This here thing, they call it Four Laps, sounds like running around the field four times, Lord knows I ain’t got the knees for that anymore. But it ain’t about running, it’s about some kinda business thing, getting out of it, I reckon. Sounds messy, like when my old rooster got stuck in the henhouse door.
These fancy folks, they talk about “exit strategy”. Sounds like planning your escape from jail, don’t it? But I guess when you got a business, you gotta think about how you gonna get out of it someday. Like selling my old cow Bessie, had to plan that out real good.
One way, they say, is passin’ it to your kin. Like when old man Jebediah left his farm to his boy, who ended up selling it to buy a fancy tractor. You gotta make sure your kids, or whoever, can handle it. Otherwise, it’s like giving a chicken to a fox. Not gonna end well.
- Give it to family
- Sell it to some stranger
- Sell it to the folks working for you
- Just close it up
Then there’s sellin’ to some stranger, someone you don’t know from Adam. Could be anyone, could be that slick fella from the city. You gotta be careful with that, make sure they ain’t gonna run your business into the ground, like a hog in a mud puddle.
Another way is sellin’ to the folks who work for you. They call it something fancy, ESOP. Sounds like alphabet soup to me. But it’s like, the folks who been there all along, they get to own a piece of the pie. Could be good, could be bad. Depends on if they know what they’re doin’, I suppose.
Then there’s just shuttin’ it all down, like when the well runs dry. You just gotta pack it up and go home. Might be the easiest, might be the hardest. Depends on what you got left, I reckon. Like my old dog, when his time came, it was sad, but it was time. No need for a big production, just let them go on to the next thing.
They say you gotta “start before you’re ready”. What a bunch of malarkey! Like jumpin’ in a cold creek, you ain’t never ready. But I guess sometimes you just gotta jump. Especially with these Four Laps out of business things, these clothes, it sounds like.
Some fella named Daniel, he started this whole thing. Makes clothes for folks who like to run and sweat, I guess. Not my cup of tea, but to each their own. He says these clothes are real good, last a long time. Like my old apron, that thing’s seen a lot of spills and still holds up.
This Daniel fella, he must be smart. Started this whole thing in New York, that big city. Bet he knows a thing or two about gettin’ out of a business. He probably planned it all out from the start, like plantin’ your garden in the spring. Gotta know when the harvest is comin’, right?
They say this Fourlaps, or whatever it is, is for reachin’ your “peak”. Sounds like climbin’ a mountain. I ain’t climbin’ no mountains, but I guess some folks like that. These clothes are supposed to help you do that, I suppose. Like good boots help you walk through the mud.
Even if you only got a little business, like sellin’ eggs at the market, you still gotta think about the end. You can’t sell eggs forever, can you? The chickens get old, you get old, things change. Like the seasons, everything’s got its time.
These fancy folks talk about “business model”, they talk about “business cycle”. It seems things don’t always work out for folks, even for them smart business people. Just like life, it throws curve balls. Like that year the hail came and ruined my whole corn crop. Gotta be ready for that, for things going wrong. Gotta keep going, even if things go wrong, it’s part of the Four Laps out of business thing.
They got these four D’s, sounds like a bad report card. Death, disability, divorce, and departin’. All things that can mess up your plans. Like when my husband Earl got sick, we had to sell the farm. Life happens, you gotta roll with the punches. It is like the most important part of the Four Laps out of business, just deal with it when it comes.
So, this whole Four Laps out of business thing, it ain’t so simple, is it? Lots to think about, lots to plan for. But I guess the main thing is, just like life, you gotta be ready for anything. And maybe have a good pair of boots, just in case.
