Every business starts with an idea, but few ideas make it into business. Creating a company is just the first step.
Companies are born to grow, but the challenge for a start-up is to comply. Comply with employees, suppliers and clients, of course. But also with safety, hygiene and good governance. Comply with the environment, be non-polluting, in short, be provident. Yes, comply with social security, the tax authorities and the competition. Comply with compliance, they say.
There’s a lot to comply with – and non-compliance lurks. Honest entrepreneurs have to look honest and then, if possible, generate value.
In construction, commerce or services, you have to create a brand, invest and persist. With mergers, acquisitions and other solutions. Public contracts, private contracts, exports, new markets. You have to be successful, but not too successful. You have to learn how to fall. You must know how to get back on your feet. A black belt is a white belt that has never given up.
Companies are born, they grow and sometimes they become ill. That’s just the way it is. They risk insolvency. The strongest recover. They turn around. And they comply.
There are those who cross paths with you. We’re here for the entire journey.
We are born and we die. In between, not every day is ours.
We look for a job, we find a job, in private or public service, it goes well, it goes wrong, we leave, they ask us to leave. We switch to another company. Another house. Even another nationality.
Sometimes we make mistakes, and making a mistake can be a crime. Sometimes we are the victims of other people’s mistakes.
We fall in love. We get married. We take out a loan. We buy a property. The house is under construction, life is under construction. We live happily ever after, until we’re no longer happy. In Portugal, 70 out of 100 marriages end in divorce.
Some people have children. Just because. Or to be eternal. Or to love and be loved, unconditionally. Biological children, adopted children, it doesn’t matter. What’s left of filial love and its contradictions when it brings back old-school parental responsibilities?
Life goes well. Life goes wrong. We spend more than we can afford. We spend more than we should. We become insolvent. Or sick. Or numb.
We think about giving up. Sometimes we do give up. Or we get shot down in battle. Or we bring in wins, all around. Who qualifies for the inheritance? Who carries it?
At VFA, we know law and we know life.
