Hit me offlist I can recommend an excellent one that is very familiar with your business because he handles mine. Sharpest lawyer I ever worked with.
Scott Carullo Brevard Wireless 321-205-1100 x102 -------- Original Message -------- > From: "Robert West" <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 12:04 PM > To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [WISPA] Partnership Agreements > > A good lawyer around here is tough. I have honestly used 5 different > lawyers in the past 2 years. They always know but they are always wrong. I > hate that....... Need to find a good one but it's not like a TV where I can > read reviews! Yes, they do have legal reviews but it all seems like self > hype and advertising. Just as can be expected with lawyers....... > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Josh Luthman > Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 11:50 AM > To: WISPA General List > Subject: Re: [WISPA] Partnership Agreements > > Three methods in order of best to worst: > > Buyout > *Pay the guy a good salary, buy his equipment, buy this and that but do not > give controlling interest/stock > Cooperation > *This never works don't even try > Partnership > *You better get a whole hell of a lot before trying this as this ends many > small companies. In the last several years I have seen it quite a few > (frustration, incompatibility, whatever) > > 50/50 hardly ever works out - if one goes left and the other right, you're > not moving. 51/49 or 60/40 is strongly suggested. > > Talk to a lawyer. Be sure the lawyer understands what you want. The lawyer > is the only way to truly cover your ass. Unfortunately, if you don't > already have one you do not know how good one will be until you give them a > chance. > > Josh Luthman > Office: 937-552-2340 > Direct: 937-552-2343 > 1100 Wayne St > Suite 1337 > Troy, OH 45373 > > "When you have eliminated the impossible, that which remains, however > improbable, must be the truth." > --- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle > > > On Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 11:40 AM, Marlon K. Schafer > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > Hiya Robert, > > > > First off, we've got nearly 7000 square miles of coverage (NOT all > together > > in one area) and 600 wireless subs. Plus dialup and fiber (we're a fiber > > reseller so there's not much work involved most of the time). You may not > > really NEED a partner, rather a good secretary. We take care of all of > our > > work with a slug of good consultants who only get paid when there is work > > to > > be done, myself and an office manager. My wife also pays the bills, that > > takes her 4 to 6 hours per week. > > > > If you do decide to partner do not go 50/50. Then everything ends up in > > court. Either take 51 or 49. Better yet try to go for a 60/40 split. > > grin > > > > Put each partner's duties on paper. Lay out in advance who's responsible > > for what. If you are technical and installation then YOU make those > > decisions. If he's paperwork and construction, then HE makes them, even > if > > you don't like them ever time. > > > > I've been working in small businesses for a very long time. I get to know > > my customers. I see them come and go, a lot. One of the biggest things > > people point out, over and over, is the lack of pre set responsibilities. > > Sometimes people just naturally fit into their rolls and no one questions > > how things are done. Other times the rolls start to overlap and arguments > > happen. This is usually a harder thing to do with friends or family > > members. > > > > Having not done the partnership thing I can only give you advice that > > others > > have given me.... I've looked at trying to team up with some of my > > competitors and these are the things that seem to always get us stuck. If > > we can't get past them now, we will certainly have to deal with them > later. > > > > Hope that helps, > > marlon > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Robert West" <[email protected]> > > To: "'WISPA General List'" <[email protected]> > > Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 8:17 AM > > Subject: [WISPA] Partnership Agreements > > > > > > > I've had as few people approach me in the recent past wanting to partner > > > up > > > with me and to be honest, I can really use someone to carry half the > > load. > > > I'm leery, however of getting screwed. (My father was in business for > > > years > > > with one partner and after they took on another they all got screwed to > > > the > > > point they were out of business) A requirement of a partner, for me, > > > would > > > be someone buying in with enough cash to grow the company to carry the > > > extra > > > weight of the new guy. The ones in the past turned out to be flakes > with > > > only dollar signs in their eyes. Not a good fit for me, I'm not about > > > cash > > > in my pocket, that comes with doing a good job and someone talking about > > > money all the time scares the hell out of me. > > > > > > > > > > > > I now have a guy who looks good. Has the assets and interest. Has 3 > > > small > > > towers in parts in his barn, he has a barn converted to an office, > > > construction equipment, trailers, etc. He understands there won't be > any > > > money flowing in his pocket for probably a year due to the expansion > > we're > > > doing. He says that's fine. He also has the billing and general > > > paperwork > > > experience and background. (I absolutely hate dealing with the money > and > > > paperwork) Looks good so far. The construction equipment would be a > > > help, > > > no more begging things from farmers and making deals to get a hole dug. > > > His > > > current gig is as an electrical engineer, travels around the world as a > > > contractor overseeing the repair and programming of robotics as well as > > > the > > > installation of the equipment. He says he's tired of being gone all the > > > time and wants to stay in one area in a field that will be somewhat > > > related > > > and complicated enough that he won't get bored. Hmmmmm.. > > > > > > > > > > > > I've been to his home a few times, even put in a private wireless > > > connection > > > between him and his neighbor a mile away. Seems like a decent guy. > > > > > > > > > > > > Now he wants to sit down and work things out on paper. Any advice on > > > things > > > to cover my ass on? Things some of you wished you had down on paper > when > > > you started out? I'm not a partner kinda guy, my business plan is > always > > > in > > > my head, I make much of it up as I go along and I jump in and just do > > > things > > > myself so this is new territory. (However, my total lack of > > > organization > > > is due to the previously stated operation of the business plan) > > > > > > > > > > > > I know some will yell to not take on a partner and I'd be one of them, > > > believe me. That's why I've fought them off so long. But with a larger > > > network coming online and eyes for even more expansion, it's looking > good > > > to > > > me. (We currently only have a little less than 200 subs but anticipate > > > twice if not 3 times that to come online in 2010) I just don't want to > > > be > > > out in the cold or screwed over due to my ability to trust. I'll never > > > give > > > up more than 50%, won't happen, but there are many ways people can screw > > > others. > > > > > > > > > > > > It all sounds like picking the right person for marriage. (I have a bad > > > track record in that too!!! ) Do ya think maybe him and I should just > > > kinda > > > "date" for awhile before we make the commitment? What would be > > considered > > > first base in this kind of thing....? Configuring a CPE after a few > > dates > > > then moving on to a customer installation then if it all goes well, take > > > the > > > plunge and climb a tower together? > > > > > > > > > > > > Weird. > > > > > > > > > > > > Thanks. > > > > > > > > > > > > Robert West > > > > > > Just Micro Digital Services Inc. > > > > > > 740-335-7020 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > > > WISPA Wants You! 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