Loans & Finances Today

Leaving aside the question of whether spinouts are the optimum way in which to commercialise research (compared with licencing, for example), it appears that more analysis need to be undertaken to determine why spinouts are not as successful as they could be, particularly in realising profit for their investors through successful exits. Furthermore, there could be closer consideration by universities of the following questions:

Should there be a more rigorous approach to establishing exit planning strategies when spinouts prepare their business plans at start-up? Should there be more extensive training of academics intending to commercialise their research in business management and practice, the raising of finance, investor relations, IP protection, marketing and exit planning?

How can the quality of management and staff in university technology transfer offices be improved? Also, perhaps those UK universities with a less than successful history with spinouts and those coming into the spinout business for the first time could follow more closely the approach of Oxford and Cambridge Universities, as well as the template established by the successful American academic institutions.

In simple terms, your portfolio should reflect your personality as a saver, investor, and speculator. Pure savers will want all their money in savings instruments, pure investors will want it all in investments, and pure speculators will want it all in speculations. Most of you, however, will want to have some money in two or all three types of investments. The only way to determine amounts is to watch how different ratios affect your emotions.

For example, retirees are sometimes advised to have five years of living expenses in savings instruments. They can then place the rest of their money in investments and speculations. However, many retirees are unhappy with the low returns from savings instruments. Being more investors than savers, they will cut down to one year or even a few months of savings instruments and put the rest in investments. This will increase both their returns and happiness.

Other retirees will not want anything in investments. They will only be comfortable with everything in savings. While they may start retirement with five years of savings, eventually they will have twice their life expectancy in savings.