Twice in the past two weeks I was asked if I’d ever sell my company and roll up in a larger social media / social marketing firm. I’m not sure if I would. I have friends that have sold companies and get absorbed into the new structure, and it seems to have worked out just fine for them. I don’t have any offers on the table for a buy-out or have ever been offered one. I’m just really starting to notice small firms and independent business people being picked up by larger firms that I have a lot of respect for. I know the answer to this – I live my days in the trenches with clients and projects, and don’t get great ‘face time’ with people from those firms (and get forgotten about).  Another part of it is that I completely don’t understand the value of purchasing a company when all of the assets are intellectual (client roster aside) and probably don’t give off the vibe at all that I’d be interested in a merger.

What it comes down to is the idea of a business partner sounds really appealing, but I’m a bit of a control freak. For better or worse, I pretty much lead the direction of the company. This is not the first company I’ve owned, and I have always been the only person ‘running the show’ as far as decisions etc. It’s EXHAUSTING. Becoming just another employee or cube farmer is not appealing to me at all. Finding a business partner is.  I have no prospects for that, and it is very difficult for me to trust someone else to handle my business and clients.  (See ‘control freak’ above.)  It’s more thinking out loud and wondering what other people have been though – or if I’m alone in this… [Read more...]