Dr. Earl R. Smith II

Key technology areas in the next administration will be those that enable the government performance, healthcare, environmental, and homeland security priorities shared among the Presidential candidates. According to a recent report from INPUT, the authority on government business, these policy areas show promise for contractors looking to tighten solution portfolios because they rely so heavily on technology.

One of the most frustrating things about getting a business off the ground, up and running, is the money chase. There seems to be no end to the meetings without tangible results or the polite ‘don’t call us, we’ll call you’ responses to a polished and passionate presentation.

I recently sat in on a gab fest of entrepreneurs and wannabee entrepreneurs. The subject of investors and how best to approach them came up and I was taken aback by what I heard.

Many of my engagements begin with a phone call from an investor. Most often they are concerned that the company they funded is in real trouble and/or is teetering on the brink.

Anybody who runs a blog gets posted comments from these slugs. Mostly they are SEO consultants who have sold some dumb smuck on the proposition that their business will bloom if only they will pay to have ‘links’ established to their website. But those of us who are on the receiving end of this SEO rain know better.

Very few entrepreneurs take the time to really study their company from the perspective of an investor. Those that do are often initially frustrated by what they see as a heartless and antiseptic assessment of the object of their passion and dedication.

After the rush of figuring out a new idea for your business and pulling together a team to run it, one challenge faces all entrepreneurs. They must find the necessary financial resources. For some, the ‘money hunt’ can come to dominate their activities.

Most founders think that the process of selling their company is the most difficult – but that is not the principal reason that companies do not transact. Unfortunately, many founders discover much too late that they are the reason.

Change is a fundamental and unavoidable part of life. Sometimes there is more change and sometimes that change presents much more difficult challenges. During those times, companies need to adapt more quickly and more surely to new realities.

Most M&A transactions fail to close for reasons that do not relate to the structure, timing or fairness of the deal. In fact, the emotional state of the principal seller is a far more potent factor than any thing that the lawyers or accountant might focus on.