Day 23.
Still working on this business. A while back, I had asked my partner, before he was a partner, if he wanted to be a partner, or a contractor. I explained that as a contractor, I could pay him now… as a partner, we don’t get paid and put all the money into the business. He emphatically stated he wanted to be a partner.
Apparently, when I said “we don’t get paid” and “all the money”, meant “we get paid a little” and “a lot of the money” to him. I think it became apparent to him after we had spent 8 hours at a client site that he was not going to see any money for that, and we still had to return the next day for more hours. He was feeling as though he was working ‘for free” (his words). I politely reminded him (yes, truly politely, not ‘politely’ as we usually use the word, to mean ‘curtly’) that was why I had asked him if he wanted to be a partner, and not a contractor. He admitted he misunderstood, but stressed that he really needs the money. I recognized that (he really does.. even though he is about to graduate, he still is coming off of 2.5 years of being a student, having had to make a mortgage payment that whole time) and decided to concede to him that we can take some money. I still see this as a stupid move, that we are simply delaying the profitability of our business by ‘robbing’ good advertising dollars just so we can get immediate gratification. Nonetheless, I didn’t deny his point that it feels much better putting in hour after hour when we know we are getting something for it. I still see it as a bad move, but there is at least the benefit of seeing some money. Furthermore, he made the point that if we are working for ‘free’, we will be less motivated and won’t generate business. I wanted to tell him to speak for himself, because my motivation is not for immediate gratification, but instead knowing each hour that is billed goes to the company, and at LEAST the company’s bills will be paid. He figured that if we pay the company $25 of every hour billed, that it would take 12 hours to pay the rent ($300/month). I reminded him of advertising budgets and everything else. He agreed, and said we need to figure out all those percentages. I am all for that, I guess, but really would like it better if I didn’t count on a dime from the money, and simply made it go as far as possible for the company. It does kind of piss me off that he has demanded this, but I think in the end it will work out. After all, he made the point, and I agreed, that if we aren’t billing at least 12 hours a month, then we shouldn’t have an office building anyway. My minimum hours to bill for per month are much higher than that… at least 80 hours/month within the first few months moving up to at least 320 hours/month. Of course, by then we will need to hire contractors. This is where his “percentage” idea will have benefited us.. the company will see no reduction in income when we hire contractors to do the job… i.e., the company will still be getting $25/hour billed. WE will be the ones who will see a reduction, and I like this. I like that if I or my partner does not work, all the money will go to the company.
However, eventually, I hope to have enough sub-contractors billing for enough hours that I can then take ‘bonuses’ based on how well the company is doing. In other words, we administer the paperwork, handle the billing, the contractors, etc, and if the company ends up with $3000 after all expenses and budgets are paid, my partner and I can each take a $1500 bonus. As the company grows, so do our bonuses.
This is all provided the business gets business. I have to have money to do that first, and part of the reason I am irked at my partner. We need advertising dollars, and by taking payment, it limits the amount and effectiveness of the advertising, and thus, limits the amount of business I can drum up.
Sigh… but it still will work this way, just harder.
Took the last two days off work, enjoyed the hell out of them. It was nice to get two more days to my regular two days since I have been burning my regular days off with this business, and not getting time to myself or with my family.
I can’t stop realizing every once in a while, quite often actually, that life is good. Life is really good right now. Then I feel guilty for bringing it up to my good friends who may feel their lives aren’t going so good right now, so I don’t bring it up.
But I think about my past, my present, and have no idea about my future. But I look at everything around me, my social life, my love life, my family life, my toys, my perspective on life, and can’t help but realize, life is good. It’s a REALITY thing, nothing existential. I REALIZE what I have, and I don’t feel ‘thankful’ to some supernatural cause. I recognize that any of these good things in my life could be taken from me in an instant, by ill will or by pure chance. I at least inwardly appreciate them all now. They could be gone tomorrow, next week, next year.
Jingo.
Apparently, when I said “we don’t get paid” and “all the money”, meant “we get paid a little” and “a lot of the money” to him. I think it became apparent to him after we had spent 8 hours at a client site that he was not going to see any money for that, and we still had to return the next day for more hours. He was feeling as though he was working ‘for free” (his words). I politely reminded him (yes, truly politely, not ‘politely’ as we usually use the word, to mean ‘curtly’) that was why I had asked him if he wanted to be a partner, and not a contractor. He admitted he misunderstood, but stressed that he really needs the money. I recognized that (he really does.. even though he is about to graduate, he still is coming off of 2.5 years of being a student, having had to make a mortgage payment that whole time) and decided to concede to him that we can take some money. I still see this as a stupid move, that we are simply delaying the profitability of our business by ‘robbing’ good advertising dollars just so we can get immediate gratification. Nonetheless, I didn’t deny his point that it feels much better putting in hour after hour when we know we are getting something for it. I still see it as a bad move, but there is at least the benefit of seeing some money. Furthermore, he made the point that if we are working for ‘free’, we will be less motivated and won’t generate business. I wanted to tell him to speak for himself, because my motivation is not for immediate gratification, but instead knowing each hour that is billed goes to the company, and at LEAST the company’s bills will be paid. He figured that if we pay the company $25 of every hour billed, that it would take 12 hours to pay the rent ($300/month). I reminded him of advertising budgets and everything else. He agreed, and said we need to figure out all those percentages. I am all for that, I guess, but really would like it better if I didn’t count on a dime from the money, and simply made it go as far as possible for the company. It does kind of piss me off that he has demanded this, but I think in the end it will work out. After all, he made the point, and I agreed, that if we aren’t billing at least 12 hours a month, then we shouldn’t have an office building anyway. My minimum hours to bill for per month are much higher than that… at least 80 hours/month within the first few months moving up to at least 320 hours/month. Of course, by then we will need to hire contractors. This is where his “percentage” idea will have benefited us.. the company will see no reduction in income when we hire contractors to do the job… i.e., the company will still be getting $25/hour billed. WE will be the ones who will see a reduction, and I like this. I like that if I or my partner does not work, all the money will go to the company.
However, eventually, I hope to have enough sub-contractors billing for enough hours that I can then take ‘bonuses’ based on how well the company is doing. In other words, we administer the paperwork, handle the billing, the contractors, etc, and if the company ends up with $3000 after all expenses and budgets are paid, my partner and I can each take a $1500 bonus. As the company grows, so do our bonuses.
This is all provided the business gets business. I have to have money to do that first, and part of the reason I am irked at my partner. We need advertising dollars, and by taking payment, it limits the amount and effectiveness of the advertising, and thus, limits the amount of business I can drum up.
Sigh… but it still will work this way, just harder.
Took the last two days off work, enjoyed the hell out of them. It was nice to get two more days to my regular two days since I have been burning my regular days off with this business, and not getting time to myself or with my family.
I can’t stop realizing every once in a while, quite often actually, that life is good. Life is really good right now. Then I feel guilty for bringing it up to my good friends who may feel their lives aren’t going so good right now, so I don’t bring it up.
But I think about my past, my present, and have no idea about my future. But I look at everything around me, my social life, my love life, my family life, my toys, my perspective on life, and can’t help but realize, life is good. It’s a REALITY thing, nothing existential. I REALIZE what I have, and I don’t feel ‘thankful’ to some supernatural cause. I recognize that any of these good things in my life could be taken from me in an instant, by ill will or by pure chance. I at least inwardly appreciate them all now. They could be gone tomorrow, next week, next year.
Jingo.