Small business startup advice – SmallBusinessVoodoo.com

How often have I spoken to entrepreneurs with a sound idea and a willing investor who spend too much time trying to get the best deal out of the investor,  losing track on creating value from the good ideas that brought them together in the first place . This is a typical question:

Question:

I currently own 70% of Company X Ltd and have 20% against a loan note for about £3K. The other 10% can be brought back for £2.5K-£5K.  I also own 50% of Company Y Ltd. The question goes on to explain the relationship between the two companies, then continues: I feel that if I could structure my situation better, I may be able to retain ownership and a larger slice of the pie. If you have any ideas on how I could structure my situation, that would be great.

Answer:

At the moment you have no value. Everything exists as ideas or shell companies or partnership agreements or something else.  Nothing is earning any money for you currently.  Spending time trying to maximise your share of something with no value has little value either. Read more »

I’m sorry to be the first to break this to you but your small business ideas are worth diddlysquat.

I know that comes as a shock because you were relying on at least one of them to provide for your pension.

Everyone at some stage in life has at least one Read more »