Rough Air Ahead

About the Book

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Several years ago I was on a plane flying to Europe to work on building the distribution network for our family business. As we were flying over the Atlantic, I was finishing my dinner and watching the first movie of the flight when the pilot came on with a standard announcement that frequent fliers hear all the time: "Ladies and gentlemen, I have had to illuminate the 'fasten seat belt' sign because we are getting indications there will be some rough air ahead." I thought about that for a minute and the number of times I had heard that announcement over an aircraft PA system, and it struck me what an appropriate analogy it was for those operating their own small business. No matter where you fly, or what airline you fly, if you are in the air for any extended period of time you will hear that announcement. Every time you hear it that feeling of slight discomfort occurs—not panic or extreme stress, just slight discomfort and the thought that you hope this does not last long.

All small business owners, whether they are a one-man show, or they have hundreds of employees, are pre-occupied with the same challenge. How do they maximize the value of their business? Using the backdrop of the lifecycles of small business, the 40-year case history of our core family business, examples from other successful entrepreneurs, and my management techniques, Rough Air Ahead gives the small business owner the tool they need to start their business, grow their business, manage their business, and exit wealthy! This book will help all small business owners understand where their business is today, where it might be headed, and some of the challenges along the way.

About the Author

Vincent C. Lewis is the Founder and CEO of Rough Air Associates, LLC. Based in Dayton, Ohio Rough Air is a small business advisory group that focuses on helping small businesses manage their way to success. They do this through the Rough Air small business weblog—www.rough-air.com, their small business centers—a full service office incubator for small companies, venture-capital investment in technology start-ups, and business education.

Vince is the former president and CEO of Hyde Park Electronics, Inc of Dayton, Ohio. Under Vince's leadership Hyde Park grew to be the world's leading manufacturer of ultrasonic sensors. Hyde Park, a family business started by Vince's father-in-law, William R. Winger, was sold to Schneider Electric in 2003. Vince negotiated the sale and led the successful integration of Hyde Park into Schneider over the past few years. Having done more than $15,000,000 in deals in the last four years, Vince has created significant wealth for his family and his shareholders. His small business experience runs the gamut from dealing with start-up businesses, exit strategies, succession planning, acquisitions, business valuations, and strategic planning.

Vince grew up in Vandalia, Ohio. He received his BA from Western Kentucky University in Public Relations, his MA from Antioch University in Management, and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School's OPM program.

Vince and his best friend and wife Wendy reside in Oakwood, Ohio with their two daughters, Michelle and Megan, their golden-retriever, Belle and their three cats, Micro, Sonic, and Lenore.