It is really hard to get excited about the current economic climate. While it is technically in a period of recovery, it is the most sluggish recovery in modern times. U.S. GNP growth sputtered along at a clip of +1.2% in the second quarter[i]. Ho hum. Our future prospects are about as clear the drinking […]

It sounds like a script from a bad Tom Cruise movie. Eventually the dangerous machines become capable of limitless artificial intelligence and take over the world, only to be outsmarted by some heroic member of the human race. At this point in their evolution, robots have crossed a threshold. To date, robots have been used […]

There are 27 million closely held businesses in the US and it is estimated that there are roughly 5 Million baby boomer business owners. Many of them face a dilemma in years ahead: sell the business or pass it on to their heirs. Only about a third of US businesses make it to a second […]

They say about bankruptcy, that companies tend to fail slowly, and then suddenly. An eerily similar course of events seemed to play out in 2008, as a domino effect paralyzed the global economy. I am no alarmist, and in fact believe there is plenty of opportunity to make money in this environment. Yet the global […]

Free trade is one the polarizing issues magnified during the Presidential race. It is viewed as one of the pillars of capitalism. Ironically, the first meaningful free trade agreement signed by the U.S. and an impoverished nation was the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA was signed by President Clinton with Mexico and Canada […]

Inflation is kind of like consuming chocolate cake, you definitely want enough, and definitely do not want too much.  High inflation is crippling to consumers who cannot afford more expensive staples like food and toilet paper. Low inflation causes a myriad of problems, including constraining the ability of companies to pass on price increases. Low […]

Companies who execute well are those who keep their strategy front and center. They create a rhythm and cadence for balancing long-term planning with short-term results. The executives at Amazon review their strategy every Tuesday. Most of our mid-market clients meet quarterly to update their strategy based on changing market conditions. Many entrepreneurs in smaller […]

The market for initial public offerings (IPOs) has suddenly cooled. Venture investment slowed 30% in Q4 (compared to Q3)[i]. One might wonder if this reflects a rationalization of the broader M&A (mergers and acquisitions) market. Yet the bigger problem is there is no logical standard for valuations in today’s climate. Consider Warren Buffet’s acquisition of […]

We spend a lot of time with clients, analyzing their industries and trying to predict the external threats that could impact their businesses. Yet the most serious threats can come from within. In the Art of War, Sun Tzu said “know yourself and you will win all battles.” Failure to build the capabilities required to […]