What you did today

[Calax]

I spent the day reviewing a new job bid and finalizing design on the Louisville airport project. Now I'm going to veg out watching animal shows on the Smithsonian channel before baseball comes on.

I swear to god you need to get something going with the Des Moines Airport... Their only internet is "Boingo hotspots" and I have umpteen passengers asking for my internet every day while at work.

 

new meds, Cat is firmly attached to me, to the point where he doesn't want to go outside anymore (if he does it's only while standing quite firmly on my shoulders).

[Guard Dog]

Oh I'd love to. It would be the biggest one yet. But we may be out of this business before I get the chance

[Gfted1]

That doesn't sound good GD.

[LadyCrimson]

Errands ... gaming. Errands ... gaming. Gosh, such a hard decision.

[Guard Dog]

That doesn't sound good GD.

It could be both good and bad. The company we completed the Simon Mall project has made an offer to buy our company. We're still discussing it. I'm inclined to turn it down because we are really moving now. we have 17 active projects and bids on more. Were profitable now. To do that within two years of a start up is both exciting and more than a little lucky. But some of our partners are what you'd call venture capitalists and are ready to move on to other things. I'd like to keep this going and I love the work.

[Walsingham]

 

That doesn't sound good GD.

It could be both good and bad. The company we completed the Simon Mall project has made an offer to buy our company. We're still discussing it. I'm inclined to turn it down because we are really moving now. we have 17 active projects and bids on more. Were profitable now. To do that within two years of a start up is both exciting and more than a little lucky. But some of our partners are what you'd call venture capitalists and are ready to move on to other things. I'd like to keep this going and I love the work.

 

 

I have to say I'd sell.

[Guard Dog]

 

 

That doesn't sound good GD.

It could be both good and bad. The company we completed the Simon Mall project has made an offer to buy our company. We're still discussing it. I'm inclined to turn it down because we are really moving now. we have 17 active projects and bids on more. Were profitable now. To do that within two years of a start up is both exciting and more than a little lucky. But some of our partners are what you'd call venture capitalists and are ready to move on to other things. I'd like to keep this going and I love the work.

 

 

I have to say I'd sell.

 

I'd rather not. I'd come out of this pretty ok. I'd get a 39% return on my seed capital after just two years. Nothing wrong with that. Plus a two year contract to complete all projects currently in design. And we are all only too aware that we are offering a service that is becoming less and less valuable with 4G LTE cellular service offering equivalent BW without the hang ups and security risks of public access wi-fi. Plus there is market saturation to consider. We came late to the game and have been selling in smaller cities and less developed areas but at some point there will just be no more business to be had. And we are hardly the only company that offers this service. Although there are few "one-stop-shops". But I think if we wait a year or two, continue to grow, and the see what our options are we'd be better off. But it may not be up to me. We'll just have to see how it works out. In the mean time there is still a lot of work to do.

[Hurlshort]

You've convinced me to sell, GD

[Guard Dog]

Well, those were just the pros Hurlie. There are cons too. Not the least of which is they don't want our employees, they want our customers. The design guys (including me) would be retained as contractors until all current work is completed but for everyone else that is pretty much it. I guess I'll have to update the old resume and start looking at Linkedin & Monster again.

[Walsingham]

I approve of your loyalty to your staff, GD. I'd suggest costing up a transfer package (so to speak), training and a bonus payoff to reward them for making you successful. Include that in the sale price. If the buyers meet it, happy days. If they don't then **** them.

 

If you go this route then even if you don't sell your employees will value your effort on their behalf. Win/win.

Edited October 16, 2013 by Walsingham

[Guard Dog]

I like the ideas Wals. Unfortunately i will have little say in the final reckoning. With the exception of myself and my partners who actually own the business we have only three employees who really work for us. Those guys, well two men and one woman, none of whom I've ever met in person, will receive a severance. We've already decided on that one bit of business. They already know whats going on since they are our "office staff" such as we even have one. We also employ 14 contractors through Tek Systems. Since they are not really ours they will just be terminated.

 

The real issue here is our company does not have any real assets beyond our build contracts and ourselves. The contracts are already signed and their projects started. Our biggest expense is hardware. Since we are a small operation we buy by the project and cannot keep enough stock to buy in bulk. This is also because we custom design each project to the individual site using equipment that can be purchased for the best value in each region. So we end up paying top dollar for the hardware and have to under price our labor costs to make competitive bids. Professional network designers usually make a lot more money than i do. But I'm accepting less because every job we complete increases the value of the business and I have a stake in that. We also keep our costs low by going to companies like Tek Systems for help. The company that has offered to buy us out can provide the hardware at a fraction of the price we bid on those contracts and since they will provide their own labor and retain the designers at the same price they will get far more juice from each job than we could have squeezed.

 

It always comes down to economics. We were doing good with the means we have. but they can do better and like I said, many of my partners are wanting to move on to other things now that this is off the ground.

[WDeranged]

Today was a blistering row between my schizophrenic brother and my unwell mother, I started out mediating but my brother resorted to some really vicious insults and I ended up losing my temper pretty badly, no one got hit but it was ugly, mental health care in this country is utterly going down the tubes, we simply can't get the help we need 

[BruceVC]

I like the ideas Wals. Unfortunately i will have little say in the final reckoning. With the exception of myself and my partners who actually own the business we have only three employees who really work for us. Those guys, well two men and one woman, none of whom I've ever met in person, will receive a severance. We've already decided on that one bit of business. They already know whats going on since they are our "office staff" such as we even have one. We also employ 14 contractors through Tek Systems. Since they are not really ours they will just be terminated.

 

The real issue here is our company does not have any real assets beyond our build contracts and ourselves. The contracts are already signed and their projects started. Our biggest expense is hardware. Since we are a small operation we buy by the project and cannot keep enough stock to buy in bulk. This is also because we custom design each project to the individual site using equipment that can be purchased for the best value in each region. So we end up paying top dollar for the hardware and have to under price our labor costs to make competitive bids. Professional network designers usually make a lot more money than i do. But I'm accepting less because every job we complete increases the value of the business and I have a stake in that. We also keep our costs low by going to companies like Tek Systems for help. The company that has offered to buy us out can provide the hardware at a fraction of the price we bid on those contracts and since they will provide their own labor and retain the designers at the same price they will get far more juice from each job than we could have squeezed.

 

It always comes down to economics. We were doing good with the means we have. but they can do better and like I said, many of my partners are wanting to move on to other things now that this is off the ground.

 

GD I think you are leaving out an important bit of information around what decision you need to make..

 

"what do Steph and Tommie think"

 

[kgambit]

Spent the entire morning working with the wife on the landscaping in the side yard.    Finished a 40 foot long x 6 foot wide bed; weeded, tilled, amended the soil, rearranged and replanted a bunch of stuff and then mulched the bed.  GAK!  We're both filthy so it's going to be a long soak in the Jacuzzi and then splash down in front of the TV to watch a movie.   

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Drinking heavily and pondering what to play.

[Rosbjerg]

Drinking heavily and pondering what to play.

 

Hasn't this generally been how you've spend the last week or so? ... I approve..

[BruceVC]

 

Drinking heavily and pondering what to play.

 

Hasn't this generally been how you've spend the last week or so? ... I approve..

 

 

You 2 are very similar in that regard, " two peas in a pod" 

 

I'm sure you would get on very well if you ever met in RL

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

I've been to a few parties and was lucky enough to enjoy some more vigorus activity, but generally yes.

[Oerwinde]

Arguing with a guy on the Alternate History wikia site. He says Samsung isn't a major electronics company and without their phones wouldn't really be a blip.

[BruceVC]

Arguing with a guy on the Alternate History wikia site. He says Samsung isn't a major electronics company and without their phones wouldn't really be a blip.

 

What a moron

[Orogun01]

Arguing with a guy on the Alternate History wikia site. He says Samsung isn't a major electronics company and without their phones wouldn't really be a blip.

Buy a big ass Samsung TV and use it to clobber him to death.

[Azdeus]

I'd offer up my Samsung MP3 player, but I suspect that'd break some Geneva convention about unusually cruel weapons.

 

I'm currently using my mothers incredibly uncomfortable laptop while I'm reinstalling my main computer. For some inexplicable reason, after a crash, my network card... vanished. The computer hardware registers that the cable is in, but there is/was no communication with windows and the hardware manager could'nt find it, realteks driver installer could'nt find it, I found nothing about it on the net and as it is this is my only option.

 

I'm hoping the card is'nt busted though, that'd be annoying as hell. I would'nt be surprised though if that was the case...

[Rosbjerg]

Took some artistic pictures earlier today with a girl.. That was actually pretty interesting.

[JFSOCC]

this the mystery code girl?

[Oerwinde]

 

 

Arguing with a guy on the Alternate History wikia site. He says Samsung isn't a major electronics company and without their phones wouldn't really be a blip.

Buy a big ass Samsung TV and use it to clobber him to death.

Might be the only thing that would work. He's essentially an articulate Volourn with a history degree. He takes everything said by everyone literally, is entirely convinced that he is right even in the face of overwhelming evidence, and not just in this argument.