{"podcast":{"title":"The Better SMB Podcast","slug":"the-better-smb-podcast-7059551","podcast_index_feed_id":7059551,"rss_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/6226633/episodes/feed","website_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-better-smb-podcast--6226633","image_url":"https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/14cd7f93a65c46debcde9a3761caf5b6.jpg","author":"David Altena","episode_count":38,"summary":"Join hosts David Altena and Rob Bull as they delve into the subject of small and medium- business productivity in New Zealand. With a focus on driving operational excellence and business improvement, The Better SMB Podcast is your go-to resource for strategies, insights, and success stories from the front lines of the SMB sector. Despite New Zealand’s historical challenges with productivity compared to our OECD peers, David and Rob are on a mission to turn the tide. Tune in to discover actionable tips, expert interviews, and innovative ideas that will help your business thrive in today’s competitive landscape. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, The Better SMB Podcast will equip you with the tools you need to enhance productivity and achieve your business goals. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @DavidAltena and @RobBull","last_synced_at":"2026-07-16T12:19:57.070175+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-better-smb-podcast-7059551"},"episode":{"title":"Ep 38. Exit Planning, Selling Your Business, and Maximising Value with Rod Cook","slug":"ep-38-exit-planning-selling-your-business-and-maximising-value-with-rod-cook","published_at":"2026-07-16T02:58:42+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-better-smb-podcast-7059551/ep-38-exit-planning-selling-your-business-and-maximising-value-with-rod-cook","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-better-smb-podcast-7059551","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/ep-38-exit-planning-selling-your-business-and-maximising-value-with-rod-cook--73007396","audio_url":"https://api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73007396/ea9886ae_029e_f54e_1afa_b5e930a38bd2.mp3","summary":"Episode OverviewIf you had to sell your business tomorrow, what would it actually be worth to a buyer — without you in it? Every year over 50,000 NZ businesses close and only ~2,000 actually sell. Businesses that sell are built to run without the owner as the glue. Rod Cook spent over a year pulling himself out of the critical path of Jackson's Flooring Design Commercial to make that possible. Origin story: Rod joined his wife Leanne's family flooring business, buying the commercial division in Hawke's Bay. Investing in advice early: A business coach from day one, plus a rule to always pay himself a salary — \"the cost was irrelevant to the benefit I got from it.\" Weathering the cycles: The GFC and COVID — the pandemic pause pushed a systems overhaul that set up later growth. Delegate, don't abdicate: Early hiring mistakes taught Rod the difference, before building a nine-person team. \"Milk the cow a little longer\": An accepted sale offer was shelved on advice from friend John Hutch (Plan A Consulting) — unpopular with Leanne at the time, but the right call. The 2024 plan: Standalone premises, working Rod out of the day-to-day, and preparing for a future sale. On loneliness in business: Why an informal \"board\" of trusted advisors matters without formal governance. Sales as the engine: Ranked #1 in his franchise group for 19 of 20 years. Would it have run without him a decade ago? \"Not a chance in hell.\" \"Delegate, but don't abdicate.\" — advice from John Hutchinson that reshaped how Rod built his team. The Better SMB is on a mission to lift New Zealand's productivity by helping SMB leaders take practical steps to improve business performance — through the podcast, our column The Last Word, and our growing community.🌐 Website: The Better SMB — Turning High Performance Int…","meta_description":"Episode OverviewIf you had to sell your business tomorrow, what would it actually be worth to a buyer — without you in it? Every year over 50,000 NZ busin…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3367,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-better-smb-podcast-7059551/episodes/ep-38-exit-planning-selling-your-business-and-maximising-value-with-rod-cook/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-better-smb-podcast-7059551/ep-38-exit-planning-selling-your-business-and-maximising-value-with-rod-cook.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}