I heard the phrase ‘running hot’ used for business the first time in 1998. We had started an internet ASP, had a great name and had acquired a large number of eye balls - visitors. Uniquely we were charging and receiving money for our solution. A Board Member suggested it was time to run hot, that is to bring in more investment dollars and increase the spend on marketing and sales.

Venture money was available but required a detailed plan on how exactly the money would be spent and how we would increase revenue with a specific date to become profitable. With the plan in place we were successful at ‘running hot’ we took the company International. At times, borrowing dollars to fuel growth works.

Our government is borrowing and investing large amounts of money intended to drive and rebound our economy - ‘running hot’. Our deficit is rapidly rising and unlike the Venture inestment that is written off due to failure, the dollars the government borrows must be repaid. And so they may, at least we all hope so. The elephant in the room is the question, exactly how do we pay the debt back? What is the specific plan? As business leaders we must ask the question just as we would for our own businesses. And if the answer is not complete or if it doesn’t make common sense we should react accordingly and fire those who put us in this situation.

Tags: Add new tag, budget, congress, deficit, Democrats, executive pay, expenditures, obama, pelosi, pork, Republicans, trillions

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