A Decade of Transition

The next decade may see an unprecedented transfer of business ownership. As reported in StartupJournal, the first baby boomer entrepreneurs turn 60 this year and many are looking to retire. The story takes an interesting perspective on exit planning. It is not just about the business and financial planning. A sixty year old today will likely live at least another twenty years, so these entrepreneurs need to think about planning their lives, as well.
Already having a doctorate (thanks to Jimmy Carter’s horrible management of the economy when I was getting my MBA in the late 1970s), my next step in life after we sold our business was relatively easy to decide. I say relatively, because my adrenalin was still pumping when we sold our business and I was ready to jump into another deal. Thanks to my wife. I slowed down and thought about my life and what I should do next.
Exit planning needs to focus a great deal on what you are going to do after you go through the exit.

Venture Capital is Back to Earth in Expectations

Many of us thought that venture capitalists were getting as unrealistic as many of the entrepreneurs’ plans that come across their desks. They had gotten to the point where they would only look at a “home run” plan that had the potential for 100% plus annual returns. But that is beginning to change. They are now willing to realize lower returns in exchange for fewer bad deals as seen today at Red Herring:

The percentage of projects that finished in the red, with the VCs getting back less than they invested, dropped. Of the 154 deals done during 2005, VCs were left holding the short end of the stick on 48, down from 62 investment failures out of the 183 deals done in 2004, according to the study by the National Venture Capital Association and Thomson Venture Economics.

Stay at Home Mom; Stay at Home Entrepreneur

I have seen a sharp increase in the percentage of young women entering our entrepreneurship programs. For those young adults between 18-25, family and parenthood are critical elements of how they plan to view their success in life. Many of them believe that they can create a better balance between their family and professional aspirations through entrepreneurship. Many young mothers are looking to home-based businesses to achieve the an ideal balance.
Any home-based business creates challenges in setting up boundaries between work and family. StartupJournal has a feature on a young mother who has found some simple rules to help make this balance work:
– Teaching the kids to respect the office and work time.
I like to call this the “Beaver Cleaver’s Dad Rule.” On the old Leave it to Beaver TV show Beaver’s Dad, Ward Cleaver, had this formal office in their home. The kids knew to only go in their when invited, and if they were invited it was usually because they were in trouble.
– Keeping office stuff in the office.
This rule applies to both the parent and the kids. The stay-at-home-parent needs to have clear boundaries between their “work place” and the rest of the home. The kids need to learn that all of the cool stuff in their parent’s office is not for their latest art project.
– Controlling the phone.
One of the cute things most three year olds do is to try to answer the phone. They learn by imitating their parents. When there is also a business phone in the home, this cute trick can lead to embarrassing moments. Using a dedicated cell phone for the business line that only the working parent controls is one way to help get around this issue.
– Maintaining a schedule.
Set clear hours for “going to work,” even if it is only in the next room.
– Managing client perceptions.
Eventually the kids will make enough noise to be heard over the phone. Let customers know that “home” is where you work up front.
– Staying motivated.
It is easy to get distracted when working at home. Playing with your spouse and the kids can sound like a lot more fun than the project you are working on. But, remember that your business is important for the family. It helps to pay the bills.

Here Comes the Sun

The recent, and temporary, spike in gasoline costs led to dire predictions from the American media and meaningless hearings from our politicians. As always, the free market took a different path. Entrepreneurs looked for new ideas created by the so-called crisis, for out of change and chaos comes new opportunity.
Red Herring reports that one sector that saw a lot of action in 2005 was solar power.

Within the U.S., orders are on the rise, however, leading to back orders and increased prices for solar panels. Some manufacturers report they have pre-sold their plant capacity.

Even with tight manufacturing capacity, analysts predict that sales of solar systems will triple by 2010.

Merry Christmas

nativity1.jpg
A CHRISTMAS PRAYER
by Marty Robbins
Dear Lord I want to thank you
for what You’ve done for me
For all these many blessings
In a world that’s caught in grief and misery
No matter where I wander
I ‘m always in Your site
and so my thanks to You, My Lord
upon this Christmas Night
If all my prayers aren’t answered
then Lord, I understand
There’s others more deserving
Others Lord who need a helping hand
I pray you’ll guide and keep me
Ever near the light
And so My Deepest Thanks My Lord
Upon this Christmas Night.
I will be spending the next few days with family and friends as we celebrate Christmas. Have a blessed and merry Christmas.

Free Enterprise for Farming Works in New Zealand

The US and Europe need to take a lesson from New Zealand, where twenty years ago they decided to end government subsidies to farmers. The predictions at the time were dire, as many believed that farming in that country could not survive as a free market.

Instead, farming today is 16.6 percent of total gross domestic product, up from 14.2 percent in the late 1980s, and in the year to April 2005 it racked up exports worth $12.7 billion, more than half of all New Zealand exports.
The farmers have learned to diversify. During the subsidy era New Zealand had 72 million sheep — 18 for every human. By last year the number was just 39 million, but more efficient methods mean the islands still produce the same amount of meat, and meanwhile freed-up land is being turned over to growing grapes for wine and other exotic crops. There are even niche markets of deer, goats, ostriches and llamas.

Imagine that…..markets working better without the meddling of politicians and government bureaucrats.

New York Transit Strike Hurts Small Businesses

Thousands of entrepreneurs will feel the pinch of a New York City Transit Strike. From Inc.com:

Many of the city’s 468 subway stations contain newsstands, barbershops, and shoeshine stands. In interviews at Grand Central Station, Times Square, Columbus Circle, Union Square, and 86th Street and Lexington Avenue, small businesses in the underground stations said they hoped to avoid the loss of workdays that a strike would force.
“I would have no choice but to go home,” said Tariq Sheikh, behind the booth of one of his four newsstands in the Columbus Circle station. “How are we going to survive if we have to feed our families and pay the bills?”