Don’t believe the hype - lessons for entrepreneurs seeking funding

As many regular readers of my blog will know, I am now increasingly based in Canada (at least one week a month). I love the place that I have settled in completely by accident (Halifax, Nova Scotia). I have done many speaking engagements there and recently wrote a guest column for a local newspaper.

After my feature in the newspaper, the hits on my blog went up substantially and I was contacted by many people and offered a few good deals. It seemed to prove to me the old adage about the value of PR and profile. This blog was inspired though by me reading the weekend papers – more about that later!

A good friend of mine who I have worked with for almost ten years is very private. He easily qualifies for a place on the Rich list – and yet never appears there. He confessed to me when I asked him, that he pays his accountant a lot of money to make sure he never appears on any rich list. I also learned that someone else I knew (calling them a friend would be an exaggeration) was paying their to ensure that they always appeared on the annual rich list.