Posts by Alastair Thompson
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Update:
Ange: Interesting question "helps maintain the readiness to spot opportunities, innovate and take risks?" The answer is definitely not business stress - but then when our businesses are under these stresses insight and innovation is what is required. Perhaps in theory we should be concentrating on our knitting in circumstances like this but in fact we tend to chase the cash. I am in twoo minds.
Icehawk: I would agree that landlords pushing to up the rent in circumstances like this should be opposed. Practically speaking sometimes its easier said than done. Maybe someone has some tips for strategies for dealing with greedy landlords?
Rich of Observationz: That is very very true. Scoop had during its growth phase 2004-2007 been not exactly poetic about finance - but neither had we been precise. Last year we implemented a standards compliant accounting system which (like Xero) produces an up to the minute balance sheet, P&L and clear and transparent reports on creditors and debtors. The difference that having a proper hold of what your ACTUAL FINANCIAL POSITION is cannot be overstated. It is the difference between sleepless nights and regular anxiety. On your second point - the plowing on regardless - clearly there is a touch point beyond which a business should not venture. I am not sure where that touch point is. Some canny people manage to pull rabbits out of hats at the last minute but that is not in my view a business strategy.
Andrew Llewellyn: Sounds like you have been following a similar approach to us.
DeepRed. Looks like good advice (I haven't read the link) but it is certainly true that when you are in a position when you need greater performance from your staff it makes little sense to stress them out by making them worry about job security. Especially if quality of performance and customer relations is a KPI.
Supplejack: Your experience with collaboration lines up nicely with mine. In very many sectors I expect that there are lots of small players working essentially alongside each other in a pond dominated by some big sharks. It can take a bit of getting your head around but the minnows really are safer when they stick together. (& Andrew - far too many of em compete on the sly --- I wonder often whether my trusting nature is likely to get me into trouble - on balance I think not.)
Rod: Hi. True dat. We have found it very difficult to get into debt here at Scoop. Seems the banks have a checklist that reads something like: Online company (Big black cross). Small (Big black cross). Media company (triple big black cross.) And as you say it does mean that in circumstances like this we are relatively less vulnerable than say most manufacturers (and retailers) who often do carry debt and stock.
Stuart: I used to work at home (for five years - office in the lounge and staff in the shed)and I would definitely say that I prefer working in an office. That said a home working environment has a bunch of beneficial financial effects. You can charge the company rent, pay part of the phone and power etc out of company expenses and commuting is a breeze. OTOH… its not too good for the waistline being so close to a well stocked fridge and not needing to walk any distance to get to the workstation.
al
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Welcome everybody,
Stephen: Thanks for your kind remarks
Catherine: Great to see you
Blake: That is indeed very sound advice. Creditors tend to be fairly understanding and reasonable in the current circumstances as long as they are not mucked about. I guess its pretty much a case of putting yourselves in their shoes and considering how you would act. A creditor who is speaking to you and who agrees to a payment plan is much better than one who doesn't take your accountants calls.
Hillary: That’s an interesting idea. I personally do not have a lot of experience in the NGO charity area but there maybe others that do. I expect that NGOs and charities have some special characteristics that they can draw on to survive - goodwill reserves in particular are likely well stocked. Overall the basics will be the same however - get the costs and especially regular overheads down as quickly as possible.
Charles: I hope you are wrong but it is certainly prudent to assume that you are correct and that we are in this for the long haul.
Stephen: One of the very difficult issues for small business owners is maintaining a cheery and optimistic demeanor in front of staff when things are rapidly deteriorating behind the scenes. I would be very interested in others experience around this. A sense of common purpose helps obviously. While putting a brave face on things seems like the best strategy staff have a tendency to know what is really going on. That’s a curly one you have raised there.
Don: Collaboration is something Scoop has been exploring as rapidly as possible. We have had some successes and some failures. There is an element of wearing your heart on your sleeve when you move to collaborate with people - and as you say Don - here in NZ there is often a tendency for people to read a desire to collaborate as a sign of weakness. The idea of forums to discuss ways to work together is a great idea. In principal
Jon: I think you are correct about NZ small businesses already being very lean. One of the things we found was that although we thought we were very lean - we still managed to cut a lot more. Admittedly we were assisted by some timely staff attrition.
Paul: That's great. However I would very much encourage you to save up some reserves while things are going well.
Ange: Will get to you interesting remarks in my next post….
Everybody: This is a great start!
Regards
Alastair -
Just read the lot myself. Fascinating indeedy.Sounds like a very very intense few weeks.
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Dear Graeme,
I think it would be very helpful to post your original piece and this followup on Scoop with links back to this thread for further discussion. It very usefully adds to what I distributed last night via the Sludge Report #180. Its not too late to correct if there is anything wrong in the IANAL oppinions threin :)
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0710/S00341.htm
I would also be interested to know:
1. the legal elements of a collective posession of a fiream conviction against a group under 45(1)b of the Arms Act.
2. the typical length of and uses of interception warrants in criminal prosecutions.
3. what procedure precisely the Attorney General will have to follow in order to arrive at his decision on whether to grant leave for TSA charges to be laid. Does he have to/ is he able to apply a standard of proof threshold in making his decision? What does he need to consider? Can he ask questions? Can he ignore answers?
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Thanks for this.
My question is this. If not the TSA then what enactment would you think has been used to get the interception warrants. The Arms Act? Is it normal for interception warrants to be used for extended periods i.e. 15 months?
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"I will eat your soul"...
A far better class of advice to talkback callers.
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Simon:
If Americans are required to accept that Libby could not be convicted for his alleged actual crimes (ie in law he's innocent), then they also have to accept that he was properly convicted and sentenced for his other crimes.
What does this sentence mean? If you mean to say that because Libby has not been convicted of treason he's innocent of it. If so then that is a very long bow to draw.
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Simon:
I'm of two minds over this. I'm no friend of the Bush administration at all but I agree with the earlier statement that the use of perjury in the US system to pursue alleged perpetrators of associated crimes when no route to a conviction can be found in other ways, smells badly.
I think that remark is what led to my sarchastic remark. To compare Fitzgerald to McCarthy is a long bow. But doubtless one which James will be happy to draw.
That said I am sorry now I snapped at you. Re reading the above I see that you are clearly a cynical realist with a knack for playing the devils advocate. Craig is the one that is prone on occasion to calling for moderation.... but if you look closely you will see it was he who introduced the term sock puppet to to the discussion.
P.S. Loved the creative use of F**k in a manner calculated not to offend.
James:
Good to see you holding your corner.
As for the 2006 election. Things have improved markedly since the mid-terms and the Democratic Congress and Pelosi Speakership. They would be even better if the craven democratic leadership hadn't caved on Iraq war funding... but the fact that there was a showdown does give the impression that they are growing a spine.
Leahey's promise to charge the White House with contempt is the beginning of the path to impeachment of * and cheney as I am sure you are aware.
As for other toturing regimes the problem - that clearly escapes your attention - is that when the US who preaches human rights and freedom, tortures detains and murders, they set a very bad example.
And finally a question:
Do you actually like elected leaders who consider themselvesabove the law? Would you be happy if Bush actually crowned himself emperor ? Where do you draw the line? What would make you lose faith in the Dim Son.
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Right then. On the subject of wood trees and sock puppeteering.
The wood and the trees argument related to the fact that discounting Libby's sentence because he wasn't charged with an espionage crime is missing the story. You think that this is a relevant fact. I think its not. You think its the wood. I think its the trees.
Libby is Cheney's right hand sock puppet.
Cheney Bush et al lied the world into a disastrous war using the threat of nucular war as the bait - joseph wilson pointed this out - and then Libby as Cheney's good sock puppet (and Bush's too he was in fact designated an assistant to the president) enacted revenge against Wilson by destroying his wifes career - not to mention undermining her anti WMD covert operation.
This is a cowardly craven piece of toadery of the highest order.
When the fact that outing Valerie Plame was probably a national security crime The President then said he would look for the leaker. Instead he and his crew lied their heads off to cover their tracks.
Eventually libby took a bullet for his bosses and now when he is facing jail time - and possibly thinking about avoiding it by finally telling the truth and getting a deal - GWB pardons him.
To characterise this as trivial is silly.
To do so using the White Houses's own talking points is simply lazy.
To do so within minutes of the news appearing does indeed appear to be a course of action not dissimilar to that you might expect from sock puppet.
Robust debate is I believe the purpose of this forum. And in my mind People should not rush off appealing to the moderators every time someone makes a sarcastic observation.
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Another bush impression Simon....
Bravo.