Alternative Investments

Cryptocurrencies du jour

When what may be the world’s foremost Banana Republic starts using a form of cryptocurrencies to raise money to finance itself you know there may be something of a bubble going on. The petro is Venezuela’s new cryptocurrency utilizing blockchain technology.  Supposedly backed by oil.  Maybe that’s just in name only.  It’s backed by oil in the sense that the Venezuelan government pegs the petro the price of oil.  You can’t exchange a petro for any actual oil.  The petro is only available from the Venezuelan government in U.S. dollars.  So the average Venezuelan cannot actually buy it since they…

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Alternative Investments

Early Stage Company Fund Raising – Initial Coin Offerings and the SEC

I’ve mentored and advised many startup and early-stage companies over the years.  The most common issue I’ve been asked to help with is fundraising.  In fact, the majority of companies that approach me to solicit help (or an organization I’m associated with) seeks a solution for this one single problem.   Often they want me to call colleagues and my network to make a direct connection with an implied recommendation. So many companies are trying to raise money.  I cannot help them all.  It is impossible.  And some shouldn’t get funding anyway.  So I have a policy.  I will provide general…

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Decision Making

Warren Buffett just released his annual shareholder letter (Feb 2018). Here is my take-away.

Here are some highlights (what I think are highlights, others may focus on other items) from Buffet’s usually iconic annual letter to shareholders. Last year was an eventful one for Warren Buffet.  A succession plan may be in the process of being implemented as two individuals were promoted to vice chairman in January 2018.  Natural disasters harmed the insurance business.  Plus, perhaps most importantly especially for the economy at large, Buffet joined with Amazon and Chase to start a health care program for employees. The new tax reform bill passed by congress helped Berkshire Hathaway in the last part of…

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Alternative Investments, Buying & Selling a Company

Mergers & Acquisition Trends – Feb 2018

Alteris LLC tracks Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) generalized valuation and other trends/metrics from its various partners and research sources.  We will periodically report on what we find here.  For more detailed information on valuations and M&A trends contact us directly. Please note that this information is a summary of many different types of companies of various sizes in a variety of industries. The specific valuation for any individual company, for your business, may and probably will vary greatly.  Each company and set of circumstances is unique and must be considered individually. This data is collected from various sources and includes…

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Business Valuation, Exit Planning, Tax

Beware the Stealth Tax

Following are two articles I posted on LinkedIn. They describe an attempt by the IRS to implement a “stealth tax” on business owners. Because business valuation techniques and processes can be somewhat obscure for most people, the impact of such a change could easily have passed unnoticed. Business valuation is both art and science and this is an example of how these two factors interact. We need to always be diligent about changes in public policy that are hidden in this way. There are real implications for real people. Posted on LinkedIn November 7, 2017: This is a follow-up to…

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