From the Blogposts » inbox

Business Is Like a Box of Chocolates

Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump - 1994: Paramount

As most of you know by now, I’ve been running my own business for over 2 years now. I can safely say (since we don’t have kids) that it has been the singularly most frustrating and rewarding thing we’ve done. I hear they’re more of the same, so business should be extra fun when that time comes.

The business has largely been the reason I’ve decreased my writing frequency and topic quality over the last 3 months, especially. It’s just plain been rough, but there are patterns and cycles based on the calendar and other strange things. Here are a few of them:

  • Full moons – we are the furthest thing from superstitious that you can find, but Beautiful and I both agree that people are just plain weird on full moon days. I don’t have any scientific reason for it, but after both of us working in customer service positions of some sort for a combined 18 years, there is a definite connection of weird people stories being escalated on those days.
  • February – my saddest month each year, even though my company anniversary day is on Groundhog Day. Sales in February are miserable! I think people get their Christmas credit card statements or just paid their January 15th estimated taxes and have nothing left for working on their online presence.
  • June – well, it just so happens to be June, doesn’t it?: our best month! There is something about June that just makes people step into the batter’s box and get things done. Last June, we took a 1-week vacation and still made more than 3x what I needed to at the time to make our household budget work. This month, well, I’ll tell you after this list.
  • Jan. 15th, Apr. 15th, Jun. 15th, Sep. 15th – my 4 least favorite days of the year. Those not in the know, those are the days the IRS demands that we pay homage to their tax code based on what we think we will earn the next quarter, plus the actual tax day. The first year, we didn’t pay quite enough and owed a lot in April. The second year, we paid a lot, lot more and still owed money. Last year, we paid a lot, lot, lot more and still owed. So… this year, we’re paying what the CPA recommends and see if we hit the mark this time.

Oh, look! It’s the end of the list.

Back to this month. What a rush! [Read more…]

I’m Still Okay – Never Fear

Fast Times at the University of South FloridaI’m really sorry that I haven’t been updating, educating, or entertaining you very often lately. It’s not for lack of interest, but for lack of time and words. You see, tomorrow is my last final ever (Biblical Archaeology) and I have to wrap up one last exam for Advanced Composition. It’s been non-stop business, wife time, business, study, business, wife time, writing, writing, writing, business… you get the picture.

It’s been a real struggle this semester to make ends meet while finishing up classes, but we’ve been blessed nonetheless, Beautiful and I have. Just enough in just the nick of time. I think that’s the way God likes it. Keeps you humble and faithful. I’ve learned a lot about that this semester.

Last year we had a 2-month reserve in the business account and I got prideful. I’ve hit bottom with that and it will be time to come out with all 12 cylinders going full-bore (I’m a V-12 if there was ever any doubt what kind of engine I run on) and sounding like the Ferrari that I am. I have some plans for getting things going after Mother’s Day and I have 4 weeks to meet our financial goal before a week-long family vacation. Don’t ask how much… you’ll either cry that the goal is ridiculous in that time frame or hate me upon meeting the goal (but the money will be gone as fast as it comes in).

Commencement is on Friday, so I’d better get some beauty rest… I need it!

Another Busy Day Ahead

Some people have jobs. Some people stay at home and play video games. Some people go to school. Beautiful might say that I do all three, but you’d have to scratch the “stay at home” part about playing video games. That’s a late night event for me… when I have the time.

Here’s to hoping tomorrow can be somewhat relaxing. On my to-do list now:

  • wrap up some logo delivery files for a client first thing
  • work on some more Spanish homework, but I’m pretty much stuck
  • try to reduce one of my papers by nearly half
  • try to get my thesis statement and opening presentation down for another paper
  • go to my in-laws for lunch and an afternoon (which includes Spanish help) before Beautiful’s sister leaves for grad school again
  • get some sun at the pool to de-stress
  • continue working on other client projects if Beautiful has her mind set on things other than me

I’m a walking contradiction right now: I will be so proud to graduate in 4 weeks, and I can’t wait to be done with this hectic entrepreneurship/school combination. Long-time family friends are impressed with my grit to finish with such a flurry of final courses in the last year, but I am beginning to question the wisdom in this schedule. At least it will ALL be over with for good in less than a month. I have one final and one paper, two Spanish exams, and a composition project remaining. I yearn for a weekend to just get it all done except the exams.

Maybe next weekend… after my Spanish exam.