Forbes Bogus Biz Plan Contest

Today is the last day to enter

That is, if, your business model is from like the 1980s... did you notice the last question to qualify?

"Does the company have at least one salaried employee (besides the owner)?"

Bogus

Sorry Forbes magazine... but you got it wrong. The contest was a great idea. I thought that today I would spend the time to enter... the $100k suggests that it would be a worthy use of my limited time. But I was wrong.

As I have mentioned before, I have been reading Forbes since my exit from the Marine Corps (lets just say over twenty something years ago). I thought Malcolm was mostly brilliant and Steve has been coming along nicely... {grin}

If you are a startup today, and have any salaried employees, you probably won't make it (IMNSHO). In 1989 I learned that dog won't hunt. When I launched eDivision.net LLC in 1998, it was obvious that employees were like boat anchors: just one more fixed expense to hold you back.

For the most part, the most passionate folks are not seeking a paycheck... at least not the ones that I want on my team. I would rather my team members work a "day job" like Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria Parker did at Wendy's. Then give me some creative efforts in their off hours.

Maybe I should launch my own contest... with the proper entry rules to help ensure that my participants get started on the right foot... making intelligent decisions that will help thrust them to greater rewards faster than their competition... but I digress.

Forbes: color me disappointed.


-ski

P.S. If you would have qualified for the contest otherwise, drop me a note. Let's chat.

----
Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.throughput.us
+1 330 432-3533

tag: Forbes Magazine
©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

Home Title Insurance Fight

The Point of Beginning

Reading the April 7, 2008 issue of Forbes magazine, I noticed a small article on the title settlement industry:

Title Fight (scroll down the page slightly)

Once upon a time, I worked for a very gifted settlement industry guru by the name of Perry Hamilton. He solved this problem. But nobody cared.

"Title insurance firms rake in $18 billion a year for a product that is outdated, largely unneeded and protected by law, we wrote."
— Forbes Magazine

Wrong. Most of you know Les Brown. My favorite motivational speaker. The story I heard was that he bought a house from a friend, failed to buy the title insurance, and then lost his money and the house when the rightful owner came forward. Ouch.

If I were Steve Forbes, and he knew what I know about this industry, he would contact Perry Hamilton ASAP for a great story... and for the opportunity to champion the real fix for the cause of waste in the settlement industry:

Fee Simple Hosting

I was working for Perry as he started this adventure some years ago. His efforts at Condell & Co. via his various publications and events helped raise the professionalism in the industry. Those in the industry know that the article quotes bogus margins of 86% to 89%. Yes, they have unusual reporting metrics (using the term commission very loosely), but the real problem is waste. Perry Hamilton and a small team invented a better solution.

But the major players have yet to adopt his "Universal File Sharing" of policies.

That is the real crime.


Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
Throughput.us LLC
(330) 432-3533

P.S. I recall suggesting an Open Source solution, but Perry demanded the legitimacy of an IBM to help persuade the big boys. Five years later, we know that has yet to help. Maybe time to revisit the technology players? Especially in the light of Sun and Jonathan Schwartz' purchase of mySql...

Perry: if there is anything I can do to help, let me know.

©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.