Hindsight can be a wonderful thing, especially if hard-earned lessons are adopted by others who are willing to learn from past mistakes. When private company owners and investors share with me some of the wisdom they have...more
Business owners of private companies invest huge amounts of time and resources in their business, which may include the bulk of their financial capital. For owners who do not want most of their net worth to remain tied up in...more
Private company owners strive for success but getting there is not an easy or straight path. I have been working closely with business owners now for more than 40 years, and I have been reflecting on the key character traits...more
Majority owners of private companies have many important decisions to make, but one of their most impactful will be selecting the people to serve as the company’s managers (for LLCs) or as directors on its board (for...more
The one who has the gold often makes all the rules, but the majority owner of a private company who has minority partners in the business does not have complete freedom, because majority owners owe duties that apply to their...more
The seven-year anniversary of the Texas Supreme Court’s decision in Ritchie v. Rupee has come and gone, and the court’s holding from 2014 remains the law: Minority shareholders in Texas private companies do not have a cause...more
Disagreements are common between business partners in private companies, but most do not lead to a partner exit. When partner conflicts become severe enough to warrant a business divorce, however, majority owners and minority...more