"What's your price?"

If you owned something and you had control of something that was worth more than multiple millions and you believed that you could do more good with that which you owned long term if you controlled it would you sell it for mere cash to people who simply wanted to have control? Would you give it up for cash and the comforts that cash can buy?

I was simply asked, "what's your price?" And told "everyone has one, what's yours?".

At the right price, isn't it reasonable to conclude you could actually do more good with the money than the asset itself, assuming that doing good is indeed the priority?
Supposing that the guy had brought in an actual offer other than a dishonest "what's your price?" Considering the entire situation at that moment I would have possibly said let's talk it over and work out a viable deal. I doubt it but it could have been possible.

If you know that you can either sell something for x amount or keep it and grow it into a viable job source for others not controlled by a mega corporation has been a choice for many small businesses. I look at and see that the pie will only slice into x amount of pieces. When you sell it all to the corporates who take theirs first and think of everyone else as peons and secondary I think we have a major problem.

A product that cost a dollar to make owned by corporates now has to sell for six to fifteen in order to support all of the management people and the investors. When cost get cut corporates do not cut their pay first. One privately owned company can pay their employees and support their community locally verses spreading it around to ten thousand or more investors and ten managers that do not live in the local area.

In that case you've asked a question that only you can answer.

I'd rarely if ever fault anyone for selling a business they've built.
 
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100 billion dollars
 
I'd rarely if ever fault anyone for selling a business they've built.
Not implying any fault there for selling a business. Then again if all of those who have been given a gift and the ability to build and operate a business sells out what is left? I had a friend ask me in confidence about my opinion of him selling his business to a large corporate. I had to tell him it could only be decided by him if that is what he wanted. We cannot make another's choice for them. As it is with all choices we make, we make those choices based on the best information we have available to us.
 
I'd rarely if ever fault anyone for selling a business they've built.
Not implying any fault there for selling a business. Then again if all of those who have been given a gift and the ability to build and operate a business sells out what is left? I had a friend ask me in confidence about my opinion of him selling his business to a large corporate. I had to tell him it could only be decided by him if that is what he wanted. We cannot make another's choice for them. As it is with all choices we make, we make those choices based on the best information we have available to us.

my wife and I would like our business to continue as an owner operated entity after we retire.

We take great pride in our business and what we do so we are hoping to eventually have some of our employees interested in taking ownership stakes and possibly retaining a small percentage (20%) after we retire.

that said, it might not happen. We might not be able to sell or we might have to sell to a larger company.

I never rule out any possibility while planning for our desired outcome because life throwing a curve ball at you is as inevitable as death.

Begin with the end in mind but always have a plan B, C, D and E
 
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If you owned something and you had control of something that was worth more than multiple millions and you believed that you could do more good with that which you owned long term if you controlled it would you sell it for mere cash to people who simply wanted to have control? Would you give it up for cash and the comforts that cash can buy?

I was simply asked, "what's your price?" And told "everyone has one, what's yours?".


FWIW, I turned down the opportunity to "go public" with Rosetta before the dotcom bust.


So let's say that I probably turned down the opportunity to make a couple mill, personally.

I did it because I KNEW that what Rosetta does (and what I'm strill planning on doing with it, too) would never be a viable educational for-profit business.

The person who would have set up the deal knew that, too.

He thought I was nuts for caring that:

1. Every investor would lose their shirt; when
2. Rosetta went out of business.

Now, had I thought that the business model might have supported my project as a for-profit undertaking, I certainly would have gone public with it.

I have no objection to being affluent, and if it could have worked as a for-profit, that would have been the right thing to do.

I just don't want to screw people in the process -- not even people I'd have never met.
 
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worth more than multiple millions? You couldn't do squat with that, so I say sell if they offer more then it's worth.
Look at Bill Gates, he's got $50 billion to spend for good. He ain't done shit that I know of yet, except maybe give some poor kids computers, so they can eventually pay for an upgrade to Windows Bloz 2010.

just a suggestion, but before you make a statement like that, you might want to look at

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

and i think they control Buffet's Foundation, too, but wouldn't swear to it.

I hope you have the opportunity to do 1/1,000th of what they do
 
I'd rarely if ever fault anyone for selling a business they've built.
Not implying any fault there for selling a business. Then again if all of those who have been given a gift and the ability to build and operate a business sells out what is left? I had a friend ask me in confidence about my opinion of him selling his business to a large corporate. I had to tell him it could only be decided by him if that is what he wanted. We cannot make another's choice for them. As it is with all choices we make, we make those choices based on the best information we have available to us.

my wife and I would like our business to continue as an owner operated entity after we retire.

We take great pride in our business and what we do so we are hoping to eventually have some of our employees interested in taking ownership stakes and possibly retaining a small percentage (20%) after we retire.

that said, it might not happen. We might not be able to sell or we might have to sell to a larger company.

I never rule out any possibility while planning for our desired outcome because life throwing a curve ball at you are as inevitable as death.

Begin with the end in mind but always have a plan B, C, D and E
In any type business you cannot say what will happen tomorrow. A small business owner takes it one day at a time. There are so many variables that you face everyday and the resentment that some people can get is such a kicker. When we decided it was time to take a break I offered my daughter and uncle the business we were in before coming here they both told me it was more work than they wanted to do or could handle. Even though they ran the company for six months with that choice given of owning it they opted out. When you own something you own the headaches that comes with it whatever it is.

Personally even though we are dirt poor at the moment I can't picture trying something again still. To me if it can all be stolen from you so fast and furious with no regard for our law in this land and our supposed civil liberties by officials, at the moment I do not care to do a repeat.
 
I just don't want to screw people in the process -- not even people I'd have never met.
I do believe seventy percent of peeps would be with you in those thoughts. It is that thirty percent that sell their souls for a buck that we need to get a line on to get it all back on track.
 

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