Category Archives: The liquidity event and beyond

Not all companies are successful. The end game can be a failure of the business.  In fact, many angel investors or venture capitalists look for and respect the lessons learned by entrepreneurs that have survived a failed business.  The key … Continue reading →

  When we start a business, we are optimistic that we will succeed and dream of riches to follow when the company is sold or even participating in an IPO.   Some of us build our businesses to be lifestyle creations, … Continue reading →

When we are young and early in our business lives, we feel infallible to the degree that we do not think of what might happen if we die while in office or decide to leave the company for any reason.  … Continue reading →

Sometimes the end game or sale of the company is not a happy event.  Especially when outside investors, venture capitalists, or angels, have put in substantial money and the sales price is less than the value of their investment.  Most … Continue reading →

                     As I look back over more than fifty years as an entrepreneur, I can think of the financial focus of my three entrepreneurial businesses as a prime driver in my life during the early stage of each.  And yet, as … Continue reading →

Isn’t the goal of any negotiation to get the maximum possible out of the other side?  I have learned from long experience that the last bit of concession is the most expensive in a negotiation.  Invariably, it’s after the negotiation, … Continue reading →

You’ve surely heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, in which Abraham Maslow laid out a human’s needs from the physiological first, to safety, then love and belonging, on to esteem and finally self-actualization. Assuming that you have now passed through … Continue reading →

Some companies have good, formal stock option plans with properly priced options set to reward all in the event of a corporate sale.  Usually, the higher the ranks, the more the options held and therefore the greater reward at exit.  … Continue reading →

                Be honest now.  Have you ever thought of what legacy you’ll leave behind?  If you are an entrepreneur or CEO, surely you’ve thought of how you’ll be remembered by your associates and stakeholders after you move on.                  We’ve … Continue reading →