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Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2000 09:26:55 -0400 (EDT)
From: Beautiful Grade
Subject: BLAGUES-L: The fisherman and the businessman


Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2000 12:12:29 -0400
From: Jacques Bernier
From: Chantal Ouimet
Extrait du feuillet hebdomadaire des nouvelles du departement de biologie
de l'Universite de l'Alberta


A businessman was at a pier of a small coastal village when a small boat
with a local fisherman docked.  Inside the small boat were several large
yellowfin tuna. 

The visitor complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish, and
asked how long it took to catch them. The man replied only a little while.
The visitor then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish? 

The fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children,
spend some time with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I
sip wine and play guitar with my friends.  I have a full and busy life." 

The businessman scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You
should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat.
With the income from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, and
eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling
your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor,
eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product,
processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal
fishing village and move to the city and eventually to a place like New
York City, where you would run your expanding enterprise." 

The fisherman asked, "But how long with this all take?" To which the
businessman replied, "perhaps 10-15 years." 

"But what then?"

The businessman laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is
right you would announce an IPO and sell your company's stock to the
public and become very rich. You would make millions."

"Millions!? Then what?"

The businessman said, "Then you could retire. Move to a small coastal
fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your
kids, spend some time with your wife, stroll to the village in the
evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your friends." 



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