Chapter 34: Growth
Michael was having a headache because maintaining this new office building took so much effort. Fortunately, Jennifer stepped up and hired a company to do property maintenance. Although it would incur monthly expenses, the service company would take care of everything from lawn care to janitorial services.
The next step for Michael was to hire a contractor to upgrade the security of the building. He found several local companies and decided on one owned by military veterans. Tiger security was a firm that specialized in security upgrades for commercial properties.
Michael called the company and reserved an appointment. They would have to come out to the office to know what sort of upgrades can be done and how long it will take. Michael met the owner the next day. They talked about the available options within the restrictions of the building. Michael ended up converting one of the rooms into a security room. There will be monitors that had live feed being watched by security guards. Furthermore, the parking lot was to be gated and the whole compound would need a badge to be accessed. Of course, there would be guards by the gate to make sure that fake badges were not being used.
The funny thing is that Michael's first employees would not be traders or analysts; instead, it would be security guards. Steve the owner of the contractor company left with a smile because Michael had one of the biggest contracts in his company history. The improvements would take nearly two months to complete. Fortunately, this would give Michael and Jennifer the much needed time to get preparations done.
" I think you are wasting too much money into this security debacle. Why do we need security guards in the compound? Gating the whole compound is also a bad idea. We have not even generated any revenue and you are already spending so much money." Jennifer went on a tirade. She thought Michael was making the classic mistakes that first-time entrepreneurs make.
" Jennifer, let's make one thing clear. I am the boss; I made the initial 50 million investment to the company. I can spend it however I want. Now I wish for you to advise me on business decisions; however, I will be the one making the decision. I am confident that this security upgrade is necessary and will be a beneficial long-term investment." Michael declared.
He thought Jennifer was getting a little too bossy these last couple of days. Michael valued her expertise and intellect, however, there were some things that he would not compromise on.
Jennifer bit her tongue but ultimately accepted reality. She knew that he had an excellent financial sense. After all, he made the $50 million from nothing. She drove back home to get started on the mountain of paperwork needed to start a new business.
Michael continued to alternate between developing his game, college and making the employee training manual. He finally realized why business men made so much money. Building a conglomerate from scratch took so much effort. However, Michael had no regrets. He finally had the opportunity to do something with his life and he would cherish that chance.
Two Months later
Several men were walking around the Headquarters of the recently established Empyreal Holdings. Steve and his builders were giving Michael a tour of the new and improved Office. The whole building did not change that much; however, security experts would notice the small changes made instantly.
Michael was satisfied with the upgrades; The Building had all the security features that was legally allowed for a civilian property. Any more and Michael would have to get special permission from the military.
He had been engrossed in work these past two months. Fortunately, his investment profile showed results. Bitcoin had been rising in value beyond all expectations. He had bought bitcoin when it was $3,000. Last week, Bitcoin hit a high of $18,000 defying all analyst predictions. Michael sold all his bitcoins; turning his 50 million dollar investment into 300 million dollars.
This week Bitcoin had slid all the way down to $5,000; Michael was hesitant to go for a second round. Bitcoin's volatility had left a bad taste in his mouth. In reality, even last week there were investors holding on to their coins; they were expecting bitcoin to keep rising, only to be disappointed by its abrupt fall.
Concur technologies was another success story in Michael's profile. The software company celebrated their 20 year anniversary and had signed up 4000 companies for their accounting software. Concur shed it's status as a penny stock company and joined the heavyweights of wall street. Michael's initial one million dollar investment had turned into 50 million.
After Michael set aside $50 million for Empyreal holdings, he only had $150 million left in his portfolio. The rest of his investments performed well, his $150 million grew into $650 million.
Michael felt like he was hitting a boundary with his investments. Once he reached the billion dollar limit; it would be significantly harder to make profits. At that level, his actions would be scrutinized from all perspectives. One move from a billionaire and thousands of people could lose their jobs.
Fortunately, he finally finished the training manual for his traders and could sit back and enjoy while they made money for him. Although he would have to train them to make sure that they grow into successful traders; the ultimate investment for a business owner was always his employees.
Michael finished up the paperwork with the contractor and headed to Jennifer's office. She had already moved into her office and started working.
" How is the progress with the preparations?" Michael asked Jennifer. She was responsible for all the necessary procedures for starting the company.
" We are finally ready to hire employees." Jennifer replied. She had been busy these past two months. Empyreal Holdings finally had the framework of a conglomerate. The logo had been designed by a Brand expert along with the Mission statement. Jennifer also finished the employee handbook; it was designed to cover all the basics while leaving enough leeway for company Managers to express their opinions.
Jennifer suggested that the company debut at the Hiring fair hosted by Austin city of commerce this weekend. Michael agreed and they registered for the event. The week flew by quickly as Michael and Jennifer made last minute preparations.
Michael and Jennifer drove to the Hiring Fair in his old truck. The trunk was filled with banners, T-shirts, and pens with Empyreal logo. He intended to debut his company in style. After arriving at the event Michael was disappointed to find that they had gotten a desolate table at the back corner of the event. He looked at the Fortune 500 companies occupying the front spots and vowed to surpass them all one day.
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