Friday, September 04, 2020

Building Capacity

A business is a legal person. It is a container which has legal rights and is subject to obligations. A share is a slice of ownership of this container. In deciding whether to buy or sell a share, you don’t just look at the product. You don’t just look at what the business does and “is”. Beyond the product they are selling and its profitability, you have to look at the solvency and liquidity of the container. At its strength and flexibility. Solvency is a measure of endurance. Unlike people with reasonably stable salaries, a business can have much more volatile profits. Years it makes no money or loses money. It needs to survive. It needs Capital in excess of the money it has borrowed, to get through difficult periods. It needs self-reliance. Self-sufficiency. To make adjustments. Research & Development. New leaders. New management. New hires. New products. Mergers and Acquisitions. Restructuring. Liquidity is a measure of short-term resilience. Even if you have Capital, you need cash to meet clear and present dangers. To make sure immediate needs don’t drown long-term purpose. When investing in yourself, don’t just focus on what you do. Build endurance and resilience to have the capacity to keep doing, whatever comes in your way.




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