|
Minding Your
Business
By Ann Meyer | Special to the Tribune
April 28, 2008
“I learned that cash may be
king, but control is the power,” he said [Wayne
McFarland, serial entrepreneur
, who has used Aulicino’s Cash And Control System for
over 10 years] |
“...Entrepreneurs
can have both cash and control by identifying investors who
value their vision and passion,” said funding expert Stefania
Aulicino, president to Chicago-based CapitalLinkUSA.com
“Equity is the
most precious asset entrepreneurs have. It’s the only asset that
actually appreciates in value,” Aulicino says.
Pulling
together capital alternatives from different sources can lessen
the control issue. For example, businesses can negotiate advance
payments in exchange for exclusive contracts, she said.
...when
McFarland’s banker told him to forget about a $1 million bank
loan for Landmark Industries, a small manufacturing company
McFarland owned, he tried Aulicino’s approach. Together, he and
Aulicino wrote Landmark’s corporate resume to increase the
company’s valuation. In a few months’ time, Aulicino helped
McFarland secure $3 million from investors, who took a small
stake but opened the door to $7 million in bank financing.
McFarland grew
Landmark from $3.7 million in revenue to $28 million [in less
than 2 years]. He has used Aulicino’s value-added approach ever
since, he said.
“The right investor, if selected correctly, will get out of the
way,” McFarland said. |
