An Important Lesson

Not too long ago, my father and I went on an estimate. This estimate was a little unique as it turned out- a person needed help cleaning their basement, and their basement only. It's not something we typically do, so I was curious as to why we were doing it. I kept asking my dad why we had chosen to do this estimate, and he kept repeating, "this person asked for help with their basement." The way he chose to phrase his response hung with me for some reason.

As we were driving out there, my father and I spoke about fun things, food, business, movies, television, the usual. It was nice, I must say. One of my favorite things to do at work, actually, is to go on first time cleanings and estimates with my father. He has a lot to teach, and simply by watching him work, one can learn a lot. We also do carpet cleanings together.

After a long time, we finally came to the house, and the owner was out to greet us. She was very kind, warm, and welcoming as she led us down to the basement. She also told her story as to why she needed us in the first place. Apparently, they had flooded (it had been drained when we were there), and a lot of old keepsakes were destroyed or damaged. She wanted to make sure that the basement was squeaky clean for fear of mold, mildew, and other unsavory basement surprises. But she was unable to clean it herself.

It was then I learned that we went to do this estimate to simply help someone. Would we turn a profit? No. But that's not what mattered. It turns out, she also wanted to the floor painted, which is something we don't do. But! We know a handyman (a damn good one to boot) that is the husband of a Budget employee, and referred him immediately.

My Dad and I walked out of the house when we were through, and then when we got back in the car, he explained why we came all the way out there- money wasn't the goal (what a concept, right?). We went out there to help someone in need, and in this instance, point them in the right direction. So what if we didn't make a buck?

That simple experience is one I will never forget because my father was able to summarize Budget's entire mission with a single act of kindness. We are here to help people. Yes, we are also in business to make money, but money comes and goes so quickly nowadays. We're so focused on it. And if we had been focused on money and nothing else, this person could still be struggling without us. And even the probability of that happening doesn't fly with me.

I'm not writing this as a commercial, or as a way to brag about how amazing Budget is. This entry is to remind us all that money is just an object. The real reason we should ALL be in business is to help others.

Money is fickle. Why follow its lead?

Motivation- A Finite Resource?

Critical for success, but elusive to attain. In my mind, motivation is most certainly a finite resource. Especially in business, where people are motivated by a multitude of things, it is something that should not be taken lightly, and should be moved upon when felt.

Motivation at work can dwindle. Many things can come into play here of course, but on the whole, I've experienced that motivation is more like a tide, whether I am describing myself, or the overall driving force that a company may have.

It's infectious- it will pass from person to person subconsciously, a little cheerleader to make sure all of your tasks, projects, hopes and dreams get fulfilled. But like I said before, motivation has an ebb and flow, something that many do not recognize, and only end up spinning their tires.

What motivates you? Your employees? Do you know? How is morale? Do your employees think they are being paid and treated fairly? What's your turnover rate like? Sales? Payroll? Ever single one of these business facets are directly related to the collective motivation of any one company.

Motivation needs to start with someone. Anyone! Best is an owner or executive, but it is something to be monitored on all levels of business. If you and your team are not motivated to work, develop, and grow your company, don't get mad.

Figure it out. Perhaps if you're unmotivated, you are now.

Has your Business Enslaved you?

Imagine dying at your desk. On the job. Pretty awful, right? Well it happens. When work becomes the only thing you live for, it kills you. Did you know that sitting for too long can hurt you? Working for too long, not taking vacations, it's all there and it can all cause damage. I touched on it before in this blog, but I want to cover something different.

Stress from your job can trap you by itself. But there are other aspects of work that we can fall into and not even recognize that we are doing ourselves harm. This article discusses the aspects of self-enslavement, especially at work. We trap ourselves within our own lives- too many activities, too many jobs, not enough vacations. Many people that I know have enslaved themselves.

We constantly tell ourselves that we must work more. More activity to cram into a day, more work to get ahead, more strain, stress, and worry. People all around the world (including America) are literally working themselves to death, and it is socially acceptable.

And that's the tragedy.

Work should support your life, not become it. No living being was meant to work for as long or hard as humans do, or force others to do. You work to (hopefully) be fulfilled, and to support yourself and/or your family. Work has a duty to support you, not trap you inside a cage.

Working hard is fine. Don't get me wrong. But I've said it before, and I'll say it again- there are so many more things to life than just work. And there are so many more things to life than not working! The key is simply balance, and that my friend, is not what humanity has. The scales are tipping toward toil and death, and it's time to lighten things up, no matter how grim any given situation is.

Lighten up!

Employees: Friends or Assets?

Neither.

In the workplace, there are many different obstacles and trials to confront and overcome. One of these is human nature. Sure, we can say we're professional. We can act that way, dress that way. But beneath the surface of that smiling suit is a person. A person with emotions, desires, and ideas. Should your employee be your friend? As an owner, no. Should they just be another expendable asset in a spreadsheet? Absolutely not. Balance is key.

I hear too many stories about hundreds of people being laid off en masse from a huge company. Hell, way back when, I received a pink slip along with five thousand other hardworking people because the company I worked for decided to outsource all of our jobs. And there's my problem, right there. I understand that there is a company to maintain and sustain. But people are alive. They have feelings, they can be hurt. They can feel neglected, or used.

See? They're seen just as assets. Expendables. This is just wrong. I'm sorry, but it is. Now don't get me wrong. If an employee is not doing his/her job, you should consider giving them the axe, but there are right ways and wrong ways to go about doing it.

Then there's the other hand. Employees as best friends. Employers playing favorites, getting comfortable. There is no pulling back once you have made the plunge from employee to friend, especially if you share company/personal secrets with him or her. Most employees? I don't think they would hold sensitive information against you, but. Some will. Period. Once a boss becomes too personable, they lose authority, and are easily written off. I've seen it firsthand! As they lose authority, they lose respect, and then? Well. Do you really need to know what's next?

Balance is key. The maintenance and health of a business is very important- not only to you but to your employees too. Whether they wanted to or not, they are working at your establishment, your business. But they are not robots. They are people. And should be treated with respect. That's the key. Respect is a finite commodity. It ebbs and flows with society, and it also changes on the fly in everyday situations.

Friendship is...difficult in business, especially when defining the boundaries of employee/employer relationships, but a surefire thing that everyone recognizes is respect. Have respect for yourself and your business first, and everything else that revolves around these two very important items should start to settle into their proper perspectives.

Meaningful Business Growth

I heard a terrific quote the other day, but I cannot remember who said it, or where I saw it. It's a pity because I'd really like to give them credit, but the saying basically went like this:

"Growth for the sake of growth is the same goal of a cancer cell."

Powerful stuff. This idiom can be applied over many different situations and over many different perspectives, but let's shift the focus onto business. Or better yet, business growth. In a typical mindset, an owner wants to expand their business. You know, more equipment, more customers, more assets, more more more! And it's good to be motivated! Don't get me wrong. But sometimes, that motivation can be toxic, and maybe not for the reasons you'd suspect.

Businesses that are not turning over a profit typically look at this solution first- more sales. More income is great! It helps you run the business more efficiently, give bonuses, treat your employees right, and let's not forget about building you that nest egg. But some businesses don't have difficulty with finding work. Yet they still push for the gain of more customers, more cashflow. And often, they will keep on expanding until they reach a point where they might have to close down. Wait...what?

Why would that happen? A business with a lot of customers, literally flush with work, is going out of business? Oh yeah. It's easier than you think, and it's because no-one thought to look at all the other problems. Every business has problems- Budget is no exception. But when business owners, CEOs, Presidents, you name it, get flustered over money, more often than not? That's all they focus on. Other problems get overlooked.

Is your pricing right? Is your overhead realistic? Do you have to put any customers to collection? Are employees too slow on the job? Are customers being treated well? How's the quality of our work? These are just a handful of the questions that sometimes never get asked simply because a business was focused too much on the wrong thing.

See what I mean by meaningful business growth? It doesn't always mean a new client, a fat check from a recent job, or even a bigger office. Business growth is a process, because a business grows in parts. If one part gets too big, the whole operation suffers, and if you aren't looking at the problem, well. I don't think I need to go on.

Make sure you know what's wrong in your business. What's right! Have a finger on your business' heartbeat because until you ask the questions and do the digging? You're just guessing.

Dealing with Theft in the Workplace

Money causes trouble. Bottom line. When money is involved, mark my words- everyone will have their eye on the bottom line. That being said, some individuals may not approve of their bottom line and search for other...opportunities in spite of morality or decency.

Theft occurs in the workplace. Where there are humans, there are thieves and heroes, basically. But as a manager, theft means something completely different, and it is a scary notion to entertain. I mean, think about it: someone you hired went into a house, took money (or whatever), and then left without a second word. Don't just limit this to a cleaning business, either. If you are an owner/manager, one of the things on your mind should be loss prevention.

An associate of mine runs a business. Runs it well! Unfortunately, he had a bad run with a few hiring websites, and he got some people that were less than ideal. A few would steal from the company and the customers, along with poor attitude and a whole host of other things. And he could have avoided the madness and frustration of a resolving the matter in if he knew how to deal with theft better.

The idea is not solving the problem after it has begun- it's solving the problem before it happens. I did some research and found good information in this article detailing the ways you can keep theft nonexistent, or minimal.But tips and tricks aside, a mindset is what you need more than anything.

Going back to my associate, he not only did his own personal investigation, but certain customers wished to have the police involved, and he had to cooperate. He also lost these customers and will never get them back due to the trust lost. He had to find good people (although now he's gunshy) to replace the bad apples, and he had to get his insurance company involved to help cover the value of any stolen items.

My bottom line is this. Money is useful. It is everywhere, and it dictates much. So knowing that, keep two things in your mind. One- never be satisfied with the appearance of "everything is okay", and Two- know who you are hiring first because the money you might save in not doing a background check will cost you much, much more in the end. Just ask my associate!

Going the Extra Mile

There's a phrase that is certain to set someone up for failure: "going the extra mile." It is difficult to quantify what that mile is; especially in the metaphorical sense as it is applied to daily situations.

Working harder or longer is not a bad thing. The extra mile for you might be staying an hour later, or handling a project when no-one else would. But the meaning changes with the person, and their superiors. Is your extra mile as long as it needs to be? As silly as that sounds, it's true. How can we ever know if we are living up to the expectations of a boss? Ourself? There is no way to know. That's why I hate that phrase, especially when it is used in a business setting.

People will work until they die. Literally. I have this family member you see that keeps his nose to the grindstone. Works hard, doesn't slack off, and planned on enjoying his leisure years. As soon as he retired, he was dead.

What a waste.

Work is a beautiful thing. It supplies ourselves and others with invaluable goods and services, things that we could probably no longer live with, or at least live well with. But when your entire life becomes "the extra mile", you stop looking where you need to go, and simply focus on moving forward.

An extra mile, simply put, should be defined by you. Work is typically a group activity, or at least indirectly. I've said this before- it is pointless to work if you are not resting and enjoying your own life. If all you ever do is go the extra mile, you won't even be able to continue your career's journey. Only you know what you can and can't do. Don't let anyone tell you how to "go the extra mile" because what works for them, may not work for you. And that, my friend, is your discovery. And yours alone.

People Mean More than Money

Some businesses are under the impression all over the world that human lives and safety must take a back seat to profit and running the business.

They are wrong.

There comes a time when one must decide if they are to be the owner that forces their employees to come in to work in danger, or in safety. Some owners will argue that, "I can't lose this money!", or "we have to think of the customers!" when it comes to pushing a work day. It's this type of thinking that is just so tragically skewed, and can often lead to tragedy.

Here in New Jersey, we've been hit with a lot of snow. And ice. And cold. And there are a lot of owner/operators out there that are still running their business. In spite of hazards (let's focus on weather, but really? This concept can be applied to anything), some owners become desperate because of loss of work, or some owners don't care at all about worker safety and just their profit margin.

If forcing a work day in hazardous conditions isn't bad enough during bad weather, it is also understood that employees will have a difficult time going to and from work. But that owner. Oh, that owner has other ideas. I'm at work, why shouldn't everyone else be? Because you're wrong, that's why.

To be clear, Budget has closed twice this week because it was simply not safe to work. And that fact should be enough for any business to cease work, or to improve work conditions (if applicable).

That being said, owners can be a strange breed. I, wanting to be a future owner, well. I already started off as a strange breed, but I have seen many owners across MANY. Many. Different jobs waste and conserve money (across many situations) with no rhyme or reason, with no cause, with no sense.

And when it makes the most sense to duck out of the working world for a day, that's where no sense is usually found.

It is also in my experience that when businesses force a work day, they wind up closing early because of the snow, and usually? Customers that would patronize an establishment would stay indoors because they got the day off thanks to bad weather. The money gets lost, the morale gets lost, and life could get lost. For what?

Money.

I, for one, will not be that type of owner, and I am very proud to say that I work for a company whose owner places human life above making a buck. I am going to use common sense to know when it's safe to work, and when we should all just stay home. I am not lazy. I work my ass off, and then I work my leg bones off for this business. The business that I will one day have the pride of running.

But if I'm to be expected to value it over people, well then that's going to be a problem. And if being that way doesn't make me successful?

I'm ok with that!

How to Work when you Don't Want To

Willpower is an amazing thing. It helps us do countless things in our life, and it also helps shape us as individuals. It is something that constantly needs to be maintained and developed, or it becomes lost. Work demands a lot from us. Physical, mental, emotional. It always has an impact. But what to do if you stagnate? Get tired? Depressed? There's no simple answer there. But I do have some tips and tricks that could help get you back on track.

I hear a lot of complaints about lack of energy. Waking up, getting up, doing tasks. There are oral ways to combat this, like coffee, energy drinks, etc. Me? I choose to work through it. Piece by piece, when I'm tired? I do one task at a time until it's done. As I work when I'm tried, I build up a resistance to fatigue. Once again, willpower.

Depression, or similar feelings that we harbor within ourselves often make very unpleasant and unwelcome debuts at work. Not only does it look bad, it can get you fired if the timing is right. Of course, if you think you have depression, anxiety, or any other mental illness you should get help. But help isn't always readily available, and sometimes? You must trudge on.

When I feel down, I latch onto something that has meaning, deep personal meaning. The answer for me is obvious- my wife! I can be a little self destructive, and I will usually cut my nose off to spite my face just for the hell of it. But. One of the only ways I can keep it all together is thinking of my wife. I stop thinking about working, and start working because of her. For me, she is a compass heading that helps get me through days where I'm feeling blue. Find a core and hold onto it. Endure. Be calm.

What about good ol' fashioned stagnation? No matter how much we love our jobs, or no matter how motivated we are, humans lose heart. It's the nature of our being. And in my opinion? Losing heart is the quickest way to find yourself trapped within a job you despise.

When you feel like you're stagnating, ask for more work. Or, if you're overwhelmed, ask for less. It may seem strange to do this, especially if you're speaking to your boss, but any manager/owner worth their salt will, at the very least, listen to your concerns and try to help you. Sometimes, just outing a work problem you have can be therapeutic. Speak up!

Work is hard. It is taxing. But it is not something we should face each day with a knot of regret, or disgust. When the going gets tough, endurance will prevail. Evolution and survival are key elements of the world, you know. It applies to the animal world, and the human world. You wanna make it out there? Endure. Work hard, and endure. When you see your opportunity, don't grab it. Attack it, because there might not be another chance.

Point the Finger at Yourself

Across my time in the working world, I've noticed something. There are leaders, and then there are bosses. And the difference is very simple. Leaders point the finger at themselves when there are problems in the business, and bosses blame everyone else. What do I mean?

I've worked under, and with, many different people all on different parts of the personality spectrum. I've dealt with individuals that are centered merely on themselves, saying that they "work harder than anyone here". I've worked with people that do nothing but complain, and often? They are complaining about everyone else. If they don't complete a task, they often have a laundry list of outside excuses that involve everyone except...guess. Who.

Themselves.

Leaders and bosses differ because leaders want to improve, learn, and uh, LEAD. Bosses do just that- be bossy. Superfluous delegation, martyrism, shifting the blame. Leaders see a problem and think about how they can fix it, and how they can prevent it from happening again. Bosses see a problem and then says, "not my job!" and then assign someone below them to take care of the situation.

Business owners all over the world should all strive to be leaders. Someone workers and managerial staff can look to for answers, wisdom, and guidance. And all too often, business owners and other executive staff point the finger at everyone else but...

Themselves.

See a pattern? If something is wrong in your business, take some damn initiative and fix it. Matter of fact, why don't you get started right now? I know I will.