Jay Sachetti joined Jeff O’Brien, partner at Husch Blackwell and Dyanne Ross-Hanson, president of Exit Planning Strategies talked about the market for mergers and acquisitions, exit planning opportunities for companies that don’t end up for sale and how companies can maximize their eventual sale price during an early October panel at the first Upsize on Tap event at Summit Brewing Co. in St. Paul.
When the state Legislature passed a law requiring employers to provide paid leave and safe time for employees, Justin Bieganek started hearing differing details from friends, colleagues and peers.
A visitor to Upsize’s new offices noted the beautiful surroundings, attractive furniture, lush views and mostly empty space, then remarked: “You must have big plans for the future of Upsize!”
Don’t we all have big plans for the future of our businesses? Can’t we envision the day when legions of employees fruitfully drive the global enterprises that our companies have become? Can’t we see them filling up our offices and asking for more, more, more space?
It doesn’t matter that today it’s just you, your spouse, your college buddy, your outsourced accountant and your dog.
Upsize is proud to be following the path of most of our readers, established companies that long ago made the move from the basement or garage or living room to office space. We’ve moved to the Lake Calhoun Executive Center, Suite 315.
Not that there’s anything wrong with those living rooms. Earl Bakken started Medtronic in his garage back in the 1960s, as any good Minnesotan knows. Phil Soran started Compellent in his basement back in 2001, and hundreds more did the same in between.
First among home-office attractions: zero commute time. Every business day since we started Upsize in 2002, my family has cheerily bid me farewell in the morning. “Goodbye! Good luck getting to the office! I hope the traffic isn’t bad!” Fifteen seconds later I’m at work.
But the move to real office space is satisfying. I sit in my big leather office chair, rocking back. I answer my fancy phone, with multiple lines and voice-mail boxes. I greet my visitors, and we have plenty of space to meet, with no interruptions from those annoying fellow customers at the Starbucks where my meetings used to take place.
It’s true that right now there aren’t many people to chat with in the lunch room. Most of our team is out and about, meeting with clients or sources, working from their virtual offices as independent contractors. But I can picture the future.
I’ll be holding a conference call with all the editors of the multiple Upsize offices throughout the country. We’ll be discussing how to best serve our readers with the annual 720-page Business Builder special publication.
Our publisher and president, Wes Bergstrom, will be meeting in the boardroom with the mergers and acquisitions folks from Goldman Sachs, rejecting yet another buyout offer as not quite attractive enough.
Our design director, Jonathan Hankin, will be holding a tutorial via the Web for his art directors around the United States, encouraging them to use more orange and green.
Dozens of staff members will be greeting their families as they arrive for our 10th anniversary picnic on the banks of Lake Calhoun.
Yes, we’re going to need every inch of our new office space one day. Yes, we’ve got big plans for Upsize. What about you for your company?
— Beth Ewen
editor and co-founder
Upsize Minnesota
be***@*******ag.com
