Category: Culture and Ethics

Culture and Ethics

Company Culture Isn’t the Most Important Thing. It May Be the Only Thing.

Gregory Pearl

Don’t think about Company Culture here and there. Use it as the compass to guide your business. But don’t let the culture in your company evolve naturally. If you don’t take control of its direction, a culture will develop nonetheless and it may not be what you want. If you take control and direct the culture then everyone from the top management on down will understand how important it is and join in. It’s a never ending process. Company culture can sometimes deviate away from where you want it to be. As the company leader, you’ll need to bring it…

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Culture and Ethics

How to Develop a Positive Culture in Your Company

Gregory Pearl

At the beginning of my career, I focused on developing my technical skills. That was normal, but the more experience I gained the more obvious it became that company culture is supremely important to business success. If fact, it is maybe the most important thing. It impacts every part of the business.  From core values to hiring decisions to decision-making. I soon came to understand that culture needs to come before everything else.  All else flows out of the culture of your company. Building a productive and healthy culture is a giant task.  In startups that is especially so because…

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Business Valuation, Culture and Ethics

Scams We Have Seen

Gregory Pearl

We’ve been in the valuation and related advisory business for a long time. My valuation firm, Alteris LLC has had a huge variety of clients, everything from venture-backed startups to major institutions to national governments. We also work with privately held businesses in the lower middle market.  Often this is some of the most rewarding and gratifying work we do. It’s very rewarding to see the positive effect we can have on the lives of our clients and their families. Alteris LLC always endeavors to uphold the highest ethical standards and treat our clients in the best way possible. We…

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Buying & Selling a Company, Culture and Ethics

The Top Reasons Why A Buyer Purchases A Business

Gregory Pearl

The decision to buy a business is probably one of the most important ones that you will ever make. Probably the only other decision that is more important is who you will marry. After buying the business you will be responsible for its success and the well-being and livelihoods of its employees. That’s a lot of responsibility. While there can be a possible financial reward and some satisfaction, the downside can be the assumption of risk, a loss of freedom, and almost certainly a lifestyle change. To better understand what are the reasons people buy businesses, Pepperdine Private Capital Markets…

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Culture and Ethics, Decision Making

Can You Succeed Being in Business With Your Spouse?

Gregory Pearl

I’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of privately held, family businesses over the years. Many are jointly and successfully run by a husband and wife team. A husband/wife management team adds a layer of complexity over and above the normal issues of business management. The effect of that complexity depends on several factors, that my team and I have noticed. How well does the couple get along outside of the office? Do they cooperate and collaborate on their home life? Their financial life? Does one of the spouses hide information and make important decisions without the others’ knowledge and consent? If…

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Alternative Investments, Business Valuation, Culture and Ethics

How Much Is That Investment Worth?

Gregory Pearl

An individual made a $28,000 investment into an oil and gas company.  The majority shareholder was a childhood friend. Ten years later, the company offered to buy out the investor’s approximately 6% ownership in the company for $6.5 million. The investor accepted the offer and thought he made a phenomenal return. But things are not always as they seem. Two years later, the company was sold for $2.6 billion. Of course, the investor sued for fraud during the time the offer was extended and accepted. A jury found in favor of the investor with a judgment for the investor of…

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Culture and Ethics

Elder Abuse And Financial Fraud

Gregory Pearl

A very unfortunate fact of life is that the elderly among us are often the victims of financial fraud and abuse. It is more common than many people realize. I have had personal experience with this as an elderly uncle of mine was a victim. For me, this is a very important topic. My uncle was suffering from terminal cancer and was living out his last days in hospice care at a nursing home. As a result of his condition, he suffered from a diminished mental capacity.  That was exhibited through rather difficult and contrarian personality characteristics.  I was overseeing…

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