Taming the transition

Tonya Giles and her father, Jack Fisher, hadn't prepared for him to retire as early as he did in 1995. But his heart condition changed their plans. "We weren't done working our way into retirement," she says of taking over as manager of the shop. "It was very emotional. I had to stay on task and focused." Part of the task at hand was finding an estimator to take her place while she took on the larger responsibility of running the shop. "Ultimately, I had to let certain members of the staff know that I am in charge," she says. "It's been kind of a work in progress." Some tips for coping include the following:

* You've got to keep your personal feelings and business separate. "Business is business," she says. It only makes things worse if you can't make the sacrifice of shutting off your feelings when making business decisions. "My father worked so hard building this business," she says. "I have to make it work."

* Hire a good estimator/shop foreman to make your life easier. Tonya relied on recommendations that came from those she worked with in Direct Repair Programs (DRPs). "It seemed like a good match," she says of the person she hired. "He's been with me for a couple of years."

* Keep in touch and keep on learning. "My father drops by from time to time," she says. "I'm glad he does." She listens to his advice and attends industry events to stay up to date.

* Don't underestimate the importance of the entire staff. "I hired them all myself," she says of her current staff. Although employees' tenure ranges from two months to 12 years, all are equally important. "I can do everything up here, but if they don't follow through out there, it won't work. We're all a team."

* Begin with the end in mind. Whether you believe in fate or put your stock in planning for the future, consider what direction you want things to take when it's finally your turn to pass on the family business.