24/12/2025
Santa’s Retirement Plan
It was the night before Christmas and the busiest time of the year for Santa, he was looking forward to the evening when the presents had all been delivered, and he could relax.
The evening came, he sat in his big comfy armchair by the fireside stroking his beard and wondered how much longer he could carry on with the business of Christmas, time to retire, but it was easier said than done.
Life had been good, he had so much fulfilment in spreading joy throughout the world, delivering presents and bringing smiles to the faces of children as they open them on Christmas morning. But things had changed, children didn’t want the beautifully handcrafted toys he had always been so proud of. They wanted gadgets and gizmos, things that required batteries or an electrical supply. The only good thing about these gifts was that they tended to be smaller, easier to get into his sack and not nearly as heavy for his weary body to haul around.
He had created something very special but how much longer could he carry on, and more to the point what would happen to Christmas tradition without him?
Santa had been through this same thought process for several years now but the time had come for a solution to be found. He had to explore his options, he made a promise to himself that this was the year he would plan his retirement.
The next few weeks should have been a time of rest but Santa’s mind had been ticking over, and today was the day he would start to take positive decisive action. Despite his reluctance to embrace technology, Santa couldn’t deny that his computer and the internet gave him access to information that he wouldn’t otherwise have. After several hours of research, he felt much better placed to consider his options.
What he had always hoped for was for his son Ralph to take over the family business. This would make life easy. It would allow him to keep a hand in, to offer advice and guidance and make sure things were still done his way. But Ralph had other ideas, as a boy, he had travelled with his father and seen so many wonderful things, he had tasted adventure and now he wanted to explore the world and make his own mark.
He could sell the business to one of his competitors but his stomach turned at the thought of what Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy might do to Christmas. He would have to give them access to information, his suppliers, his customer base and his accounts. Even then, with all this information they may choose not to go ahead, this made Santa even more uncomfortable. They certainly wouldn’t run the business from the North Pole, it’s far too cold for them, but if the business moved what would happen to his loyal elves and their families? No, this was simply not an option. But neither was closing the door and walking away.
Suddenly Santa came across something that took him by surprise, an option he had not considered until now, it was an article about a company where the employees had become owners of the business. He was aware of the Management Buyout model but this was different, this was Employee Ownership.
As he read on he could see similarities between the company described and his own business, he began to get very excited. Like him, the Founder had started and grown a very successful business over many years but had no one in the family to carry it on. The company was built upon strong principles with a community ethos and culture. They had not wanted to sell out to a competitor but saw employee ownership as a way of allowing his workers to benefit from future opportunities.
The more he read the more excited he became. There was a compelling business argument for choosing this option and somehow it felt comfortable. He found other case studies which talked about the impact of employee ownership, and he realised this was the model that John Lewis has been using so successfully for many years.
He read that employee ownership operates for the benefit of all the employees who contribute to the success of the business and involves them in key decision making. By involving the workers, there is considerable evidence to show how performance can be improved, they can be more resilient to economic uncertainty and it encourages greater employee engagement and commitment.
Santa sat back with a smile of satisfaction, he had found a solution. He picked up his phone and dialed the number of his Trusted Adviser, Kate Wilde. Kate had helped him sort out many of the muddles he found himself in, she is more than a Business Mentor, Kate has been a soundboard for some of his sometimes crazy ideas, has been the voice of reason and reassurance. Kate will guide me; she will help me retire.
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