comes to him with a list of issues, and Bob is frustrated that she hasn’t handled these herself. But she reminds him that she had tried in the past and Bob had become grouchy about it.With help from Moe Strickett, a straight-talking investor who also becomes his mentor, Bob begins to step back. He learns to delegate, install systems, document procedures, set up core values, implement KPI’s and train and involve staff. He learns that, far from being idiots, his staff have hidden talents and novel ideas.

Part way through Bob’s journey Moe had given him a challenge that in a year’s time Bob would be able to take Emily on a two-week vacation… Bob meets the challenge and on his return looks forward to a new business venture.