The Federal Circle

 

Dr. Earl R. Smith II
Managing Partner, The Federal Circle
DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com
Dr-Smith.com

More companies have been damaged or flat out destroyed by lack of governance than by poor governance. Why any board of directors would ignore its fiduciary obligations to the shareholders and leave the management team unsupervised is far beyond me.

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The CEO's Handbook - Volume One
Notes for a Thinking Chief Executive
Available on Amazon Kindle - Click Here

Most angel investors, when funding a start-up, ignore the structure and operation of the board of directors. Most early-stage companies that I work with have only a casually structured board that seems to exist to satisfy legal requirements. Accumulated experience has shown me that this is a very risky approach. A board has defined obligations that are important to the future of any company. Boards unable to fulfill these obligations severely limit possibilities. Here are some of the guidelines that I offer when working with these start-ups: Continue reading »

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The WSJ says some venture funds hit pause on big deals. The Journal describes

a group of venture capitalists dialing back on certain deals after a breathless year of venture investing that had some comparing 2011 to the late 1990s dot-com bubble. Many venture capitalists said they now are increasingly passing on companies seeking frothy valuations, and some are trying to get off the beaten path to find cheaper deals. Continue reading »

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By Steve Tobak

These days I’m constantly bombarded with books and articles about why leaders, executives and companies fail. It’s mindboggling. Most of the “sage” advice is pretty weak, running the gamut from the absurdly obvious to the obviously absurd. Continue reading »

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What due diligence mistakes do entrepreneurs make in selling their company? With only 16% of all letters of intent eventually consummated in the sale of a company, the due diligence process is where many deals break down. Due diligence can involve a 25+ page list of requests for information. The buyer uses due diligence to manage risk, adjust its offering price, and decide whether to go through with the deal. Although buyers often fail to look at the right factors during due diligence, what mistakes during this critical phase of mergers and acquisitions can you as a seller avoid? Continue reading »

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By Matthew Falls

This is a series of five articles designed to help you build the relationships that bring value to yourself and your contacts. The series focuses on the small, but crucial steps you need to take to build valuable relationships.

We start with examining your own organization to identify your own value proposition – its strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities. Next, we do the necessary research to find those companies or agencies that would be interested in your product or service. We discuss making a connection to prospects, delivering value to your contact, and finally, setting performance metrics to manage your business development practice. Continue reading »

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Hindmarsh Finance prepared a list of the largest groups that fund startups, ranked by number of investors.

Sometimes a company’s future growth is contingent on landing angel investment funding. The challenge is to find the right angel investor who is passionate about your business. Continue reading »

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In an effort to prevent future founders from colliding into the Series A Crunch, Dixon advises startups set out to initially raise 18 months of funding, adding, “18 months effectively gives you let’s say 12 months of real operating, which gives you three iterations instead of one.” The more time to perfect the product the better.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 19, 2011

The Federal Circle announces An Advisory Engagement with
WeStream Technologies

The Federal Circle has been engaged by WeStream Technologies to do Situational Assessment as a precursor to a Facilitated Strategic Planning process. Dr. Smith, TFC’s Managing Partner said of the engagement, “WeStream Technologies has developed an innovative and cost effective core technology that is sure to find a market both wide and deep. They have assembled a strong management team. We are proud to be engaged with a company doing such important work.” Continue reading »

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 8, 2011

THE FEDERAL CIRCLE ANNOUNCES AN ADVISORY ENGAGEMENT WITH WORKSITE LIGHTING

The Federal Circle has been engaged by Worksite Lighting and Power Solutions to assist it in four areas – pursuit of SBIR funding for product development, business development, team building and financing. Dr. Smith, TFC’s Managing Partner said of the engagement, “I was immediately impressed by the technology that Worksite offers to companies working in dangerous environments. They bring light into darkness with their explosion proof, zone lighting. The company provides cutting-edge solutions that save lives and reduce the chances of explosions.”

Bill Matthews, worksite’s CEO and Founder said “WorkSite Lighting is excited about working with Dr. Smith and his team at The Federal Circle to help bring visibility and sustain rapid growth with our increasingly needed, safety driven industrial products in the government and private sectors.”

ABOUT WORKSITE LIGHTING AND POWER SOLUTIONS

Industrial companies and government entities that are tasked by regulatory and socioeconomic pressures to increase operational safety while decreasing their energy consumption are turning to WorkSite Lighting, LLC for solutions.  WorkSite’s latest developments in Explosion Proof LEDs’ provide a single solution for accomplishing both.  Through proper design features that efficiently dissipate heat, Explosion Proof LEDs’ decrease the chance of ignition in confined spaces and industrial work areas where fumes, vapor or fine dust could ignite, resulting in loss of life and assets.  Entities looking to reduce their liabilities by increasing the safety of assets and personnel immediately recognize the value of WorkSite’s safety driven products within their organization.

Additional improvements in developing safer light fixtures come from an expanded line of portable and versatile, hazardous area lighting.  To ensure safety, workers must have an adequate amount of light to perform maintenance and inspection tasks that are located in shadows or away from permanently installed lighting.  WorkSite Lighting’s innovative line of Portable, Explosion Proof LEDs allow the proper rated light to be installed easily and temporarily almost anywhere it is required to adequately light a worker’s maintenance area.  Light fixtures can be provided with the proper mounting configuration necessary to securely and temporarily install on scaffold, ladders, railings, beams, or with the use of powerful magnetic bases, even on flat surfaces.  A complete line of lighting from hand held lights to light towers sixty feet in height offer a diverse mixture for most needs, while custom designed solutions are available to meet any requirement or specification possible.

In addition to increased safety, Explosion Proof LEDs’ consume 60% less energy than traditional metal halide lights, providing a significant reduction in energy consumption in government, oil and gas and utility power plant facilities that are lighting intensive around the clock.

WorkSite Lighting is a manufacturer of portable lighting and temporary power and has provided lighting and power solutions for the Dept. of The Navy, N.A.S.A, U.S. Coast Guard, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Fluor Corporation.

ABOUT THE FEDERAL CIRCLE

The Federal Circle is a DC-area senior advisory firm. Our team of highly experienced and well connected professionals is drawn from a wide range of disciplines. We bring substantial assets to the table and engage with companies that are well positioned for growth. It beings deep experience and a wide range of high-level contacts to every advisory engagement. We pull together custom designed teams which assist management, board members and shareholders to successfully meet the major challenges that dominate this highly dynamic and volatile economy. The Federal Circle provides Advisory  in five major areas. Situational Assessment, Facilitated Strategic Planning, Coaching, Red-Teaming and Advisory Boards as Business Development Engines.

CONTACT INFORMATION

THE FEDERAL CIRCLE
Dr. Earl R. Smith II, Managing Partner
(202) 337-4473    DrSmith@TheFederalCircle.com

WORKSITE LIGHTING AND POWER SOLUTIONS
Bill Matthews, CEO
(713) 443-9989    bill@worksitelighting.com

 

 

 

 

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The CEO's Handbook - Volume One
Notes for a Thinking Chief Executive
Available on Amazon Kindle - Click Here

Dr. Earl R. Smith II
Managing Partner, The Federal Circle
DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com
Dr-Smith.com

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Prior articles in the series:

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It had been some time since our last meeting. An e-mail showed up indicating that she was ready to sit down and talk. When we began the engagement neither of us was sure where things were going or where they might end up. Our last meeting – some weeks back – had started with some tension in the air. My coaching client had made a successful career as an entrepreneur. She sold her companies and made a lot of money. After a brief ‘vacation’ from business, she began to cast around for her ‘next life’. After some reflection she had decided to become an angel investor. Continue reading »

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The CEO's Handbook - Volume One
Notes for a Thinking Chief Executive
Available on Amazon Kindle - Click Here

Dr. Earl R. Smith II
Managing Partner, The Federal Circle
DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com
Dr-Smith.com

In this series I have been writing about some of the major breakthroughs that my coaching clients have managed. While it is true that most of my coaching work involves slow and steady efforts towards major successes, it’s those successes that make the efforts truly worthwhile. The truth is that you cannot have one without the other. No matter what somebody tries to tell you, there are no shortcuts to epiphanies – no magic bullet that will solve all your problems. There is no such thing as a panacea. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can start on a meaningful journey that will substantially change your life. Continue reading »

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 1, 2011

 The Federal Circle announces An Advisory Engagement with
Life Recovery Systems

The Federal Circle has been engaged by Life Recovery Systems to assist it in four areas – pursuit of SBIR funding for product development, business development, team building and financing. Dr. Smith, TFC’s Managing Partner said of the engagement, “Life Recovery Systems is engaged in truly life-saving work. Their therapeutic hypothermia technology rapidly and effectively cools patients much more rapidly than competing approaches by using direct water on skin contact. As a result, patients are given a much better chance of surviving a wide range of potentially lethal conditions. We are proud to be engaged with a company doing such important work.”

ABOUT LIFE RECOVERY SYSTEMS

Life Recovery Systems focuses on ground breaking, innovative medical devices for the emergency medical care market. The company has a strong management team lead by interventional cardiologist Dr. Robert Freedman who is also the founder and managing partner of Freedman Memorial Cardiology in Alexandria, LA.  “We are looking forward to working with the Federal Circle as we strive to expand the use of this unique and powerful life-saving technology”, Dr. Freedman recently commented.

Life Recovery’s VP of Research and Development is Robert Schock. He has a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, and has over 20 years of experience leading R&D groups in cardiac assist, critical care and anesthesia.  Dr. Schock has recently noted, “We have already seen our first-generation patient cooling device save many lives.  As we expand our product offerings, we remain true to our mission of saving and preserving the quality of lives.”

The Company has developed a proprietary technology for rapid noninvasive patient cooling, which is currently on the market as the first-generation ThermoSuit® System (TSS).  The ThermoSuit System reduces the patient’s core body temperature with a thin film of ice water that is circulated over the patient’s body until the target temperature is reached.

The key advantage of this patented method is the rapid cooling rate that it provides. The ThermoSuit System cools the body within 20-30 minutes, which is at least two hours faster than most other methods. The importance of faster cooling is gaining increased recognition as new clinical data are becoming available. The most recent clinical results from the Minnesota Heart Institute, presented at the Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association held in November, 2011, demonstrated that even a 30 minute delay in achieving target therapeutic temperatures significantly reduced the chances of a good brain recovery with certain types of patients.

The ThermoSuit® technology, currently in use in hospitals around the country, was developed with the assistance of SBIR funding from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of NIH.  It is the only product that utilizes the approach of thin film liquid convection cooling.  The company is planning to advance its core of technology into new applications, including a portable system for battlefield and pre-hospital use, as well as other types of products for emergency medicine.  The field of therapeutic hypothermia is rapidly expanding into new indications, and LRS is committed to the development of cooling products that will best serve critical needs in both domestic and military applications.

ABOUT THE FEDERAL CIRCLE

The Federal Circle is a DC-area senior advisory firm. Our team of highly experienced and well connected professionals is drawn from a wide range of disciplines. We bring substantial assets to the table and engage with companies that are well positioned for growth. It brings deep experience and a wide range of high-level contacts to every advisory engagement. It pulls together custom designed teams which assist management, board members and shareholders to successfully meet the major challenges that dominate this highly dynamic and volatile economy. The Federal Circle provides Advisory  in five major areas. Situational Assessment, Facilitated Strategic Planning, Coaching, Red-Teaming and Advisory Boards as Business Development Engines.

CONTACT INFORMATION

THE FEDERAL CIRCLE
Dr. Earl R. Smith II, Managing Partner
(202) 337-4473    DrSmith@TheFederalCircle.com

LIFE RECOVERY SYSTEMS
Dr. Robert Freedman, Founder and CEO
(973) 283-2800    rjfree@centurytel.net

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