Posted by Eric C on January 25, 2001 at 23:52:11:
Hi Tim -
I can certainly understand your reluctance to jump back into the wonderful and wacky world of finance fully dressed, so to speak.
Even so, there are plenty of smaller institutions that you can probably call on in casual attire, say maybe golf clothes. And almost all of them can be reached by phone these days.
I can’t say that I do very well on the phone (can’t think and talk at the same time), but I have a friend who NEVER travels anywhere and she does all of her investing (RE and other) over the phone. Instead she saves all her valuable time for the jet skis, tennis, and golf. My kind of woman!
If your reply to me was in any way a quote, I would rethink your language to the banks. Never, never offer to cut yourself out – a banker would never do that.
If it helps, think of your operation as a financial unit with stockholders (stakeholders is the more politically correct term these days)to whom you must report. You are responsible to them(your family) anyway, so you might as well get whatever psychological benefits go with the job too. Your goal should be to protect their financial interests. Now, I know that this is your goal, but you may need to get that fact across to the banking community too.
Thanks for asking about the “Dripping Springs” project. I’ve about finalized the design, costs and scale of the project and I’m waiting for another month or so before I start breaking ground. I’ll keep you informed as to the progress.
Yours,
Eric C
PS - if you want someone to pick on whose dress level is more casual, try some insurance agents. Many of these companies are tightening their property guidelines and this is causing a lot of RE to fall out of favor with owners and bankers alike. A couple of side points - most of these agencies are small enough that you can easily talk to the head person (he/she doesn’t have anywhere to run) and they play golf so poorly that you can win enough money from them to compensate you (partially) for your time.