Chris, there are guys out there who will talk a lot, and when you really look into it, there's either nothing, or a trail of failed businesses to show for it. While Pichardo doesn't pretend this one went hugely well, fairly big deals like this one would have a press release with numbers on it. Companies like to show what they are doing is successful.
Pichardo, no problem, no offense intended. But I'm not convinced you can successfully run businesses in so many unrelated, competitive industries such as internet, importing, car manufacturing and real estate.
As you said "Companies like to show what they are doing is successful", you can do some back digging' into Tricom on your own and spot some data ported out to the media at a later time that my post on the issue was posted...
I can't provide specifics but vague leads into what may or may not be...
As for the whole issue at hand of success, I never considered our sell-out anything close to that; if anything we were very lucky to have been offered a good deal at a crucial time.
If I posted all the success stories regarding biz ventures I have participated in, the failures would eclipse them just by the shadow...
I'm a firm believer in quick ROI ventures that don't need my time longer than 12 months or so. The ones that keep me tied up, are the reason I haven't been able to push the envelope as I did before.
The IT venture in the DR was a very affable but cruel baptism into the monopoly systems of the DR ad their underlying power. If you think that was a bad burn up, I was the first importer by bulk to supply local universities and libraries with 3.5 " floppy disks!!! I got grilled to a crisp by the powers that be in no time.
I never bothered to set up a company or import/export licenses of any kind. I did it the cowboy way "Cheap & Quick". I was able to set a foot print into the pecking order of the DR via handshake deals, a person that knows a person that knows somebody. Those who think that playing by the rules in the DR will merit you some rep and sway with the authorities better think again! The rules are that you're fair game for any bigger shark than you and you better know how to swim fast or risk losing it all in a quick bite...
As for running successful biz in a disparate gamut of markets, I haven’t even named the wildest ventures I participated on yet!! LOL!!!
Let me give you some advice: When you invest into a Petrol biz and fail to lock in the real estate along with it, you risk any derivative gain your investment will represent after the second to third quarter. Only middle agents like APEC do stuff like that. You can't afford to just think small in some biz...
IT, Petrol, Real Estate, Import/Export, etc... You'll be amazed how those industries relate to one another. Behind every successful story are many failures that never see the light of day, mostly because it would mean bad press and not a good thing to be preaching about yourself and to those who you deal with...
Take the car venture for instance, I already have invested a good chunk of money into it and have very little to show for; but if that venture spreads out as we think it eventually have the potential to, the chunks of money already invested down the hole will look like pocket change!!!
I'm very careful when I advice somebody about any kind of investment they're getting themselves into. Mostly because they are not me and they won't be able to replace that money as I can. So I don't impart going after ventures with your life savings account but surely to kick the tires and pay for a quickie if possible.
The best deals I have made in my life were based on a handshake and nothing else, no money, no collateral; just the trust of those individuals involved based on past experiences. Let me put it like this: If a middle class person loses the shirt on a bad deal, he or she will have an uphill battle to get future loans or good faith deals from other merchants, but if a well regarded biz man loses the shirt on a big venture, he can just wait a few months and ask an associate for funds to invest anew on some venture and believe you me he will get those funds without a problem.
The experience I gained along others with our venture into the IT market and related monopoly in the DR has made it clear that our new "venture" into the car industry needs to be just that, an also bigger monopoly to fend off strong arm tactics... Hence our patience and learning curve investment...
I doubt very much someone would be willing to listen to any advice from a person all too willing to detail past failures, but will be more attentive to advice from someone who knows what they’re talking about.
If I have shown to you in any of my posts that I don't have the slightest idea what I'm talking about, then you're entitled to your personal opinion. But those with actual experience in the fields related to what my post are base upon will take them at face value as their own personal experience will make the judgment about the info provided and its validity...
