Chris Maslin of Go EO is sharing his plans as we come to the end of 2023!

IT’S NOVEMBER! – the year is coming to an end and Q4 is well under way. We’re talking to small business owners about their plans as we get closer to 2024.

Today is the turn of Chris Maslin is based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent and is the director of Go EO Ltd. Chris helps businesses across the UK transition to employee ownership. Having successfully managed this with an accounting firm that he started in 2008, Chris is keep to support others to do the same.

What’s your business highlight for this month or last month?
Last month a Welsh business that sells branded clothing/merchandise transferred ownership from the founder to an Employee Ownership Trust with our support. The founder gets a great, tax-free payout, and the staff inherit control of the company and future profits!

And what about a personal highlight?
I’m 18 months into the business. The concept has been proven, so we’re stepping things up a gear! This has included a professional photoshoot, some of me in a branded hoody bought from the previously mentioned client. I’ve also increased the marketing assistance, with some videos to be shot soon!

This is a month for Bonfire Night & Diwali. Do either of those hold meaning or memory for you?
As a child, every year my parents would take me to the firework display at our local park. I moved away for a while from my late teens to mid-20s but am now back in my hometown. We do however now have a dog. Whilst I would love to go to the park display again, I’m normally trying to convince our terrified 4-legged friend that the house isn’t about to blow up!

November represents Movember – Men’s Health Awareness Month and International Men’s Day (Nov 19). What, if anything does this mean to you?
Whilst I am male, growing facial hair has never been a strong suit of mine. Indeed, in my teens I recall being told by a female friend it was a shame I was a man, cos I’d have made a very pretty woman! 25 years on I still don’t know how to take that!

Are you doing anything in November or December for charity or for a community or volunteer project?
We’re lucky enough to own the office I’ve worked from for the last decade or so. We recently expanded to acquire the building next door. It was fairly run down, last used as a restaurant. A friend of a friend runs a community interest company, helping minimise food waste. They get end of life products from supermarkets/similar, which they quickly repurpose to try to dish out to local people, price tag “pay what you feel”. It’s therefore aiming to support the needy with free food, funded by those who can afford it. They’ve been operating from home for a while, looking to expand to a permanent location to operate from. Property is so expensive locally, but we’re letting them use the space as long as they need for a peppercorn rent.

What’s your top tip for being positive as we enter the last month of autumn?
I admit I do hate this time of year! Everything’s becoming so dark, it’s a struggle not to let my mood follow suit! I’m by no means a fitness freak but getting my heart rate up for as little as 10-15 minutes every other day makes a big difference. Probably to my physical health, but I notice it more with my mental health.

Did you know November 13 is World Kindness Day – has anyone shown kindness to you in the last month or so? At home and/or work?  Tell us how you view kindness in your business or professional role?
I wasn’t aware of this day! If you’re familiar with love languages, mine is definitely “acts of service”. In practice this means I’m not great at saying nice things, or giving people surprise gifts. But I will do little things for people to show my love. I’ll always help people where I can, not expecting anything in return. This applies equally in business and my personal life.

It’s also Black Friday this month which is now quite mainstream – do you participate in this within your business? Or do you prefer the Buy Nothing Day?
Businesses I’ve been involved with generally sell services, not products. Whilst I guess we could’ve had a hefty discount for personal tax returns if they signed up on that day, it doesn’t seem the kind of thing accountants do! Buy Nothing Day is a new one on me, but it is one I wholeheartedly endorse. I spend very little. I don’t appreciate the finer things in life, and whilst I do like a decent smartphone and big TV, beyond those I’m not a gadgets person. I drive, but my current car of choice is a Skoda Fabia!

Are you preparing for Christmas in your business? Can you share what your plans are going to be?
Christmas/New Year can be a very busy time for us. As most businesses slow down, this makes it an ideal time to do a significant transaction. If you want to sell the business, align it with the calendar year. It also fits in with the “new year, new you” mantra. Because of this, it means December will be busy, as clients ensure they’re happy with the finer details of the transactions they’re hoping will complete on 31 December.

Are there any awareness days or special weeks in November which are relevant to your business/organisation or sector?
The Employee Ownership Association is a big not for profit organisation in our sector. They have an annual conference which tends to fall in November. This year it’s on 27-28th, and is in Liverpool (I gather it’s already sold out, so anyone interested I’m afraid you’re too late!). It’s a great time for lots of people involved in the industry in some way to get together. To share ideas, best practice, and potentially also discuss things that haven’t gone so well. Plus of course there’s the budget on 22 November, which whilst it’s unlikely to be the most exciting event of the year, can be very important for people in my industry.

And finally, is there anything else you’d like to say?
Employee Ownership (EO) is a great way to reduce income inequality, and help people feel more engaged at work. Most people have heard of John Lewis, and are loosely aware it’s EO. But that tends to be the end of their understanding. It is something most businesses can do. It’s a big step to make, but worth considering for your business. If you’re not in that situation but like the idea, when making your next purchases see if you can buy from EO companies.

You can find out more about Chris by visiting goeo.uk