Is that a naked urn?
.
.
.
.
Sorry. Just wanted to catch your attention and am a little "pain free" right now -- sorry Bee.
Simple illustration. There are basically three ways to interpret the events on Friday -- the "pre-announcement" and the PR.
1. You don't trust this company at all and view them as a typical pink sheet start-up who will do or say anything to keep interest and share sales flowing so they can get their next paycheck. If you own no shares, you are 100% skeptical. If you own a few shares, you are very skeptical and waiting for the company to develop or implode to make your next move (sell or buy more) completely clear.
2. You semi-trust the company, but feel it is still a small company being run by inexperienced people who have no real formula or game plan and are basically "shooting from the hip" and hoping they can stay in business. You believe their business "idea" is pretty good but could easily fail due to their inexperience and lack of capital. You think the "pre-announcement" is just further proof of this.
3. You have examined the business "idea" and listened as closely as possible to the "plan" -- at least as much as a new company can, or is willing to say at this point, and you are excited about the prospects. You don't blindly follow everything and recognize when early mistakes have been made, but you are satisfied to see staff adjustments and other changes that convince you the principals are on track and 100% legitimate and 100% convinced they have exactly what they think they have -- and that is an industry-changing "idea"; a definite business plan to execute; and the talent and will to see it through. The PR was a definite part of the business plan, but it came about much sooner in the step process than ETIM expected. It bought them more credibility, more time, quicker cash flow, faster tooling -- and perhaps the "inexperienced" part, or perhaps just the "excited" part of some legitimate people on a mission resulted in the "pre-announcement."
I don't have to tell you which of the three interpretations I buy in to. Could Clint, Nick, JP, and Donna -- at some point, in a spot of difficulty or tiredness or whatever -- simply throw their hands up and say, "it's not worth the hard work, the time, the effort, the sacrifice," and then put out garbage to their loyal shareholders and the mass of traders out there to sell as much of their stock as they can and call it quits? After all, that's what most of these pink sheet companies do at some point? If those of us who have bought into the dream of the branding future in the funeral industry are wrong, and we are completely wrong about the people involved -- sure, it could happen. And perhaps that is all you mean by saying "caution" is the best stance on all small companies. But, for me, and I know a few others at least, all hype and rah-rah crap aside (because everyone knows that exists), I believe ETIM is the real deal. I think that magic combination of idea and plan and people and work and time and industry and acceptance and need and validation and on and on -- will all come together to let those who began this company and aren't the ordinary "shell-buying" types who would be satisfied to make some quick "coin" and move on -- and those who see that in them and ETIM and have been willing to "get on board" as a loyal shareholder -- these two groups of people understand each other and appreciate each other and want to be a part of something truly revolutionary (I know I said no hype and pumping, but I couldn't think of another word that really fit). This ETIM "group" understands where they are, and they understand "wealth" versus "good job income" or "trader's mentality," and they are in this for the duration.
The true excitement of the ETIM people may have just been because they saw that "duration" time line cut way down with this European alliance. Or, "caution" and buying another CD may be the right thing to do for some. When the next major deal is struck and you turn on your tele to see ETIM being discussed all over the world again (for free, I might add), you may want to reexamine the three stances again.
****All this said, I truly want no one to buy one share of ETIM because of me. The ETIM story and success or failure will happen with or without you or me. But to be the monumental success I believe it will be, Clint, Nick, JP, and Donna DO NEED loyal shareholders at every point in the process. I think they understand that, and I want to be one of them. If I only write for Bee and me (I know there are many others, but I can't name them all -- right, Heppie?), then that is enough.***
