Friday, June 29, 2007

It is Friday


The business week is almost over. A few hundred more people know about TEN Solutions and EFCussins.com. Business sales were up from the week before. Of course the week before, sales were almost non-existence.

Tomorrow will only be a half day. Then Sunday night it all starts over again. The 4th of July is next week. That means I am going to have to work harder.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Courage Is Not Emotion

I wrote yesterday about courage as a business owner. Today, I must make note that courage as a business owner is to keep going when things look the blackest. Money is coming in, but not enough to meet basic overhead.

Maybe that is why so many new businesses fail? The new owners is not use to $200, $400, or $1,000 a day being deposited in the bank account. He or she thinks they are getting rich, but in reality all they are able to do is very keep ahead of the creditors.

When reality takes hold, it is not a time to faint, but to press on. Follow the dream. Adjust to make the money coming in cover expenses. Then press on to where times will get easier.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Business A Courageous Decision

Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision
Peter F. Drucker
For more Inspiring Quotes

I see a courageous person as an individual that goes pass the emotion of the time. Most successful business person does act on the emotion of the moment, but follows the passion that drove them to start their own business.

Courage of a passionate dream acted upon can take a person pass all the negative resistance. Through the veil of discouragement unto the light of a dream realized.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Owning A Business Is Not For Wimps.

Small Business Trends report 66 % of started businesses are still going after the first 2 years. After fours years, 44 % were still in existence. It takes work, organizing, wisdom, and putting oneself out there, to make a business work.

If it wasn't for my wife, pushing me when I was down emotionally. The pressure of bills piling up and low sales, does not help for a positive attitude. I even found myself praying.

The best things to do is;
  1. Mutual encouragement
  2. Learn how-to live on a budget
  3. Keep put yourself in front of potential clients.
  4. Keep up with trade news and technical skills.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Reality Check

To the individual that thinks owning their own business is great. The delusion that working for yourself is easier than working for some large corporation or hard nose, needs a reality check.

I like working on computers. I like helping people, but I hate sales. Guess what 90% of owning ones own business is sales. Selling ones self is before selling ones goods, or selling ones service.

I have talked with other business owners. Their comment to me is that they are to busy managing their business. Doing the type of work they like to do is a rare pleasure. In other words they have become a slave to the business they created.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Computer Techs Are Not All The Same

This morning I did a Yahoo Local search for computer repair in the Boise ID area. There is over 50 different listing. Some of them I know. Some I do not know. But I do know, that they are all vary in experience and knowledge.

There are computer techs that I will easily consider fair better, than myself. There is other who lack in certain areas, that I am proficient. We are out there competing for the repair for your computer.

Considering the wealth of knowledge in Idaho. The three strike rule my best advice to anyone looking to get computer, and/ or network up and running.
  1. If the computer is not working right after the first visit, there could of have been an unknown issues the computer tech did not see.
  2. After the second visit the computer tech needs to pull his/or her resources. There could be a gap in the techs knowledge/experience base, that they need.
  3. In my opinion, after the third try, it is is time to call in a different computer tech maybe a different company.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Father's Day - The After

I have not been the best father in the world. Truth be told, I was a father to early in life. I have beat myself over the head enough, on the subject.

This Father's Day, for me, was a semi sub dewed one. My wife had to remind my youngest. My oldest two do not want anything to do with me. Instead of pushing for a Father's Day DVD or NASCAR.

All I did was spend my time in church and the computer room. I fixed lunch and dinner for the family. It was a day not about me. It was day about me serving, helping, listening, and guiding my family.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Time Warp

I follow tech trends pretty close. I may not have the latest and the greatest, but my gear is within a year or two.


Well, earlier this week I went deliver and installed a computer on a ranch,in less than 50 miles from Boise, ID. When I arrived to the ranch I felt I had time warp back 40 plus years. Rotary phone, black and white television, and avocado green kitchen.

When I left they were so excited playing solitaire, on their computer. I wonder if the simple things in life are the best.

Friday, June 08, 2007

Playing With Fire!

Whether your home or work computer fails, can you recover those files and information. Or all you can do is just sit there with your hands in your face crying. Years, and months of memories and financial information are lost.


According to research by the U.S. Small Business Administration, at least 25 percent of businesses close not to back up their files will not reopen, after some computer failure. Many those do often struggle just to stay in business. It could of have been avoided

The following stats influence you decision about backing up your computer’s files.

  • Over 90% of companies experiencing a major data loss cannot fully recover all of their information.
  • 40-45% of businesses fail to resume operations after a major theft or fire.
  • 25% of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster.

These are odds I don’t want to have against me.

Sunday, June 03, 2007

Everything Changes Including Me

I just updated my web authoring software. Good old fashion html is being replaced because it slow and not as powerful as newer website code. Cascading Style Sheets, for example, allow web pages that have more complex design to load much faster.

Two words come to mind, “everything changes”. It makes it harder for some of us to keep up with the changes, considering how fast everything changes. What was considered state-of-the-art in 1997 is to new for the museum and too old for any real usefulness.

If we are to have marketable skills we have to narrow our area of expertise just to keep up with all the changes.