I think that red may have misinterpreted this information.
I am not posting any rumors, but I will post when I feel that someone may be speculating or stretching some information beyond what they should, which only can hurt the company. To help stop or clear up a possible stretched conversation that does this good little company no good, perhaps a read of this might explain.
Disclaimer: This is not from the company and since my consultant contract doesn't start until March 1st I will take a big risk to help point out that is is probably not a true fact at all, but misinformation. But it is worth the risk.
This post is of my own comment based on experience. I have just landed a small consultant contract to source out competitive information for THW. It starts on March 1 unless I lose it for posting when I said I would only post about industry stuff. I am starting my consultant task early on my own today because I want to help this company and my investment.
Perhaps red may have misinterpreted the information that THW product sales are up quite a bit as a whole, and they did not say earnings are up 1,000 % at all?
To say that sales are increasing steadily month by month is acceptable to say to any shareholder from anyone, in any company. Since every company works hard to increase their sales from month to month, quarter to quarter it not considered secret or material information. It is business as usual and common knowledge and not material.
Every time a trade show sale is made for THW or any company, sales are up from two minutes earlier.
You'd have to live in a cave to not understand this.
I have recently found out from a number of US sources in my one day of researching competitive products in the industry that THW products are selling well in many new reseller areas. And that they are selling from from 100% to between 400% and even up 1,000% in certain channels since when WebPainter 3 was released last July.
This is good. Think of it? If a reseller never sold any product before for THW and then sold ten, sales are up 1,000% at that dealer. Multiply that each time THW gets a new reseller.
And we all know that THW has landed many new sales in the education channel. 300,000 units of WebPainter in Iowa just recently which was in a press release. Sales are obviously up over 1,000 % from before. They stated this in a press release. We all had access to it, so the company can comment that sales have increased over 1,000 %.
The release of LiveStage and all the industry press that Totally Hip gets lately most certainly helps them to increase sales through more visibility and credibility of the Totally Hip brand products.
It is common for companies that transition from a research and development based company, to a sales and marketing based company to have a ten and even 10,000 fold increase in sales or more if their products become hot in the industry.
We all know that webPainter 3 and now LiveStage are hot award winning products.
I would guess that red may have made an assumption from a comment to his questions, especially since this THW person wouldn't comment on other things, so why on this? Doesn't make sense.
So my take is that it is an honest mistake of what was commented back and a read into it of 'earnings' instead of a normal comment from someone at a company that said sales are getting better and better as the company moves forward. It is probable that is all that it is.
I have had similar conversations with THW and also with many other companies. Its natural to state this when someone asks if things are good. Corel does it, Apple does it, and thousands of other comnpanies do it every day. Why not THW?
More understandable, is the fact that THW had no sales last summer, so every month that these new products are in more and more sales channels, and become more and more visible, the sales will increase and have to jump 1,000% from past sales, and will probably continue to do so.
This does not mean that earnings are up 1,000 % at all, so make certain the facts are straight.
I tend to believe that some shareholders want to hear what they want to hear, and then do no favors to the company and shareholders by putting a spin on a conversation and then put it in a post. I have done it in the past, because I was so excited and wanted to believe or read things into a conversation. I got supreme shit for it last week and yesterday and almost lost a small consultant opportunity. I now know that it doesn't help THW when we post what we want to believe or read into a normal company comment, so we shopuld all make sure that the facts are there first. They come from press releases and company reports.
McCallum told me yesterday that 90% of things on these threads are not fact or get blown out of proportion, and shareholders should be cautious to wait for the real facts.
I have been told that THW might not talk to shareholders at all anymore on the phone or answer e-mails if callers and e-mailers don't idetitfy themsleves with real names that can be tracked back to the source, because a number of people continue to misinterpret and post information on sites like this after they call the company or e-mail the company. That would be sad, but can we blame them? They have been misquoted many times from conversations and e-mails and even by bullshit reporters with hidden agendas.
I know that they believe in their shareholders. I heard it last night and yesterday. I have been told right from the two top guys that they will take a no comment or a very sanitised or extremely cautious and limited comment approach soon if stuff like this continues to spread from certain information from a conversation or e-mail to a source of rumors on the Web. As they told me, it only hurts the company and all shareholders.
I learned my lesson and I am thankful that the see the value that I can offer the company by helping. I heard yesterday that McCallum likes to hire consultants that are avid customers or users of their products.
To stop it, the no comment approach may be their only choice and that would hurt all shareholders.
My focus is on competitive trends and I will post on competitive product and industry comparisons over the next few months. I feel this post was necessary because I have an investment in THW, and like everyone else, I want to protect that investment and see it appreciate.
A real Fact:
Most recently I found that THW LiveStage is the Featured Product over the next few days on CNets very popular www.download.com
This is industry stuff so I can comment on it without screwing things up. It is real good exposure for Totally Hip. This is a fact, and industry eyeballs count.
This helps sales, and that is THWs focus. |
