Articles

Business Tips From The Editor - January 2026

BUSINESS TIPS FROM THE EDITOR

January 2026

Richard T. Hendee, Editor
The Silver Fox Advisor

         “Business Advisors, Coaches, Consultants and Mentors"

As the Silver Fox Advisors celebrate their 40^th Anniversary of Advising, Coaching, Consulting and Mentoring small and mid-size businesses located in the Greater Houston I am reminded of how important it is for a business owner to have a trusted individual or team of individuals that they can depend upon to advise, coach, consult and mentor them on the various aspects of starting, running, growing and even selling their business.

Most small and mid-size businesses do not have a Board of Directors that they can turn to for advice, support, direction, guidance, and accountability. Thus, many small and mid-size business owners feel lonely at the top. 

Further, oftentimes small and mid-size business owners experience issues that they cannot necessarily share or discuss openly with their internal management team because the issues may involve members of the management team. 

The Silver Fox Advisor organization is comprised of current and former business owners and/or “C” Suite Executives who have years of experience in the real business world and have been here and done that. 

Over the years, the membership of the Silver Fox Advisor organization has changed as members retired or moved outside of Houston, but the organization has continued to grow and prosper as its members provide their services to small and mid-size businesses, as new members have been added.

Silver Fox Advisors give back to the community, too, as most serve on boards of non-profit organizations and business trade groups and associations. In addition, Silver Fox Advisors serve as advisors on the Silver Fox Advisors' signature CEO Roundtable Program. This program provides small and mid-size business owners the opportunity to attend monthly Roundtable Meetings with peer business owners and seek advice, support, and share their experiences with other business owners.   

Future, Silver Fox Advisors serve as judges for business plan competition contests and events, as well as other organizations’ awards contests.

The bottom line is, for over the past 40 years, the Silver Fox Advisors have become one of the premier small and mid-size business advisory, coaching, consulting, and mentoring organizations in the Greater Houston area, and we are not stopping now and are in the process of planning our next 40 years. 

If you would like to part of this experience as a member of this great origination or if you need help, assistance, guidance, direction or a path forward for your small or mid-size business we encourage you to visit our Website at www.silverfox.org to learn more about becoming a member or selecting a Silver Fox Advisor that you can engage, as well as learning more about our great programs and community outreach endeavors.  

From an Employee to a Business Owner

From an Employee to a Business Owner

Richard T. Hendee
A Silver Fox Advisor

Over the years, I have talked to many individuals who have been employed by a small business or a major corporation who have wanted to start their own business or buy an existing business. The most important thing I discuss with them is theirs and their family’s mindset about moving from a weekly or monthly pay check, annual salary increases, 401K program, paid vacations, paid sick leave, some kind of regular work schedules, office parties and picnics, to being paid after your employees get paid (referred to as making a payroll), retirement fund contributions only if the business makes money, maybe no vacations let alone a paid vacation, working sick, working 10 to 12 hour days and being available 24/7, not making little Johnny’s ball game on time or at all. This is the major life change that most business owners face when they start a business or buy an existing business.

One of the Silver Fox Advisor organization’s founding members, Monte Pendleton, is a firm proponent of “The Personal Purpose”, which is a process of matching up one’s personal life with one’s professional life. Dr. John Demartini wrote a book and numerous articles on this Personal Purpose concept, and I would suggest that you review some of Dr. Demartini’s writing before you make the leap into business ownership.

Most business advisors or mentors will tell you that if your professional life and personal life do not match up or are not in sync with each other, and sometimes both, will fail. 

If you need assistance in working through your “Professional Life and Your Personal Life”, I recommend you start by contacting the Silver Fox Advisors. Silver Fox Advisors, who are former or present business owners themselves, and they have experience in starting and running a business, and in some cases, several businesses, and they have lots of experience gained over the years. We encourage you to visit our website at www.silverfox.org to select a Silver Fox Advisor and also to learn more about the Silver Fox Advisors, as well as our great programs and community outreach endeavors.