(Small) companies that I recently hired
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Last week was an interesting week for me because I started to look at it from a different perspective. Rather than just live another week as 7 days of habit, I looked at each and every transaction I made with another human being from two perspectives: how is this transaction making my life better, and how might it be making their lives better?
I was shocked at how many people I need to make my life more efficient. In each and every transaction, I saw people doing something better than I can do the given task -- by doing it faster or cheaper or just better, I am able to increase my own time spent on doing what I do best. In 8 situations I was definitely using others for my own gains, and they were using me for their gains. That is the best business relationship to have. In one situation, I realized I was giving up more than I was getting in the long run -- and I made it a point to discuss with the person what we can do to make the relationship more amicable.
I'm a messy person -- disorganized, a minimalist packrat and a paperwork pile addict. You'd be amazed at how many piles of junk I can accumulate in just 30 days. I used to have a gorgeous huge office in Chicago (at the corner of Erie and Franklin, a street corner known best for its mention in The Matrix I). 3000 square feet, beautiful skyline, 2 parking spaces, and a pile of papers from here to China if laid out side by side. The office was a detriment to my state of mind -- I avoided it because of the mess. After 6 years of occupying that space, I made the choice to downsize. I cut it out. My employees worked out of their homes, which gave them more reason to be at a customer's office and billing for their time rather than sitting in a messy office trying to cope with the overhead.
Yet now at home I found myself burdened again. I hired a local young gent with an admitted OCD -- he hated clutter and mess. I found him through my failed retail store -- he offered to clean up my files there and did so with great attention to detail. I hired him immediately to clean up my mess at home. Now, once a month, he comes and fixes what I break. He doesn't even have to ask me what is important and what isn't -- he knows me and my needs. Every time he leaves, a huge burden is reduced from my life. The US$50 I pay him for the 1-2 hours of work is worth hundreds each month in time saved and hassles gone. I'm amazed that more people with OCD can't turn it into a productive and profitable business. My number one customer has 50 offices of messes that they'd love to organize -- if you find yourself meticulous in organization, consider a part time job in organizing the lives of others. I bet I could find hundreds of customers who need assistance here.
On Tuesday, the local lawnmowing kid came by the house. Even though our lawn is supposed to be taken care of, this young 14 year old really busts his rear to make it look better -- hedging, trimming, even watering and seeding the lawn for under US$20 per visit. Our lawn looks ten times better than almost any other in the neighborhood, and for me it is a weight lifted off my chest. I love sitting on the lawn and reading, or having friends and family over to BBQ. A good lawn is more than just being egotistical about one's life, it is a useful product if you entertain. I should pay the kid more since he also takes the responsibility of reminding me when I forget to call him.
Later on Tuesday I visited my favorite gas stations -- one of the last of its kind. For 7 cents more per gallon, they do the full service job correctly -- check the oil, wash the windows, dry the windows, empty the garbage pockets and check the tires for proper pressure. I am positive that I have saved the 7 cents per gallon over the lifetime of the car in better fuel efficiency and a safer car to drive. Last week they noticed my windshield wipers were almost gone, and instead of selling me their overpriced wipers, they told me to just pick them up at the local auto parts store and they'd install them next fill up. Here is a place where thrift doesn't make sense -- especially for a busy entrepreneur. I wish more gas stations offered this service, I'd gladly pay 15 cents a gallon more for the service.
On Thursday my home entertainment PC had a power supply failure -- the first one in a year. I go through power supplies quicker than most (cat hair, too many hard drives and shoving the PC under the TV rack with no air supply). My local PC hardware store is a hilarious little shop with decent deals and employees who remember me. We purchase a lot from them for my IT shop, but one reason I make the added 15 minute drive each way is for their service. They installed my power supply free of charge. Even though I could do it myself, I prefer to have them do it as they do it with care, and it saves me from the common cuts and nicks I get doing it myself. They also blow out the case, clear up the fans, and do an overview of everything internally to make sure it is all looking good. I'm an IT consulting company owner, yet I think even geeks should look to the advice of others to discover where we're careless or maybe not even knowledgeable. The typical geek believes he is right in everything IT -- yet I always learn something new when visiting this store, especially since most of their employees are a decade younger than me and have more time to sit online and find new ways to do their job better. While I was there getting the power supply replaced, the tech gave me a few pointers on things I should look into to make my life easier. That is a major bonus for me -- they weren't selling me something, they were helping me make a sale for something I needed.
That is just a few companies that I hired and continue to hire -- companies that make my life better for the money and time I invest in them. I'll cover a few more tomororw, as well as the one company that I had to re-negotiate with. If you're looking to start your own business, think about what these companies did for me, and think about what you can do for others. Running your own business is not difficult if you look past the common fears of new entrepreneurs. The most basic philosophy a successful businessman has is "What can I do for others, and how will doing it help me?"
Don't be afraid to ask that question over and over again, especially once you're a successful businessman yourself.
Discuss this article at the Be Your Boss forum.
I was shocked at how many people I need to make my life more efficient. In each and every transaction, I saw people doing something better than I can do the given task -- by doing it faster or cheaper or just better, I am able to increase my own time spent on doing what I do best. In 8 situations I was definitely using others for my own gains, and they were using me for their gains. That is the best business relationship to have. In one situation, I realized I was giving up more than I was getting in the long run -- and I made it a point to discuss with the person what we can do to make the relationship more amicable.
I'm a messy person -- disorganized, a minimalist packrat and a paperwork pile addict. You'd be amazed at how many piles of junk I can accumulate in just 30 days. I used to have a gorgeous huge office in Chicago (at the corner of Erie and Franklin, a street corner known best for its mention in The Matrix I). 3000 square feet, beautiful skyline, 2 parking spaces, and a pile of papers from here to China if laid out side by side. The office was a detriment to my state of mind -- I avoided it because of the mess. After 6 years of occupying that space, I made the choice to downsize. I cut it out. My employees worked out of their homes, which gave them more reason to be at a customer's office and billing for their time rather than sitting in a messy office trying to cope with the overhead.
Yet now at home I found myself burdened again. I hired a local young gent with an admitted OCD -- he hated clutter and mess. I found him through my failed retail store -- he offered to clean up my files there and did so with great attention to detail. I hired him immediately to clean up my mess at home. Now, once a month, he comes and fixes what I break. He doesn't even have to ask me what is important and what isn't -- he knows me and my needs. Every time he leaves, a huge burden is reduced from my life. The US$50 I pay him for the 1-2 hours of work is worth hundreds each month in time saved and hassles gone. I'm amazed that more people with OCD can't turn it into a productive and profitable business. My number one customer has 50 offices of messes that they'd love to organize -- if you find yourself meticulous in organization, consider a part time job in organizing the lives of others. I bet I could find hundreds of customers who need assistance here.
On Tuesday, the local lawnmowing kid came by the house. Even though our lawn is supposed to be taken care of, this young 14 year old really busts his rear to make it look better -- hedging, trimming, even watering and seeding the lawn for under US$20 per visit. Our lawn looks ten times better than almost any other in the neighborhood, and for me it is a weight lifted off my chest. I love sitting on the lawn and reading, or having friends and family over to BBQ. A good lawn is more than just being egotistical about one's life, it is a useful product if you entertain. I should pay the kid more since he also takes the responsibility of reminding me when I forget to call him.
Later on Tuesday I visited my favorite gas stations -- one of the last of its kind. For 7 cents more per gallon, they do the full service job correctly -- check the oil, wash the windows, dry the windows, empty the garbage pockets and check the tires for proper pressure. I am positive that I have saved the 7 cents per gallon over the lifetime of the car in better fuel efficiency and a safer car to drive. Last week they noticed my windshield wipers were almost gone, and instead of selling me their overpriced wipers, they told me to just pick them up at the local auto parts store and they'd install them next fill up. Here is a place where thrift doesn't make sense -- especially for a busy entrepreneur. I wish more gas stations offered this service, I'd gladly pay 15 cents a gallon more for the service.
On Thursday my home entertainment PC had a power supply failure -- the first one in a year. I go through power supplies quicker than most (cat hair, too many hard drives and shoving the PC under the TV rack with no air supply). My local PC hardware store is a hilarious little shop with decent deals and employees who remember me. We purchase a lot from them for my IT shop, but one reason I make the added 15 minute drive each way is for their service. They installed my power supply free of charge. Even though I could do it myself, I prefer to have them do it as they do it with care, and it saves me from the common cuts and nicks I get doing it myself. They also blow out the case, clear up the fans, and do an overview of everything internally to make sure it is all looking good. I'm an IT consulting company owner, yet I think even geeks should look to the advice of others to discover where we're careless or maybe not even knowledgeable. The typical geek believes he is right in everything IT -- yet I always learn something new when visiting this store, especially since most of their employees are a decade younger than me and have more time to sit online and find new ways to do their job better. While I was there getting the power supply replaced, the tech gave me a few pointers on things I should look into to make my life easier. That is a major bonus for me -- they weren't selling me something, they were helping me make a sale for something I needed.
That is just a few companies that I hired and continue to hire -- companies that make my life better for the money and time I invest in them. I'll cover a few more tomororw, as well as the one company that I had to re-negotiate with. If you're looking to start your own business, think about what these companies did for me, and think about what you can do for others. Running your own business is not difficult if you look past the common fears of new entrepreneurs. The most basic philosophy a successful businessman has is "What can I do for others, and how will doing it help me?"
Don't be afraid to ask that question over and over again, especially once you're a successful businessman yourself.
Discuss this article at the Be Your Boss forum.
posted by A. B. Dada at 11:38 AM
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