The author is the owner of Acorn Appraisal Associates, a 21 year old firm offering a wide range of quality appraisal services to the Financial and Business Communities in the greater Houston SMSA
I've been busy on personal things this past week....continuing education with AI for three days, then nursing a bug that my wife brought home from her Astros season ticket group. It's also raining at my corporate headquarters office.
- When I attend continuing education I get philosophical.
- When I nurse bugs I get philosophical.
- When it rains I get philosophical.
Most people dislike what comes out of my fingers during these times. I don't blame them. But I'm sorry; it's a triple witching event. I can't help it. I love it.
Spring has sprung here in Houston, Texas. Lots of good things to enjoy at the turn of a season. I sit on my patio each morning before dawn twilight begins and read the paper. I enjoy watching the sun rise, watching wildlife awaken to a new day. With Spring comes the insect life. In this case gnats. Little mosquito like insects that don't bite, just flutter around getting into my coffee. A protein source, I've always thought. I begin my reading with an overhead light on...too dark to read otherwise. The light fixture is on an outdoor ceiling fan. The fixture has two drop chains on each side of the light, one for the light, one for the fan. I use neither...a remote sits by my rocker. A local spider has noted that arrangement.
Turning the light on triggers an onset of gnats. They are attracted to the light fixture. My friend Spidey knows that, and has set up housekeeping on that light fixture, weaving the web between the two drop chains. The light goes on and Spidey starts working. He repairs damage to the web, getting it ready to receive breakfast.
Ever watch a spider construct a web? Very enlightening. Reminds me of someone knitting.
A logical, consistent pattern, with very even spacing between the individual strands. An engineering masterpiece.
Once the web is repaired, Spidey retreats to the very center of the web and waits, his eight appendages touching the various anchor strands that emanate out from the center. Located that way, Spidey can tell by the vibrations exactly where the gnat has been caught in the web and immediately proceeds to that location. A natural feedback mechanism.
I see lessons taught by Spidey to apply in my appraisal business. I first need to decide where to position my business for maximum effect, both physically and by the type of business I plan to build. Spidey chose the light fixture and a steady diet of gnats. I chose a major metropolitan market and a generic product arsenal for maximum community effect and maximum profit.
Click below to continue reading . . .
Each day brings with it a need to access (transitive verb) my business and take care of any repairs that need to be made, any changes in the environment that might require my response. I am constantly on watch for new ways to expand my business, to better serve my community. Spidey does the same. His motivation is preservation of his species. My motive is profit. Both are beneficial to our communities.
Spidey retreats to the center of his web for maximum response with minimum effort. I must do the same. I must remember that I am in business in a rapidly changing environment. I must be always alert to changes in that environment and be prepared to change my business if necessary to respond to the new environment. Spidey retreats to the center of the web, appendages on each anchor strand. My anchor strands are my treasured Clients, my team, my local and Internet business associates.
Like Spidey, it wouldn't pay for me to go off to the far end of my business web. It wouldn't pay for me to not change my business when the business environment changes. It pays to stay centered, to attend to my core business, but always alert to changes that might require me to change.
One of my favorite books is Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. That book influenced my business and personal life ever since I first read it in the mid 1970's. That's the way I am! I try to apply what I read to my business and personal life. I'm considering submitting a book outline to a publisher. Titles I'm considering this week are "Zen and the Art of Fly Fishing" or "Zen and the Pursuit of a Single Digit Golf Handicap". Whatdaya think?
Part of my continuing education this past week was a seven hour USPAP update. Presented by a very good USPAP expert, one who teaches nationally, and has built a nice little side business of expert witness testimony around the country regarding USPAP issues. We've known each other for twenty years but rarely converse.
I'm an unabashed advocate of USPAP. A great document from the first edition on. I've never consulted USPAP for help with an appraisal business problem without finding the solution. Never!
I read the new edition of USPAP when it first arrives. Not the whole thing...I skip the business appraisal and equipment sections. Don't need those. But I read every line of USPAP that relates to Real Estate Appraisal and Consulting. That's my business.
It usually takes one afternoon to do the read. After that refresher I can usually remember the broad brush intent, and can quickly zero in on a particular issue when needed.
A few years ago the ASB began offering the USPAP e-version....Man! What a great addition to the document. An indexed and searchable edition sitting on my desktop. I can instantly get all references to a particular issue with one or two clicks of the mouse. I wouldn't be without that e version!
Anyway, the very best thing coming out of USPAP 2006 is the Scope of Work Rule (SOW). My old friend and USPAP instructor agrees. It gives me, the appraiser, control of my business. It really does! An intended consequence of SOW is that the appraiser is charged with the responsibility of providing appraisal services to clients that the client needs and wants, all within the context of what is ethically appropriate and with a view to the public good.
The SOW helps elevate the appraisal business to a profession. I took my instructor to lunch as usual. I had another business concept to introduce him to, and that's best done one on one. But we touched on USPAP 2006 and the scope of work rule. His view is a mirror of mine. Elevating the business to a profession.
Great stuff! . . .Like I said:
- When I attend continuing education I get philosophical.
- When I nurse bugs I get philosophical.
- When it rains I get philosophical.
Maybe next week I'll be back to normal?
The author is the owner of Acorn Appraisal Associates, a 21 year old firm offering a wide range of quality appraisal services to the Financial and Business Communities in the greater Houston SMSA
Recent Comments