Seperating home from business

[DanaMac]

I'm now trying to start separating my home life from my business life. My business has been run out of my house for 13 years, taking up half my garage, bedroom turned into office, working at night invoicing, paying bills, filing, etc. And I'm tired. Damn tired. So I'm trying to move the stress out of the house.

So I finally got a shop this weekend. No overhead door to get a vehicle in, but has plenty of fenced in storage for vehicles and my compressor. Office with 2 built in desks, bathroom WITH shower, separate shed/trailer, and outdoor area for BBQ and Friday Afternoon Club. I live far enough away from my guys that picking up invoices, checks, time cards, is always a problem. I may not see them for a week or two when we're busy. The shop is close to two suppliers, one employee, the interstate, and my mom (gives me reasons to see her more often). But is not convenient for my house. But it would make less sense to have one near me. Maybe next year I can have an office assistant/secretary type person.

I will probably wait until the off season to change phone lines over to it. But it is a start. Now I'm getting my extra supplies, tools, junk, brass and copper to recycle, hot air balloon, all out of my garage. Maybe I can park in there this winter during more blizzards.

[gusbuster]

Dana,
A suggestion as I run 3 different locations.

Learn how to set up a virtual private network, vpn for short.

Drawbacks: need to leave computer on and open to the internet so you need both software and hardware firewalls

Pro's: always have access to my business files without being in the office.

This would give you the ability to take your paperwork\computers anywhere you go.

It has been a life saver for me. If I choose to do paperwork when I'm taking time off I'm able to connect to my office computer to do the paper work, it gives me the ability to have my wife connect to the office computer to process payments.

Now if I can figure a way of transporting equipment when forgotten from the yard to my satellite location instantly and not drive 80 miles each direction, I wouldn't need to do irrigation.

[carcrz]

Also, don't forget a security system w/ cameras as well.

[Mjtrole]

good for you dana, the best year I ever had was the year I managed the business from the golf course 3 days a week.

[FIMCO-MEISTER]

Hope it works Dana. I'd love to own an office. Can't stand paying rent. When I started my business a successful customer told me either keep you business small with minimum overhead so that all price increase go straight to the bottom line or get really big so that overhead becomes percentage wise a very small expense. Another good tip I got was learn to work on your business not in your business. Did okay on the first but flunked the second tip. I basically am the classic small business. Two service crews and running it out of my house along with pigtail sales and packaging. Manage pigtails from 4-6:30am and irrigation service work 8am-6pm and calls til 8pm or so.
It would not work if I had a wife of girlfriend. Hope this works for you. By the way I had my folks move across the street from me so I could be of assistance to them. Dad passed away July 2004 so it's just Mom and she is 85. Walk over there every night to check on her. It really limits your social life but I'm happy I talked them into it.

[DanaMac]

good for you dana, the best year I ever had was the year I managed the business from the golf course 3 days a week.

This probably won't be the most profitable year - pains and go-backs due to the new guy, blown transmission, lease for shop, big scrape and hole in the side of the truck from new guy, me taking many little trips and having family come out many times this year (one brother comes out tomorrow from Montana so I'm taking a few more days off0, and want to buy another compressor and maybe two if price is right.

[DanaMac]

Hope it works Dana. I'd love to own an office. Can't stand paying rent.

Unfortunately this is a lease, not a buy. But pretty low rent, and it's a start.

[newz7151]

Dana,
A suggestion as I run 3 different locations.

Learn how to set up a virtual private network, vpn for short.

Drawbacks: need to leave computer on and open to the internet so you need both software and hardware firewalls

Pro's: always have access to my business files without being in the office.

This would give you the ability to take your paperwork\computers anywhere you go.

It has been a life saver for me. If I choose to do paperwork when I'm taking time off I'm able to connect to my office computer to do the paper work, it gives me the ability to have my wife connect to the office computer to process payments.

Now if I can figure a way of transporting equipment when forgotten from the yard to my satellite location instantly and not drive 80 miles each direction, I wouldn't need to do irrigation.

Or just get an external USB connected hard drive.

[SprinklerGuy]

The hard drive is the way I used to do it.....easier, safer....

[Kiril]

The hard drive is the way I used to do it.....easier, safer....

Easier, possibly in the short run. Safer, probably not unless it's magnetically shielded, is in a shock resistant enclosure, and has full disk encryption.

VPN's are not difficult to setup and given the distance between house and shop is worth looking into, especially if you have on-site security camera's.

[irrig8r]

I work out of my home office and my garage and a shed are both full of tools, supplies, parts...

I started out with a rolltop desk in a corner of the bedroom and half the garage. When I got to 5 to 7 guys working full time (one maintenance crew, one installation crew) and the vehicle traffic that brought, I rented an office and yard.

As such locations became less available I moved from one to another in the same centrally located area. A former lumber yard was subdivided into fenced yards for tree service outfits, landscapers, etc. but got built up with luxury apartments.

Another popular and cheap area was a right of way where they finally built a freeway. Over the years I've had an office where clients could come a block from the yard, an office right in the yard, a warehouse type space (most secure) with no real office, and now I've come almost full circle to a small office in what used to be a spare bedroom.

The worst part about an office was working there late away from home sometimes when the kids were young.

Separating home and work is good, but I used to make many a return phone call at the end of the day, Palm Pilot in hand, while quietly off to the side of the bleachers at one of my kids' softball or baseball games, and still keep an eye on the game.

It's about finding balance.

[gusbuster]

Or just get an external USB connected hard drive.
OK, so what happens if :
your drive gets stolen
your drive goes bad
but most importantly and probably the easiest way to screw up, what happens if you load up the wrong files?

The vpn route lets you hire somebody to process payments and do your invoicing, that is if you don't have a wife\girlfriend that you trust.

Majority of business and homes now adays have dsl or cable already though it can be done over a slow connection since all you are doing is transferring strict data and don't really need the speed for pictures and such.

Dana,
Just out of curiousity, what about the cost of rent during the winter months when your business is down for the winter? Not lucky enough to have a clause in contract that says you don't have to pay rent during the winter months? :)

[DanaMac]

Dana,
Just out of curiousity, what about the cost of rent during the winter months when your business is down for the winter? Not lucky enough to have a clause in contract that says you don't have to pay rent during the winter months? :)

Just a cost of business I have to deal with. It's not his fault I don't want to work in the winter. maybe it will give me a reason to work though. Or just work harder/smarter now to pay for it later.

[BSME]

atta boy Dana... We have our eye out for a shop for next year.

a big reason I want to separate home and business is to encourage myself to get done earlier. I hate working until dark... coming home... eating dinner... showering.... checking lawnsite.... and still put off billing/returning phone calls until after whatever is on TV.

If I couldnt go home until I got the business stuff done I know I'd jump on it quicker.

[geckos]

This probably won't be the most profitable year - pains and go-backs due to the new guy, blown transmission, lease for shop, big scrape and hole in the side of the truck from new guy.

Dana you looking for another new guy?

[goodgreen]

The VPN is an excellent suggestion - my regular work is account executive for a group of Microsoft Certified Network Engineers. They just installed a VPN in my home to save on gas costs (my office is 50 minutes away). What a lifesaver! It is just like I'm at the office.

[SprinklerGuy]

If Dana isn't..I will be.

[DanaMac]

Dana you looking for another new guy?

Possibly, but doubtful for this year. Talk to Tony (the REAL SprinklerGuy :) ) as well.

Don't worry Tony, it won't bother me.

[SprinklerGuy]

What...me worry? About you? Ha...

See you at Ewing?

[DanaMac]

See you at Ewing?

Not sure yet. If not my tech Tom that you met should be there. The one you met.

[geckos]

Tony read your bio do you play golf at all we could catch a round talk about positions you have open if your looking this season