We have been working hard in this column for several months now...business, business, business! Yet part of what I have discussed is the balance possible to be achieved in owning a business.
The balance to take control of your life and not let work dominate to the exclusion of other facets. I practice what I preach. Today I offer proof and discuss why that balance is really an investment in the business.
I've mentioned before that my Internet dominated business structure had it's origins in the introduction of the fax machine, the chunky first PCs, VisiCalc, and other seed software. I saw the potential to develop flexibility in how I structured and managed my business. The Internet was not very developed, but when it arrived it was added to the growing list of tools that I sought to master to gain more control of my life.
Today I often get into discussions with others about work; how much time and energy is devoted to that part of their lives. My wife is a good example. She works in a school system, the finance manager for a middle school. Millions of dollars flow through her control. Schools are big business these days! We live north of the city of Houston. Her school is in the southwest part of the city. Her 50 mile commute to that job amounts to two stressful hours each day!
Before we moved to our present home seven years ago, she was one half mile from her school. I kept asking her; "Are you sure you want to move that far from your work? Would you consider a transfer to another school closer to the new location?" She made the decision to stay at the school where she was comfortable.
Today the commute is a major stress source and energy drain for my wife. It also is for others I chat with regularly. Three in our own Acorn family. Often they envy my lack of a similar commute. How lucky I am!
Luck had nothing to do with it. I planned it . . . .Click below to read on!
Twenty to thirty years ago I was planting the seeds to grow my business to provide maximum flexibility for myself and maximum control over my time. I didn't know how it was going to actually take shape, I just knew what core elements I intended to use to get that control.
Our home is located in a five hundred home middle class subdivision in the northwest suburbs of Houston. Near our grandchildren. The subdivision is built around lakes that function as constant level flood control. Pretty common now in our market. We selected a builder model that would facilitate my second floor command center for my business. Hard wired the home for Internet access. We also selected a lake front lot. I love the outdoors, I love water views.
I enjoy fishing. My history is salt water bay fishing. Turns out the lakes in our subdivision contain fish; two species of catfish, several varieties of bream, crappie, and large mouth bass. That was a pleasant surprise. I taught myself to fly fish on those lakes.
I enjoy golf. There are many golf courses in Houston, an over supply actually, but demand is certainly catching up. There are many quality golf courses near our new home. It was part of what influenced my selection. I never had the time or the money to devote to golf in my early years. Last year I joined one of the local golf clubs.
Now, let's review my last three days of activities, made possible by having a general plan for over thirty years.
A series of thunder storms moved through our area early Monday before daybreak, depositing three quarters of an inch of rain. That triggers water movement in our series of interconnected flood control lakes. The water movement triggers a run of crappie.
So, before daybreak (I'm an early riser) I made a pot of coffee, and went upstairs to the Galactic HQ of Acorn and did correspondence. As dawn began to break I donned my fly fishing gear, selected a 3 wgt rod with a #10 black marabou fly, and went fly fishing. Within 2 minutes of leaving my back yard I greeted the resident goose who accompanies me on most fishing trips, and I began catching crappie.
Pictures of the goose and a sample monster crappie (1.8 lb) from that trip are included. An hour of fishing produced a wonderful, relaxing experience. Great way to begin a day!
By then the main office had opened and I used IM to catch up on what was going on there; inputted the orders from Friday into QuickBooks; completed the payroll for the week, including transfers of the funds to each employee's checking accounts and emailing their check stubs.
Mid morning the traffic had died down and I met with some folks on business near our main office, then stopped by the office to chat and view some software one of the Bright Horses was testing for our business expansion project.
I used one of the workstations at the main office to wrap up some details resulting from the business meeting earlier. After lunch I called the Golf Club and reserved a tee time and played 18 holes (41/41/82...a good round for this geezer!).
Leaving the course I called home and asked my wife (on spring break this week) if she was ready for some grilled steaks on our patio overlooking the lake.
That was Monday.
Tuesday was coffee, correspondence, fly fishing, IM, business correspondence, a late morning tee time, then business, including a draft of this column, finishing in time to do some gardening and an evening fly fishing trip, this time for bream.
Wednesday morning was coffee, correspondence, no fly fishing or golf due to more rain. A training session at the Galactic HQ for Acorn with the Administrative Manager, preparing her for taking over the accounting function. Worked on line with the State of Texas on a missing report. Then correspondence, work on this column, IM communication with various members of Acorn on business matters.
Review of communications with the TALCB and the Criminal Investigator on more data on the illegal appraiser. A couple of hours of Internet research on a future column. Fly fishing for Crappie in the evening...rain means water movement, which means the Crappie are running! No Crappie, but a small black bass plus a dance with a large bass, three spectacular jumps before she threw the fly.
Folks, that is a lot of diverse activity! The diversity adds to the quality of the management and direction I can bring to Acorn. That's a lesson I'm just beginning to fathom. It's a gift the team gives to me by virtue of their ability to run the day to day affairs, and which I in turn give back to the team in the quality of my leadership. We all earn our keep!
I know, I know...you folks are thinking I'm rationalizing my way into more leisure time. I don't think so! That diversity brings business and contacts and opportunities. The time spent away from the daily grind brings perspective and vision. Perspective to see things that need to be done and preparing for the needed action. Vision to see market directions and future needs, and to recognize opportunities as they present themselves.
We entrepreneurs are basically control freaks. Jacks of all trades. When we started and grew our businesses in the early stages, that's how we survived. Something needs to be done? Do it! Throw more personal man-hours at it. It worked. We survived and grew. The approach we applied continued long after the business grew up. The business grew up; we didn't.
That sound familiar? It should. I'm describing not only me, but you. You must change. Your business changed...it's looking for a new manager. Are you going to provide what is needed? You always have; why not now?
Growing your team is required. It won't happen over night, so start now. Little steps, but start! It's an investment in the future.
I can elaborate more later, but without that investment in growing our team, Acorn would not have been able to handle the crisis we discussed last week (and which continues today). We would not have been able to maintain our service levels to our revered Client Base. We would not have been able to recognize a major business opportunity. We would not have been able to complete the due diligence for that opportunity. We would not have experienced bankers willing and eager to help us achieve that opportunity.
That we could do all that in this first quarter of the new year is a testament to the strength of our organization, including the advantage of the Boss having time to devote to diverse interests. I'm just beginning to realize those strengths.
Shouldn't you be working toward the same objective?
The author is the owner of Acorn Appraisal Associates, a 20 year old firm offering a wide range of quality appraisal services to the Financial and Business Communities in the greater Houston SMSA
Recent Comments