It was just a matter of time........

[jobe05]

If you all remember a couple weeks ago I posted a snippit from a newsletter I get from a local wine shop.


Here was a paragraph from that newsletter:



We're changing our hours starting next week
Closed Sunday-Tuesday; open Wednesday 2-7; Thursday, 12-7; Friday 12-8; Saturday 10-8. If you are saying to yourself, "dang, Jim is a slacker being closed Sunday-Tuesday", it's just because I'm spending more brain power and time trying to think of more ways we can better entertain you and part youfrom your hard earned cashola.


Total hours open per week = 30 hours.......... Nice if your rich.........


Here's this weeks news letter. I guess their hard work payed off:


What we have to tell you is that we had a meeting with our landlord and we told him that we are going to put our business up for sale. Try as we might, we haven’t been able to meet all of our financial obligations based on current sales volume. It’s been a very difficult journey for us to get to this point, and we have accomplished much, just not enough. We have sacrificed much, but realize we must seek more regular income to bring more stability to the home front. Carol and I have three sons. Our oldest is 25 and on his own. Our twin boys are about to turn 16 and have the balance of high school, then college in front of them.
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We have tried very hard to increase the profitability of the wine shop to the point that we could make a modest living to help support our family. There has been progress, but this has been slower than planned, partially due to moving the shop last March. While we fully believe that Carolina Winesellers will become a profitable small business over the next two years, the financial demands of our children are with us now. We need a course correction.




Personally, I think the term "we need a course correction" is a complete understatement.


Just goes to show, you get out of something, just what you put into it.Edited by: jobe05

 

[Wade E]

What a shame, and I agree but maybe keeping the doors open longer
during the day wasnt paying off. I know for me that it is actually
cheaper to have my wife work part-time instead of full-time because the
difference in childcare was an offset for us. Maybe those hours were
the peek hours for them and they worked partime somewhere else to
compensate. Either way the letter written was not up to par for a
buissnessman.

 

[jobe05]

I can't dissagree with the baby sitting thing for you, or for any young family with kids these days, childcare is expensive, I know.... My wife is a childcare provider........... (sorry).
I can't imagine running a profitable business on 30 hours a week. I'm sure George would love to have the income (as meager as it is right now) that he makes to day for 30 hours a week. I wish I could maintain my salary at 30 hours a week........ Never happen. More importantly for me, I love what I do, I love to put in 110% all the time. 55 to 65 hour weeks are the norm for me, but without that dedication, I couldn't have taken a $550,000 a year business and turned it into $1.6 million (net) a year. Along with that came a healthy salary that helps me provide very well for my family. Although time together is a little less, the time we have is better, and appreciated, in other words, we could sit around the house and do nothing for 3 days, or we could rent a romantic cabin in the mountains (with hot tub) for 2 days and spend quality time together. More so, we are building for our future.

 

[Wade E]

I hear tou there partner! I typically put in 50 hours aweek and used to
be more but my wife goes to school for nursing 2 days a week now and
that hinders the old overtime situation.

 

[geocorn]

Jobe,


You area man after my own heart. We will celebrate our fourth year of existance on Memorial day and I would kill for a 30 hour week. I have basically been 24/7 at the business for the last 4 years and just this last January we became profitable. As I was taught years ago, "the bad thing about opportunity is that it always comes disguised as hard work".


I have had an occassional "long" weekend, but other than that, it is 8-10 almost everyday. When I am not at the store from 10-7, I am maintaining the web site, looking for new products, looking for new ways to increase the number of wine makers, answering emails, reading the forum, paying bills, and numerous other tasks. BUT, DO NOT FEEL SORRY FOR ME! I LOVE MY JOB!!!!!!


As with you, the time I do have with my family is quality time and most enjoyable. The family has been behind me since day one. Janna, the wife and my 2 lovely daughters have made starter kits, put stickers on pamplets, made boxes, packed boxes and processed orders. My youngest daughter is quite good with QuickBooks. My wife has a 60 hour per week management job and volunteered to help at the store this weekend to get us caught up from out April Fool's Day Sale. I can not ask more from my family, my friends or my wonderful customers. As I have said many times, "I have been very blessed!"


Life is what you make of it, no more no less!


One has to have the passion for the job or it will fail and that passion has to extend to all facets of the business.Edited by: geocorn

 

[rgecaprock]

George,


I've been around for almosttwo of your 4 years (forum)and I really envy you having a family business that is your hearts desire.


I know you put in many hours and you don't punch out and forget it until the next day like many of us do. But doing what you love has to be a dream come true!!!


You make our lives richer being there for us and providing superior service!!


RamonaEdited by: rgecaprock

 

[Mike777]

There is a secret.....http://thesecret.tv/movie/trailer.html Select yes for the permissions.

There is never any reason to have less than your need. I have researched this. These are the biblical teachings of Christ and many others throughout history. Contact me personaly if you have any doubt.

You have less than you need because you believed it and spoke it and it came to you in existance.

Edited by: Mike777

 

[Mike777]

Jobe,We will celebrate our fourth year of existance on Memorial day

There is a secret.

 

[redwineleo]

George: I see this many times in the line of business I'm in. The successful business person is not the person who merely has a good idea, a good product, good service, etc. It's the person who commits to doing what it takes and not expecting it to be an 8-5 job, at least when starting out. There are many philosophies of business out there, and granted you need a plan and some smarts, but nothing quite makes up for good old-fashioned hard work. Conratulations on your success!