双语故事:卖掉企业的悲喜 The joy, sadness and fear of selling up

I sold a business called Giraffe, the popular, family-friendly restaurant chain, last week. Letting go is often a bittersweet experience and in this case especially so, since I had been chairman and co-owner for nine years and seen the company expand 10-fold during my involvement.

最近，我卖掉了一家公司——颇受欢迎、适合家庭就餐的长颈鹿(Giraffe)连锁餐厅。放手经常是一件苦乐参半的事情，卖掉长颈鹿餐厅尤其如此，因为我曾经担任该公司董事长兼共同所有人9年时间。在我任职期间，我亲眼目睹公司的规模扩大了10倍。

Moreover, it was a fabulous journey. We created hundreds of jobs, paid plenty in tax, enjoyed the ride and gave untold thousands of diners a lot of pleasure.

更重要的是，这是一段辉煌的旅程。我们创造了数百个就业岗位、上缴了大量税款、享受了这段旅程，并给无数食客带来了很多快乐。

It is undeniably always wonderful to get a big cheque, and according to certain criteria that is the point of it all – to bank a profit.

不可否认，获得一张大额支票永远是一件美好的事情，根据某些标准，赚钱就是一切。

But as one serial entrepreneur once told me, after the first time you receive a decent slug of money, the thrill fades. Indeed, many business owners suffer seller’s remorse. I certainly have.

但正如一位连续创业的企业家曾告诉我的那样，在你第一次收到数目可观的金钱之后，那种兴奋感就消退了。实际上，很多企业主在出售企业后会感到后悔。我当然也有这种感觉。

After I sold my PizzaExpress shares and stepped down from its board to take on other restaurant projects, I felt a kind of bereavement.

出售自己手中所持PizzaExpress的股份后，我从该公司董事会退下来，转而投入其他餐饮项目。我当时有一种丧亲之痛。

Still today I have mixed views on the rare occasions when I eat in one: a touch of pride combined with a little regret that I am no longer part of a classic institution – and many fond memories of what was, for me at any rate, a life-changing venture.

直到现在，当我偶尔到卖掉的一家餐馆就餐时，我的心里五味杂陈：一种骄傲感油然而生，同时还伴有一丝遗憾，因为我不再是这家经典机构的一部分了；不管怎样，对我而言，跟它在一起的很多美好回忆已改变了我的生活。

After all, if you scratch the surface, most entrepreneurs are no good at spending money even when they make piles of it. More often than not, they will admit that the defining moment of their career was not cashing out but actually building a successful enterprise – assembling a winning team, serving customers well, besting the competition and gaining the admiration of their peers. These are the activities of a founder.

毕竟，如果你透过表面，多数企业家在花钱方面毫不擅长，即便在他们赚得盆满钵满之际。他们通常会承认，他们事业的决定性时刻不是赚钱，实际上是创建一家成功企业——组建一个决胜团队，为客户提供完善服务，赢得竞争以及获得同行的赞许。这些都是企业创始人所做的事。

By contrast, leaving is a farewell, a reminder than nothing lasts for ever, that with each departure a piece of us is gone for good.

相比之下，离开是一种告别，它提醒我们天下没有不散的筵席，每一次离开就像是我们身体的某一部分永远地消失了。

The other emotion I feel when selling a great business is fear. I am always afraid that I will never find another asset to replace it, another interesting undertaking that will engage me.

当卖掉一家优秀企业时，我的另一种心情是担忧。我总害怕自己将永远找不到另一项资产来代替它，再也找不到另一个让我参与其中的有趣项目了。

The world is full of second-rate businesses, and becoming a partner in a really good one is hard to do. It is easy to fool oneself into thinking a new proposition is high-quality. But such opportunities are rare – most situations are inferior, while growth is difficult and profits elusive.
二流企业到处都是，成为一家真正优秀的企业的合伙人绝非易事。我们很容易欺骗自己，以为新投资企业是也是好企业。但这样的机会少之又少，多数情况下遇到的都比较差，增长乏力，利润不稳定。
Giraffe was a particularly gratifying adventure because I worked alongside highly professional partners, the founders Russel and Juliette Joffe, who made it fun as well as lucrative. Of course, not everything we did together was perfect, but mostly it succeeded – and I felt Lucky to be a part of it.
长颈鹿餐厅是一家尤其让人愉悦的企业，因为与我合作的都是非常专业的合伙人，创始人罗塞尔•约夫和朱丽叶特•约夫夫妇让这家餐厅变得既有趣，又颇具盈利能力。当然，并非我们一起所做的一切都完美无缺，但它大体上是成功的，我很幸运成为了其中的一部分。
My partners were constantly challenging and sometimes demanding – but these are necessary traits if you want to construct a real business from scratch. That is why the company of entrepreneurs is so invigorating: they do not simply accept the world as it is but see potential – and proceed to act by making that vision tangible.
我的合伙人一直很有挑战性，有时有点苛求，但如果你想要白手起家、创建一家真正的企业，那么这些都是必要的素质。这就是与企业家合作是如此鼓舞人心的原因：他们不接受事情本来的样子，而是看到了潜在可能性，继而行动起来、让梦想成真。
A highlight of my years at Giraffe was the annual staff awards – the so-called Goscars. A couple of years ago, the MC read out a marvellous letter from a customer who regularly brought her disabled son to our Hampstead branch. The writer explained that Giraffe was the only restaurant her son ever went to because the staff always recognised him by name and treated him like a VIP. I felt privileged to be part of the Giraffe family when I heard that story.
我在长颈鹿餐厅的几年里，最精彩的部分是每年的员工颁奖，即所谓的长颈鹿奥斯卡(Goscar)。几年前，颁奖礼主持人读了一封精彩的顾客来信，这位顾客经常带她的残疾儿子到我们的汉普斯特德分店吃饭。她解释道，长颈鹿餐厅是唯一一家她儿子去过的餐厅，因为那里的员工不但总能叫出他的名字，而且把他当成VIP来接待。当听到这个故事时，我为自己曾是长颈鹿家族的一员而感到荣幸。
The sale process had its moments of drama, as is normally the case. Emotions are apt to run high when the numbers are big and individuals have invested so many years of their lives in a venture that is about to change hands.
出售过程通常有着戏剧性的时刻。当收购价开得很高，而且已把生命中的很多年奉献给了一家即将转手的企业的时候，人们往往会情绪激动。
Part of me didn’t really want to depart but I realised the offer price was attractive and that it was the right step in the evolution of the business.
有时，我确实不想说再见，但我知道，出价很吸引人，这是企业发展过程中正确的一步。
The company has been bought by Tesco, the huge UK-based retailer. I hope it treats its acquisition well and preserves the culture. It must try to retain the hundreds of decent employees who make it innovative and exciting. Luckily, the founders are staying on board.
长颈鹿餐厅已被英国零售巨擘乐购(Tesco)收购。我希望乐购能好好待它，并保持这种文化。乐购必须努力留住数百名优秀员工，他们让长颈鹿餐厅变成一个富于创新、令人兴奋的企业。幸运的是，该公司创始人仍在董事会任职。
Meanwhile, I am going back to the drawing board, resuming an endless search for the next big thing. If I find another opportunity like Giraffe, I shall be fortunate indeed.
与此同时，我将回到我的画板前，重新开始无休止地寻找下一个宝贝。如果还能物色到一个像长颈鹿餐厅那样的机会，那么我的运气真是太好了。