Hi Joe and ALL,
I was a little... no more than a little surprised to see your post and comment, Joe: << Too many individuals (Marty, Rich, JimB, JazzBo, me and maybe REW) have been stiffed by management. Long on promise, but short on delivery. >> Nothing, IMO, could be further from the truth. Let me start off by saying that I don't mean my following comments to be demeaning or insulting in any way to anyone. That said... let's look at reality:
(1) How many people on this thread have ever owned their own business?
(2) Of those who have, how long did it take you to start from scratch and build the Company up?
(3) Of those who have, how many have taken it public and remained on as Chairman of the Board to build it up to a megamillion dollar corporation?
(4) Of those that have, how many have put in millions of their own money to get the Company rolling?
My guess is very, very few. Being successful as an employee is significantly different than being successful as an employer. The employee wants his paycheck every payday... or else he/she quits. The employer, on the other hand, waits for a profitable company to be built and spends his own money to make it happen. Interestingly, if you take the time to look back at the history of many of the giant corporations existing today you will see a similar pattern. Using McDonalds as an example... do you know how many secretaries and other employees became millionaires because the Company couldn't afford to pay them a salary in the beginning. What a stupid game plan... selling hamburgers in fastfood kiosks... and through franchising yet!! The only reason I know this story is because one of my kid brother's college friends became McDonald's point man and went all over the country finding locations and selling franchises. His compensation was in stock and not cash... and he retired (as did many secretaries and employees) before he was forty with let's just say a very substantial sum. And how about the people who believed in the game plan and bought 10-12 franchises in the early days. Today you couldn't even buy one for what they paid for all of them.
Unfortunately, there is a different mentality in the world today. It's known as "gimme, gimme, gimme"... or I'm "entitled" to be rich and retired NOW!! I hate to disappoint anyone, but most of the "rich" don't retire or not for very long... perhaps that's why they are "rich". Years ago, before the days of the PC, people did their DD and made their investments accordingly. Their only contact with the stock market was with their broker at Merrill Lynch, etc.. Thirty to forty years ago most people didn't sit around all day and watch every tick except for the very few who sat in the back of brokerage houses and watched the ticker flying by... and very few of them ever traded... they just watched. I know most don't give a damn about what I'm saying, but go back to the post I made about a week ago regarding Steve Goldman's post on another SI thread... less than 5% of traders make money trading. Steve Goldman is the head trader at Yamner & Co (that's not a plug... I don't have an account with them... but Steve Goldman is highly respected for his knowledge and skills). So if you think you can beat the market... go for it and good luck. Been there, done that... made lots of good hits and lots of bad ones!!
Now getting more specific about TSIG. I find the thinking on the thread becoming more and more incredible. One day someone's a long-term investor and the next day they're questioning about the next PR or whatever. If someone wants to accuse me of "hyping" that's just fine, however, when I have seen problems I posted about them... and I also made my best efforts to get them corrected. There is, however, at least IMO, an anachronism here. All good things take time to accomplish and often they take longer then we would like... and that applies to most things in life... not just TSIG. First we scream that we're not getting enough information from management. Sorry, folks, but there are laws about those things. But, then, when we do get some information about TSIG's game plan and strategy and anticipated dates, we sit around counting the seconds... and if it doesn't occur according to our time schedule then management is accused of lying to us. Sorry again, but, IMO, that is garbage. And for those who are self-employed and disagree about meeting these types of "deadlines" for a startup/turnaround company, I would venture you are talking about small businesses. Yes, deadlines are important, but there has to be some leeway... especially at this stage in a company's growth and development. Don't forget that it was us, the public shareholders, who coerced Rob Gordon to even discuss his goals for the future. We demanded a timeframe and he gave us his best estimate. Does anyone not believe that Rob Gordon wants TSIG to succeed?? Has he ever lied to us about anything? Not, IMO. Perhaps things haven't happened as rapidly as we would have "liked", but they have happened as projected... and, IMHO, so will everything else fall into place and, again, IMHO, TSIG's growth will occur expotentially and place it at the top of the ladder... with time.
So, Joe and all, I totally disagree that management has "stiffed" any of us. Try calling the CEO or COO of any major company and see if you can even talk with them. And when shareholders call the Chairman of the Board and start "blasting" him on the telephone do they really think that helps the Company. I agree that it would be nice to have more communication with the shareholders on a regular basis... even if in the form of a brief quasi-newsletter posted on the TSIG website... and I truly believe that we will see improved "investor relations" shortly. TSIG reads this thread and is well aware of our concerns. Just answer a question for yourself. Would you rather Rob Gordon and James Guild were busy placating shareholders having anxiety attacks all day... or would you prefer them to be working on making our company a success? To me the answer is obvious.
Now about the PRs. Yes, we need more. Yes, we'll have more. I'd bet on at least one... maybe two this week, but then there might be a lull for a short time and then again more PRs. Perhaps some do not understand that even if a few major deals are 99.9% done, they cannot be announced or even discussed. Not only is it illegal, but it would, at least IMO, be stupid as it could kill the deal if some major corporation felt we were name dropping to hype the stock. If there was a deal pending that would sell 5,000,000 MusicCards annually (yes, every year) to just one company... would you want to jeopardize it? $25,000,000/year on just that one deal alone!! I don't think I would gamble losing it.
Unfortunately, many still just don't truly understand TSIG's game plan and the importance of the "MusicCard" to the CompactConnections division. Nor do they realize the importance of the teleservices division and other things in the pipeline at TSIG. It has all been posted on this thread numerous times, but the focus of most people has been... well, what you did yesterday was great, but what have you done for me today. IMO, it will all happen in time and perhaps faster than some think.
Joe, you are well aware I use TA, but as we have discussed I use it in combination with fundamentals... and with young BB stocks, a lot of TA can be distorted. Perhaps not things such as "seeing" accumulation, but I believe you will admit that many misinterpretations can occur due to the nature of the way MMs report BB stock trades (ie: actual retail trades versus trading between themselves). Be that as it may, I wish all the day-traders and short-term traders good luck. If age and experience are of any value, then the day or week after you sell there will be a major deal signed and announced. I know that everyone on the thread (at least almost everyone) is long TSIG, but can we stop playing a semantics game. Long just means what it says... you own the stock. It has nothing to do with short-term long or long-term long. I openly admit I belong to the long-term longs.
Now just to avoid any confrontation and/or confusion, I hereby officially state that I am long-term long TSIG, I like the Company, I like their game plan, I like their progress to date, and I firmly believe they will get to the top of their sector(s) in time. I also accept the fact that they have what I consider to be minor short-term problems which I believe will be resolved... but so does every other company I know. IMO, the risk:reward ratio, is on my side.
One final statement. I have never been to TSIG or any affiliated company, not have I met any officer or employee of the Company or its' affiliated companies. Every share I own has been bought on the open market with my own personal funds. I have not received one penny or share of stock from TSIG or any other company at any time for posting anything about TSIG or any other company or for any other reason. I am not an investment advisor or in any way or form related to an investor relations firm or investment advisory and whatever I state is my own personal opinion. Each and every person must do their own DD before making any investment of any kind. Now how's that for a disclaimer, Joe!! Did I leave anything out?
Now I'm going to try and enjoy the weekend... after I finish about 10 more hours of paperwork <VBG>. Sorry for the long post... heck, no I'm not... I had to get it off my chest once and for all. Besides, I wouldn't want to ruin my reputation for brevity <VVBG>.
Best always,
Marty
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