04 Sep The Frog in The Pot

The frog in the pot is a literary tale that has tantalised the minds of the imaginary and business leaders alike.  Symbolic of the analogy between a frolicking frog in a pot of water tolerating an incremental and continual increase in temperature until such time it boils.  The frog is completely unware of the adverse environment it has accustomed itself to.

On the flipside, another frog sitting on the pot’s rim admiring the spectacle, dips his little webbed toe in the water and realises very quickly that the pot is not a friendly place to spend with his friend.  The benefit of comparative analysis is knowing that the water temperature does not support permanency comparable to the outside air.

This paraphrase is an analogy for discussion only, not a representation of the tangible banking experience.  But like any business, the potted frog is operating within an ever-changing environment, a change that is only distinguished by increments and not directly noticeable.

Like the Egyptian plover and crocodile, the initial relationship between bank and borrower was set within terms of the agreement that was most agreeable at the time for both parties.  The plover is fed and the teeth are cleaned.  But time is not static, nor is a business’ operating environment, the position of the business within its life cycle or the banking environment.  Banking is not a set and forget phenomena.  In fact, it is the complete opposite.  Businesses evolve over time just as much as financiers’ policy, pricing, and culture change over time.

If there is material funding within the business, then the relationship between borrower and financier is that of obligate symbiosis.  For economic proficiency, the relationship bound by the terms of the agreement need to be continually reset within the market within reasonable parameters.  Otherwise the prevailing business or banking conditions incrementally over time can develop into a relationship that is biased to one party over that of another; a heresy for the borrower to becoming the frog in the pot.

Now for the good news.  A focused and strategic approach to business financing can keep the funding relationship extremely cost efficient (lower interest rates), accommodating for capital procurement and one of sustainable durability.  Key to it all, the opportunity can be captured with delightful efficiency.

Please call anyone one of us at Robinson Sewell Partners if you would like a deeper insight and hearty discussion into improving the funding dynamics within the business.