Kodak

Once Kodak was one of the biggest companies in the world. They are now reported to be close to going into the American version of administration Their success was built on global sales of film, but in the early nineties they did not put their resources behind research and development of digital technology, preferring instead to please their shareholders with increasing short term profits.

Typical of our western culture.

In the mid eighties they paid us £450,000 for less than 40% of our company which had 35 wedding and portrait studios, all with one hour mini labs attached. We were in some prime high street locations including Nottingham, Cambridge, Leeds etc. When we sold the remaining shares a few years later most locations became the first Kodak Express or Snappy Snaps shops.

Unwisely all the studios were dropped as one hour processing became the fashion. Moral of the story: Build slowly and surely and beware of short term strategies. The Chinese plan ahead for thirty years whilst Europe can't see further than the next month!

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