How to Avoid Killing Your Company

Before every big investment, ask:

• If this investment dramatically falters like a mofokoko, will we still have a chunk of the business left?

Peep:

1. You're running a 160-year-old company.
2. You've invested chunks into the mortgage industry.
3. The mortgage industry hits the destruction period. Now, if that current investment fails, your entire company is headed for doom.

What do you do?

• a) Hang on and hope for the best.
• b) Hedge your bets by selling a freakish chunk of your mortgage investment.

Merrill Lynch did the latter, and saved itself to be safely acquired.

Lehman did the former, and now they're headed for bankruptcy.

The moral: When an investment turns sour, try this:

1. Think of the worst possible motherkeruffin thing that can happen to that investment.
2. Will that destroy your business?
3. Act accordingly.

Do a Merrill.

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