Business Education

Help! My Dad Retired from the Family Business Years Ago but Still Tries to Run It and It’s Causing a Lot of Problems

It can be difficult when a parent retires from their job within the family business but continues to act as if they are still in charge. They may make unnecessary demands or try to micro-manage things that are no longer their responsibility. This can cause tension and conflict among other family members who are trying to run the business smoothly. If you find yourself in this situation, it is important to set boundaries and communicate effectively with your parent. So, let’s discuss some tips for how to do that.

The “Unable to Let Go” Syndrome

Some people, be it a father, mother, or even another family member, who’s worked for long periods of time in a family business regard the company as part of their identity. It’s simply part of who they are and therefore, it’s not easy to walk away. It becomes even more difficult when handing the operation over to children, who don’t have all their years of experience.

One of the most agonizing experiences that any business faces is moving from one generation of top management to the next. The problem is often most acute in family businesses, where the original entrepreneur hangs on as he watches others try to help manage or take over his business, while at the same time, his heirs feel overshadowed and frustrated. Paralleling the stages of family power are stages of company growth or of stagnation, and the smoothness with which one kind of transition is made often has a direct effect on the success of the other. —Harvard Business Review

Unsurprisingly, this can easily lead to a father, mother, aunt, uncle, or even a cousin to hang around. Perhaps to the extent that he or she still continues to “run” the business, without the permission of their successors. He or she may make promises, enter into deals, or offer discounts that undermine the new authority of their successive family member(s). Of course, this can cause resentment, anger, frustration, and might also be the cause of unnecessary fighting and/or financial trouble.

How to Deal with a Parent Who Keeps Interloping in a Family Business After Retiring

Fortunately, if you’re in a situation where one or more of your family members has retired but still continues to interlope in the family business, there are steps you can take. First, you need to have a discussion with your parent about their role in the business now that they are retired. It is important to be respectful yet firm in this conversation. Explain to them that while you value their opinion, they need to respect the fact that you are now running the business. This means that they should not try to make decisions or give orders without consulting with you first. You may also want to set some ground rules about how often they can come into the office or participate in business meetings. It is also important to stay calm and avoid getting into arguments with your parent. If they continue to try and take control, it will only escalate the situation and make it more difficult to resolve. Instead, try to have a rational and calm discussion about the situation. If necessary, you may need to involve other family members or even a mediator to help resolve the situation. Additionally, it may be necessary to speak privately with any customers who aren’t completely clear about who is actually running the company and who makes the decisions. This could help in the future with communication and in other important areas. If you find yourself in this situation, it is important to set boundaries and communicate effectively with your parent. By doing so, you can hopefully avoid conflict and maintain a healthy relationship with your parent. Have you ever dealt with this type of situation? What would you do to resolve it? Please take a moment to share your experiences and thoughts so others can benefit from your input. Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

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How Gomez Tire Grew Revenue 60% While Bracing for Tariff Pressure

September 14, 2026 No Comments

.elementor-widget-text-editor{font-family:var( –e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif;font-weight:var( –e-global-typography-text-font-weight );color:var( –e-global-color-text );}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:var( –e-global-color-primary );}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap, .elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-default .elementor-drop-cap{color:var( –e-global-color-primary );border-color:var( –e-global-color-primary );} A Family Tire Business Ready to Scale By 2022, Gomez Tire had outgrown the systems that got it there. Demand was climbing, the shop floor was full, and co-owners Alex and Robert Gomez knew that raw hustle alone wouldn’t get them to their next milestone: a $5.2 million revenue target by 2025. What they needed wasn’t more hours in the day — it was a stronger operational foundation. “Hiring John and his team has been a game changer for our company. Their expertise and guidance over the last year has helped build a stronger foundation for the future growth of our company. They have been extremely helpful in developing practical operation strategies that have been helpful and effective. More importantly, they have provided us clarity on our operations like we’ve never had before.” — Alex and Robert Gomez, Co-Owners, Gomez Tire Growth That Outpaced Its Own Infrastructure Gomez Tire, a Phoenix-area tire and automotive services company, engaged Waters Business Consulting Group in 2022 during a period of rapid growth that was beginning to strain cash flow and operations. The brothers were juggling pricing decisions without full visibility into margins, uncertain about their true break-even point, and stretched thin trying to run day-to-day operations while also thinking strategically about the business’s future. Beyond the numbers, growth was creating people problems. The team needed clearer expectations and more consistent communication, and the company was short a commercial technician just as demand for larger commercial accounts was increasing. On top of it all, tariff-driven cost increases on tires loomed on the horizon, threatening to squeeze margins further unless the company got proactive about inventory and purchasing. Building Structure Around the Growth Waters Business Consulting Group worked with the Gomez brothers to build the financial and operational scaffolding their growth demanded. That started with a rigorous look at historical financials and the construction of forecast models that gave the owners, for the first time, real predictability around revenue and cash flow. From there, the engagement expanded into nearly every corner of the business: defining position descriptions and performance metrics so accountability wasn’t a guessing game, instituting regular team meetings to reinforce standards, and mapping out staffing needs — including the long-sought commercial technician — to match the pace of growth. On the inventory side, WBCG helped the team think proactively about tariff exposure, guiding decisions to sell down existing stock and plan inbound containers strategically rather than reactively. The consulting relationship also touched harder, more personal decisions. WBCG helped facilitate family conversations about roles and accountability, evaluated whether a satellite location was still financially justified, and analyzed the financial case for a move into a larger facility — one with the warehouse and shop space to support the business the Gomez brothers were building. The Results: Real Growth, Real Margins The numbers tell the story. From 2020 to 2022, Gomez Tire’s revenue grew roughly 36% while gross profit jumped about 63%, a sign that the business wasn’t just getting bigger — it was getting healthier. That momentum continued: by 2022 the business was generating $2.50 million in revenue and $914,000 in gross profit at a margin near 36%. Two years later, in 2024, revenue had climbed past $4.0 million and gross profit had grown to roughly $1.7 million, including nearly 30% year-over-year growth from 2023 to 2024 alone. Along the way, the team closed an underperforming satellite location to sharpen focus on central operations, captured an $80,000 tire order through a national vendor relationship, and rolled out a new operations app to modernize day-to-day workflows. Just as importantly, the Gomez brothers now have a financial model that tells them where the business stands — and where it’s headed — instead of navigating growth by instinct alone. Ready to Build Your Own Growth Plan? Rapid growth can feel like a good problem to have — until it strains your cash flow, your team, and your sanity. If your business is scaling faster than your systems can support, a fresh set of eyes can help you build the structure to grow profitably and sustainably. Contact Waters Business Consulting Group to schedule a free consultation.

Is Your Business Charging Enough for its Products and Services? Probably Not. Here’s Why…

September 30, 2021 No Comments

“We lose money on every sale, but we make it up on volume” is a joke — until it accidentally describes your own pricing. Plenty of small business owners are quietly underpricing themselves out of fear, habit, or sheer complacency. Here are three compelling reasons it might finally be time to raise your rates.