We most often help executors and families dealing with an estate, or someone moving and downsizing their living space. This client’s situation was different.
A Business Broker referred me to a client looking to sell the business she owned with her husband. He had passed away and she hoped to find a buyer. The Business Broker let her know the business was not marketable. He thought we could help by selling inventory. The business was a high-end porcelain manufacturer, however, the demand for porcelain dropped dramatically many years earlier.
When visiting the client’s waiting room and showroom, we saw beautiful porcelain sculptures. We also saw pictures of celebrities from yesteryear holding stunning porcelain pieces our client’s company had made… Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, Henry Kissinger and several heads of state. The entire facility looked like a time capsule. The office equipment was from the 1970s and early 80’s. The cafeteria and break room furnishings were from the 1960s.
We were finishing up our visit feeling disappointed because we could not help with enough to make a significant difference for her. Then we entered the designer room, the last room of our tour. We were amazed at what we saw. The room was filled with bronze statues on shelves from floor to ceiling. Her husband had purchased them in his travels to Europe over many years to spark design ideas for their porcelain pieces. Unlike porcelain, bronze statues were very much in demand. We were thrilled to offer this bronze statue collection, as we knew it would draw extensive collector interest! This would provide funds for her as she determined how she would transition the business. It felt great to know we could help her.
We stayed in touch and several years later she called me again. She was closing the business completely and was now ready to sell the remaining porcelain. We were happy to help her by offering several truckloads of the beautiful porcelain pieces they had produced over many years.