Mr Garmendia and the imasdé

Mr Garmendia is the owner and Manager of a small manufacturer of special tools of tungsten carbide, a great hardness commonly known as hard metal alloy. It is a well equipped workshop, which employs 20 people and that for years has enjoyed the confidence of a few loyal customers who appreciated the quality of its tools and the seriousness of the company in compliance with delivery times. The small difference in price on the same tools manufactured abroad was more than offset by the best customer service and response capacity before any unexpected client.

With the crisis, the company of Mr Garmendia has begun to go from bad to worse. Orders fell almost blow and some of their best customers, until then specific keepers of their payment commitments, they began to return receipts and to defer maturity. Some went into bankruptcy and some other closed one day the door without further and still you are looking for. Naturally, the company began to have difficulties to pay payroll.

Seriously concerned about the situation and having already exhausted its reserves, Mr Garmendia went to see Mr Martínez, director of the Bank branch with which has been working life turning receipts, resident payments, discounting letters and signing some other credit when it had to renew a machine. But Mr Martínez, with exquisite correction and expression of severe grief, that Yes, said you that it will not be able to help you. If the lack of liquidity in the banking sector, that if increased delinquencies, which if it were for him this would be done, but that is not in their hands and who does not know how much it regrets. Mr Garmendia was desolate.

A few days ago came to Mr Garmendia an invitation to an event organized by the Association of entrepreneurs of their autonomous community whose motto was "solutions to deal with the crisis". And Mr Garmendia ignited a light. He went expectant, willing to take full advantage of the tips and suggestions that would receive a dazzling Panel of expert economists and senior officials of employers and the public administration. It was even the Red Book which used for important meetings to take note of any relevant indication. The meeting was long. He finished late.

Mr Garmendia returned to his Office the next day and consulted his notes in the Red Book. There was only one sentence: "the solution is the r & d". Then, with a rictus of sadness, he got the phone, called the advisory work and asked him to start dealing with ERE.