Enjoyed giving a presentation to some business owners this week. Despite the headline grabbing title this was not a session knocking the banks – instead it was intended to help understand how the entrepreneur/bank manager relationship is destined to be difficult. Understanding the genuine barriers and what can go wrong can help lead to a more effective way of dealing with your banker – which really is about getting what you want. I spend a good part of my time, it seems, almost like a marriage guidance counsellor – I find I am uniquely placed to do that having been on both sides of the fence now. A few years ago I asked a brave accountant (a good guy, Mark Hjertzen) to come and talk to my team of business bankers about what accountants think of bank managers. The work I did with Durham Business School with Entrepreneurs opened up the same issues. Enlightening? Funny? Scary? Business depends on these relationships working – at no time has this been such an important issue.
