Despite his claims earlier in August, Julian Assange is still hiding out in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The Journalist/activist stated he would soon be leaving the building that had given him asylum 2 years ago. For that time, the man has been in a stalemate with the British authorities that have police constantly posted outside the building ready to arrest Assange should he step back onto official UK soil.
Assange’s main concern on leaving his found sanctuary is that he would be extradited to the US where he faces up to 35 years imprisonment for releasing sensitive information through his news website, WikiLeaks. For the last two years, he has been evading capture, but to what avail? Unable to leave the embassy, it has been acting as a surrogate prison. Assange has been unsuccessful in any attempt to escape and now due to failing health, he has decided to give himself up.
The sad thing is that despite all attempts, Julian Assange finds himself in exactly the same position he was in two years ago but now has wasted two years and faces his failing health. The results of him leaving the embassy now are exactly the same as they would have been 25 months ago. I can’t help think that maybe he should have quit while he was ahead.
Of course, it is impossible to see what the future holds. Hoping it will be fruitful without proactive action is always a mistake. Decisions have to be made and actions taken. Sometimes taking the hit is the best thing to do compared with trying to eek out an ill-planned route.
We are frequently asked by clients if they should sell their insurance agencies now or wait a few years. There is no simple answer when it comes to perpetuation. We always ask clients to tell us what their business will look like in two years. Do they expect to grow organically? Do they expect the insurance market to harden significantly? In most situations, the clients don’t see strong growth prospects or a significant change in the market. If so, our advice is often for them to assess the risk if things change. What happens if you lose a significant client? What happens if there is an economic downturn? What happens if the market softens or commissions are reduced? What happens if their profit sharing contracts are not as lucrative?
Our advice is similar to Julian Assange. If nothing is gained by waiting and if the upside doesn’t far exceed the potential risks, you should seriously consider taking action now. At least you won’t be spending your ideal time in the Ecuadorian embassy.
