Which is More Valuable: Capital or a Crystal Ball?
What does the average Entrepreneur want most? Before you scream “More capital!” as the typical visceral response, consider the deeper implications that our Economy Heroes face concerning crucial decisions for an uncertain future. Over the past two years I’ve heard them ask the same questions time and again; seldom about money, or the lack thereof.
Most arm chair economists believe that capital is the hammer that should slam every strategic “nail”. But research with thousands of companies over the course of two decades reveals that, although adequate funding is an inevitable necessity to growth, Entrepreneurs would be better served with revelations from their company’s Corporate Crystal Ball (if they had one) than immediate Capital.
If Entrepreneurs could cup their hands around their company’s Crystal Ball, what would they want it reveal? How about the answers to these questions:
“What is the REAL condition of my company?”
“How misaligned is my leadership team on critical issues?”
“Am I building company wealth by my decisions?”
“What future landmines am I missing?”
“What is my company’s Value Proposition?”
“Do I have the right people in the right positions in order to grow to the next level?”
“Will the company make more money at higher volumes?”
“Do we have enough capital to grow?” (ok they do ask this question too)
Entrepreneurs need a Crystal Ball that is both indicative (present condition) and predictive (future results) in order to make crucial decisions now that impact future performance. They need a powerful solution that will equip them to control their company’s destiny.
Can I tell you a secret? I may not look like a Freakonomic Gypsy, but I know where to find your company’s Crystal Ball. Are buckets full of duckets close to your financial fore-token? Maybe not, but I’ll bet you’re more interested in what the Ball reveals than where the coins are buried.
A Tale of Three Economy Heroes
Economy Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. They come from different families, different cultures and different resources. They’re men and women who voraciously take the risks required to maintain surface tension on our country’s innovation, generate jobs and keep us in the hunt with our world’s economy.
Are there categories of heroes? Patternicity is a term that is gaining ground in social and business vernacular. At its core, Patternicity describes the search for patterns, such that some patterns are real and some are not. I believe their are patterns in how Entrepreneurs are both “born” and “made” in this great capitalistic society of ours. I’d like to tell you a short tale, in fact three short tales of individuals that represent the primary categories of Economy Heroes. The stories represent real heroes; only the names have been changed.
The Natural (Julie) - She started with a paper route in the 4th grade (the age when most entrepreneurs surface by the way – future post). She created several concert events in high school with live bands that paid for her first year of college tuition. She didn’t pursue a degree in college – she only took classes that contributed to her academic portfolio for a future 
business. During her first break at school she sold for Southwestern, hawking books door to door in the blazing heat of an unfamiliar metro area. She won top honors for summer sales. After taking all pertinent classes Julie placed a down payment on a duplex and worked nights to repair it to perfection.
Fast-forward fifteen years. Julie’s business and her employees have survived and thrived through all swings in the commercial real estate industry. She doesn’t need to work; her most recent purchase was a 140 foot Hatteras parked in the Caribbean. And as she looks out over the water from her 8500 square foot condo thirty stories up, she spins the mental plates of her next seven commercial deals.
The Fighter (Todd). His step-father grabbed his shoulders shook him at age fourteen, shouting that he was white trash and would never amount to anything. From that moment Todd determined he would get the hell out of that house as fast as he could. He would become financially independent ASAP and eventually prove to that S.O.B. that he was dead wrong about his step-son. Todd paid his way through school and with bulldog tenacity graduated magna cum laude with an MBA and his Physician Assistant license. His anger and energy ran deep. He worked several years for an orthopedic surgeon before proving his business acumen by helping the CEO with a few critical decisions on expanding the practice. When the CEO decided to move on, Todd stepped in and grew the practice from 17 million to 70 million in 7 years; he currently employs over 200 people. During his reign as CEO he also invested in numerous companies and land deals on the side, acting as corporate leader by day and rogue entrepreneur by night. He was a millionaire many times over before he turned 40, but he ended every day with the same phrase, “Well I’m still employed.” He proved the S.O.B. wrong and he never let his Physician Assistant license expire.
The Bounced (Ken). After working with International Harvester as top sales person worldwide for 25 years, Ken was bounced into unemployment via company reorganization. He knew what he knew best – selling a gigantic, all wheel drive strip mining truck. This hunk of powerhouse machinery was so large you could almost stand inside one of its tires. So Ken, the truck engineer and the truck business manager mortgaged their homes and secured a $10 million loan to purchase both truck and parts business from IH. For the next ten years Ken and his cohorts worked 24/7, traveling around the world looking for deals and dealers. They negotiated and re-negotiated loans with “the man”, and enjoyed every minute of it. A much larger competitor eventually bought both truck and parts business just to get them out of the market. Ken now travels the world with his wife, but he misses the life he experienced after the “bounce.”
I’m sure there are more categories of Entrepreneurs than the Natural, the Fighter and the Bounced; but thankful are we that these heroes used their innate ability as well as their resiliency and tenacity to build enterprise in this great nation of ours. They, and our other Economy Heroes, deserve our support to clear the path and get our of their way so that they continue to do what they do best – CREATE JOBS!
Brent Sapp
