While we doubt Paul McCartney had this in mind when he wrote the song, the journey from a private or
OTC company to listing on a national exchange certainly fits this description. Attorneys, investment
banks, auditors and investors all have their own ideas of the best choices for structure, timing, financing
and company requirements. And many of these diverse plans may sound equally rational to the
company.
Once the company somehow chooses the road and begins the journey, they will usually encounter
potholes and detours in the form of regulatory agencies, existing investors, unforeseen costs and
unexpected events. Oh, and the company must keep a focus on what got them to this point; their
business.
The savvy company can use a tool McCartney didn’t have when he wrote the song on his farm in 1968,
GPS- Great Professional Support. Our experience is that the success of the process is often determined
up front – by the quality of the team the company surrounds itself with. Bankers, attorneys, investors
and consultants who have travelled the road numerous times and have worked together in the past will
prove invaluable in minimizing timeframes, costs and wasted efforts.
When selecting your GPS, don’t fall for the ‘we can get it done faster at a fraction of the cost’ pitches
you’ll inevitably hear. You wouldn’t pick the doctor for your heart surgery that way, and shouldn’t bet
your company’s well-being that way. Look for experience, professionalism, synergy, connections and past performance, and ideally a team that has proven they can work well together.
Did you know that John Lennon played bass on this song, which he rarely did, and made several
mistakes during the taping? This forced Phil Spector to add the orchestral overdubs to camouflage
Lennon’s playing and was one of the reasons McCartney cited in his case for the Beatles dissolution.
One out of sync team member can sabotage the entire process; The Long and Winding Road was the last
single ever released by the Beatles.
At JMJ, we’ve focused on providing bridge financing for many companies, and as a key GPS team
member, we’ve worked with numerous service providers and banks for many years. We know the road
and can even make the appropriate introductions at top levels. And our bridge financing provides the
fuel to proceed down the road, no matter how long and winding it might be.
Give us a call and we’ll see if we can help.