I would be a much richer man had I collected at least 10 Euros each time a family business owner said this to me - that management is just common sense. This statement, often uttered by business owners, particularly those with a background rooted in operations, reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what management truly entails. …

Continue reading Management is Common Sense

In Malta, where the labour market is notably tight, all businesses—including family businesses that form a significant part of the economic landscape—are finding it increasingly challenging to attract and retain the best talent. This critical scarcity makes it imperative for family businesses to address their unique structural challenges proactively, ensuring that inherent issues do not …

Continue reading Attracting and Retaining Top Talent: The Challenge Family Businesses face amidst Malta’s Tight Labour Market

The Central Bank of Malta's Business Dialogue 3/2025 report, just published today, provides key insights gathered from 60 interviews conducted with local non-financial corporations (NFCs) between April and June 2025. This exercise collects information on current business conditions, short-term activity expectations, cost and price changes, investment and employment plans, and wage growth expectations. The below …

Continue reading Latest Business Sentiment

Family businesses, the very backbone of Malta's economy, navigate a complex landscape where the personal often intertwines with the professional. While contributing significantly to the nation's commercial fabric, these enterprises are simultaneously grappling with a distinct set of challenges that frequently hinder their growth and longevity. Perhaps the most prominent hurdle facing Maltese family businesses …

Continue reading Helping Family Businesses do a Professional Revolution

Employing or promoting individuals with a strong operator's mindset into managerial positions is a common pitfall for many family businesses. While the dedication and efficiency of operators are invaluable at a certain level, an over-reliance on this skillset in leadership can stifle growth, innovation, and long-term sustainability. This article explores the issues arising from such …

Continue reading Why Managers with an Operator’s Mindset are Traumatic

I have been wanting to write on this delicate subject for years. I was always hesitant as I feared that I might be misunderstood. However, I have decided to run the risk and cross the Rubicon, hoping that my message is clear enough to set you thinking without being deemed to be offensive. I fully …

Continue reading The True Cost of “Saving”

I firmly believe that Malta stands at a crucial juncture. We have a vibrant economy built on resilience and adaptability, now confronted by a much needed shift. Our economic growth has relied heavily on an ever-increasing influx of foreign labour, masking a stark reality: a rapidly declining indigenous population. This is not merely a statistical …

Continue reading A Tipping Point

As a business expands, the demands on its leadership inevitably shift. The hands-on, "doing everything for everyone" approach that might have propelled an early-stage venture to success can quickly become a bottleneck, hindering further growth and frustrating the very leaders who built the company. I was recently listening to a Harvard Business Review podcast that …

Continue reading Evolving Leadership: How to Steer Your Growing Business to New Heights