Posted: January 10th, 2005 | Author: Don | Filed under: Misc, Work | Tags: attorney, attornies, business, contract, ethics, lawyer, lawyesr, verbal contract, Work | No Comments »
It never ceases to amaze me how people in business act. If you have a verbal contract, not the best thing to do it seems, especially with an Attorney, to do something at a flat rate, not based on funding results, regardless of time actually spent, and the contract is consummated by receiving 2/3s of fee somewhat up front, you would expect to get the remaining fee when your part of the work was done. You would not expect to be told by your client that you will receive the remaining portion of the fee (and the end result was to work for half price IF paid in full!!) when the funding happened. Totally changes the agreement, and without my input up front!!
I hope ethics and such get strong here in the States again…
Posted: January 5th, 2005 | Author: Don | Filed under: Misc, School, Work | Tags: business, consulting, education, holidays, PhD, School, sleep, Work | No Comments »
Well, business is booming for me, and I have a lot of things to do at work right now. It is a good feeling though!! I’m getting closer and closer to wanting to only sleep two or three hours (I’m up to four or five this past few months, after being at two to three for over 20 years) a night.
The projects I’m working on have been fun, stimulating (mentally), and just what I want to be doing!!
It’s a good feeling all around!!
Now to find time to get back to the PhD studies and get that back on track after the break I took over the holidays!!
Posted: December 7th, 2004 | Author: Don | Filed under: Work | Tags: business, business goals, business plans, company, corporation, living strategy, strategy, venture capital, venture fund | No Comments »
Over the past 15 years I have looked at numerous business plans, of all sizes, many industries, and of various depth of project, while managing a $1B venture fund. The biggest problem I had with most of the plans I reviewed was the plan was not a living breathing document.
For a business plan to work, beyond funding, there needs to be a clear goal and a living strategy behind the plan. That plan should become the bible of the business going forward. But a bible of a new kind. It is a living breathing bible that grows and changes as the company grows and changes!
The only two companies I funded that failed, failed because they didn’t follow a plan, and would not listen to that. They both folded within two years.
When you write a plan, it should be a plan that you can live with, and one that you live!! As your company grows, so should the plan, and if your products shift, shift your plan!!
