Aldersgate Advisors
10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.
11 "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
12 "He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
13 "He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.
14 "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,
15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
John 10: 10 - 15
Entrepreneurs
Our corporate services are not limited to large corporations either. In fact, frequently it is the smaller more nimble company that can really benefit from a competitive information advantage.
“Intellectual integrity? A somewhat threadbare phrase. It's used to describe all kinds of traits. I mean it as the ability to see the world as it is, not as you want it to be.” Peter Drucker
The entrepreneur, is the eternal optimist of the American economy. He has to be to endure. Yet relatively few in the financial community appreciate or understand the unique characteristics and needs of the entrepreneur.
With characteristics of both investors and corporations, small business owners face special challenges as well. As an individual of high net worth, the successful business owner frequently has problems of liquidity. He almost solely bears personally responsibility for the losses of the business while sharing the profits through employee and management incentives, bonuses and pensions.
One minute, they may have huge cash surpluses and a positive net worth, the next none. They require and demand constant high levels of service with the primary emphasis upon the needs of the business.
The financial community in general, is all too eager to take their money in the good times only to abandon the entrepreneur when he needs financial assistance.
The entrepreneur's ever changing and complex financial needs - financing for new equipment, for lines of credit, for building programs, international transactions, investment, asset protection, etc..... must evolve with changes in market conditions, competition, technology, international trade, and global regulations.
Successful entrepreneurs frequently work 12 to 14 hours per day addressing the daily demands of their business - customer, employee, regulatory, and vendor issues. And while they are conversant with cash flow, and financial terms, few are financial or sales oriented.
It is difficult if not impossible for successful entrepreneurs, who routinely work 12 to 14 hours per day "putting out fires" to keep abreast of all the changing factors which will impact their business in the future. This lack of time and financial expertise forces
them to rely on others to develop financial and investment plans for their business and personal needs.
Over reliance upon a small, closely knit group of business associates and financial advisors, frequently including, bankers, attorneys and CPA's can actually be an impediment to wealth maximization for the entrepreneurs by making them especially susceptible to the phenomenon of "groupthink" and the "halo effect".
For example, many small business owners rely upon attorneys, CPAs, bankers and other advisors for general business and investment advice which is actually beyond their training and expertise. Even the best attorneys CPAs, and bankers have difficulties keeping abreast of all of the changes in the law, tax statutes, and general daily operations associated with their own business.
Not only does this lead to lower financial returns and lowered profitability for the investor and business owner, but it is compounded exponentially by the advisors’ and group members’ reliance upon misinformation.
Very few of the most common types of advisors can keep up with all of the information necessary for their own business, much less yours - or to critically analyze the value of all the information which may affect you and your financial well being.
There is just too much information. Besides, few managers and advisors have the necessary training to critically analyze the sources of public information, and even fewer can produce an information advantage via creating proprietary information.
The specifics of the many methods in which we can help are as diverse as each client is unique - each requiring with their own special solutions for their circumstances.
Whether it is identifying business opportunities, preparing investment models new investments, long range planning and strategic think, developing Internet strategies, creating bankruptcy reorganization plans, economic and financial analysis for
banks, investment analysis for venture capitalists, private economic and financial advice for individuals, we can help you achieve an information advantage in this information / technology driven economy.
Regardless of the size of the client or project, our ultimate responsibility is to maximize shareholder value. In one form or another, this is accomplished, at least in part, by using better information to anticipate and predict future market conditions to place you in
superior positions to take advantage of upcoming events.