| |
| |
|
Entrepreneurialism Information |
|
|
|
Rambling Confessions of a Recovering Entrepreneur
I told my family that I finally accepted that my passion had become an ob- session, and you could even call it an addiction. They all laughed. What had taken me 25 years to accept, they had known for years. My wife detected my addiction as early as our honeymoon in Paris. All I wanted to do was spend time at the Bourse trading francs on the spot market. She kept on nudging me to see some old picture in the Louvre. For my daughter, it became clear when I demanded that her prom date be an officer in Junior Achievement. I thought it was a good way to ensure that she dated a young man with career aspirations. She saw it differently. It had been six months since I had read a business plan. And I missed it. I mumbled when the Wall Street Journal driver came down my block? only to skip my house. My wife had a block on our cable television - no more MSNBC, and it was no better on the Internet; I couldn't access Bloomberg. Last Tuesday, a power stronger then myself won out. I don't know how, but I ended up at the Harvard-Yale-Princeton Club. My eyes focused on the booths along the back wall. I immediately saw the signs. A shot of single-malt Scotch, half finished, was being used as a paperweight on a four-color business plan. The reader, a silver-haired executive with monogrammed reading glasses, was analyzing spreadsheets as he simultaneously served volleys of staccato-like questions at the young man across the table. This young man was obviously new to the game. His dark blue suit looked like he had not worn it since his bar mitzvah, and the tie must have been knotted eight years ago and never unraveled. He had ordered the latest micro-brew, but had not taken even one sip. I sat at the next booth and listened in. I smiled as I heard the two argue over burn rates, traction projections, alpha/ beta sites, and most stridently about valuations. A cell phone rang, and the single-malt Scotch stood and walked a few steps to take the call in private. I jumped up and got into micro-brew's face. I told him he was under-capitalized. He was giving away his intellectual property. His burn rate was twice as fast as this so-called "angel" investor was revealing. Big Pharma would pay a much higher multiple for the company if he would listen to my suggestions. He looked bewildered. I said it again, "Don't make the deal - you'll lose your company to this chamber of commerce man of the year wanna-be in seven months." The conversation on the cell phone ended, and Mister Single Malt Scotch asked, "Do we have a deal? " Micro-brew looked at him, then me, and said?. "No way!" He reached for his beer and slid into my booth. I don't have to tell you what happened next. You all know it too well. We sat for three and a half hours, re-doing spreadsheets on his laptop, and playing out various pro-formas. I finally stumbled home, embarrassed and yet delirious with joy over the deal I had structured. My wife could see me hiding the business plan under my coat. She demanded to see my cell phone. Quickly she went through the calls I had made in the last four hours. She knew the area codes: New York, Brussels, London, and my newest haunt, New Delhi. I had been lining up angel investors. What could I say? I had already used up my inventory of "I promise it will never happen again." She had been going to her own meetings and knew that she needed to go on with her life and not let my addiction manipulate her. Had I called my sponsor? She had not seen his number in my cell phone's call list. " No," I whispered. She made me return to Entrepreneurs Anonymous (EA). I had stopped going to my meetings. I had beaten it or so I thought. But the truth is, we never do. I was just like everyone else in EA. I matched the profile perfectly. Eighty percent of members have a relapse within their first six months. I was now another data-point confirming that statistic. Hesh Reinfeld writes a syndicated business humor column. You can read additional examples of his columns on his website: http://www.heshreinfeld.com Or contact him at hesh1@comcast.net
MORE RESOURCES:
Ernst & Young recognizes Robert H. Lee as entrepreneurial maverick - Canada NewsWire (press release)
Entrepreneurialism - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How Entrepreneurs Succeed - The 5 Qualities Needed For Business Success What is it that sets a successful businessperson apart from an average businessperson? Is it down to pure and simple luck, or is it all about having an amazing idea and a successful and strategic business plan in place?Well, these factors do indeed go a long way to turning a good business idea into a successful business operation, but they have nothing to do with what makes the 'person' succeed at business.Every great entrepreneur naturally has 5 key attributes that sets them aside from their competition and that ensure they will succeed where others may fail. Are You an Entrepreneur That is Starved for Time? Being an entrepreneur and running a successful home-based business is stressful at times, and can be hectic. Success within a home-based business though, absolutely demands time management skills, or the chores that need to get done will be left undone, and procrastination, as well as a serious "personal time deficiency" will occur. Starting Your Business: 3 Tips for Bootstrapping Your Way to the Top Bootstrapping a business startup does not necessarily mean that you are unable to find traditional sources of capital. It may mean that you are clever, or that you know a bargain when you see it, or that you are the type of person who derives a certain satisfaction from crafting something using your own hands and vision, from scratch. Surviving the Three Pitfalls of Business Ownership The morning sun sheds its brilliance and warmth on your sleeping face. 10:00 a. From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money Selling Info Products The term "Infopreneur" is a relatively new industry buzz word that is making waves because it opens doors for entrepreneurs to generate new streams of income. Simply put, an infopreneur sells information. Creativity & Entrepreneurship - Key Questions From My Students Hello Creative Entrepreneurs!Thought for the day:"It is not easy being an entrepreneur, but it is always rewarding. It takes great discipline, self-motivation, hard work and perseverance to achieve your dream. Competitive Edge In his book, The Road Ahead, Bill Gates of Microsoft writes of "friction-free capitalism" made possible by developments in communications, chief among them the Internet and its World Wide Web. In this context, "friction" is everything that keeps markets from functioning as the "perfect competition" of economics textbooks. Salon Marketing Using Wireless Broadband Internet Access Our client in Chicago did, located right outside downtown too.. About Ending Competition 1. Why should I not compete with others?The very concept of "competition" is fear based. Entrepreneurship: What does it REALLY mean? Introduction:In a world where ideas drive economies, it is no wonder that innovation and entrepreneurship are often seen as inseparable bedfellows. The governments around the world are starting to realize that in order to sustain progress and improve a country's economy, the people have to be encouraged and trained to think out-of-the-box and be constantly developing innovative products and services. The Cockroach Test Let me ask you a question? Imagine I would offer you $10 for eating 10 living cockroaches. Would you do it? Now listen, I raise the ante and offer you $100. How To Find Hot Online Business Ideas Would you like to find the key that unlocks the door to a gold-mine of online response, sales and results for your business?It seems obvious that you would be able to see what the experts do differently when locating market opportunities, finding out what people want and quickly turning that into an online business generating truckloads of cash. The reality is YOU CAN'T!While the secret is massive in it's impact, it is so subtle - so subtle that you are sure to miss it if you don't know what to look for. Increasing Business BIGTIME with a Successful Referral System What I've discovered from most of my small business clients is that most would prefer to build their business through referrals rather than through direct mail, advertising in newspapers, radio, TV. However, most leave the referrals to a somewhat chaotic, unplanned approach. Lessons Learned from Successful Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurs are a special breed of high achievers. They create things, get things started: businesses, clubs, churches, associations, even nations. Are You Ready To Be Your Own Boss? You have this burning desire you want to be on your own. The temptation is so great that you want to quit your job. Time Management Tips for Solo Entrepreneurs Does it seem like everyone and everything is vying for your attention all at once? It can be hard for solo entrepreneurs to know what to do first, let alone try to find the time to get caught up. Here are some time management tips that will help you to stay on top of it all:1. Traits and Skills of Successful Internet Entrepreneurs There are certain traits and skills that many successful online entrepreneurs have in common. Some mentioned in this article may seem simple, but don't overlook their importance. ... in Pursuing the American Dream This morning I woke up at 4:30 in the morning, as usual, poured myself a cup of coffee, as usual, and thought about what my son said to me yesterday evening. You see, he's 2 1/2 years old and talking quite well, for his age. Independent Auto Detail Shop VS Biz Op or Franchise Owning a detail shop can be an exciting and rewarding business indeed. Many times an owner of an independent Detailing Shop will wish to add those items he/she believes their customers want. How Entrepreneurs Make Money Selling Global Brands On and Off-line Did you know that thousands of companies from all over the world are looking for enthusiastic individuals to represent their products overseas? That person can be you. From Chinese toys to Brazilian bikinis people are making money reselling all kinds of products for a profit.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
