Can you really catch a falling knife?
Posted on 14. Feb, 2012 in Kirchner Blog
There are probably almost as many investment strategies as there are investors. Coming from a public markets background one of my ‘favourites’ was ‘never try and catch a falling knife’. The concept, of course, is that if a stock is falling rapidly you ought to be extremely careful if you are looking to buy or
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Take the Money When It’s Offered
Posted on 31. Jan, 2012 in Kirchner Blog
Early-stage financing is difficult, no question. Finding investors that understand the opportunity, are convinced that their risk is warranted given the potential reward, and getting investors to the point of putting a term sheet in place can be Herculean tasks separately, and even more challenging in concert. When businesses overcome that initial challenge but struggle
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Sacrifice and Copulating Spiders
Posted on 17. Jan, 2012 in Kirchner Blog
Most of us know the story of the black widow spider. After a bout of wild sex, the spent male serves as the female’s post-fling snack. However, some spiders take the notion of “sacrifice” to a whole other level. During copulation as insemination nears, the male Australian redback spider flips into a position where he
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Uncertainty: The Silent Killer
Posted on 03. Jan, 2012 in Kirchner Blog
I was told many years ago about a study that showed that the single greatest source of stress in the workplace is uncertainty. Unreasonable workloads, interpersonal conflict, intractable expectations by managers – none of these have the same effect as wondering what’s going on or what will happen next. This makes sense when you think
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Corporate Citizenship
Posted on 07. Dec, 2011 in Kirchner Blog
We at Kirchner Private Capital Group are very proud of our Corporate Citizenship. During tough economic times such as these we feel it is critical to continue to support charitable organizations as their efforts often become even more important. Each year we are pleased to make a donation to the Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation
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The Compass and the Map
Posted on 29. Nov, 2011 in Kirchner Blog
I had a case where the investors, worried about the lack of profitability of a software company that, on the face of it, should have been producing substantial profits. When we dug into it, we concluded that the founder/CEO had not paid sufficient attention to strategic planning, and as a natural extension, profitability at a
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Managing and Measuring
Posted on 15. Nov, 2011 in Kirchner Blog
When the most fundamental truths about operating a successful company are repeated and repeated, they are seen as trite and can be ignored. The one I’m thinking about today is, “You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure.” A mantra oft recited. Yet somehow, regularly missed in the operation of small- and mid-cap companies. Companies that
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The Sprinkler in the Rain Storm
Posted on 01. Nov, 2011 in Kirchner Blog
Everyone at KPCG is a seasoned professional. We have literally spent years in the trenches “being there” and “doing that”. So we have seen and now recognize a lot of patterns. In looking at businesses that seem to have gone off-track, we rely heavily on pattern recognition. Sometimes the patterns are obvious. However, sometimes the
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Chord Shapes
Posted on 28. Oct, 2011 in Kirchner Blog
We’re asked all the time what the secret is to our success in helping companies operating off-plan to get back on track and flourish. The answer, as you would imagine, lies in our experience. But more specifically, it relates to the transferability of our experience. What I mean by that is this: over long careers,
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Raising Growth Capital is not only about Maximizing Valuation
Posted on 17. Oct, 2011 in Kirchner Blog
A business owner recently told me that he was in discussions with a venture capital firm regarding a potential investment in his business. He said he liked the partner he was dealing with and he felt the person was very sincere in his interest to invest. With this background, the owner asked me, “If his
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