Invest in yourself

For yesterday's student, with earnings of $ 400 - it was a lot of money. My brother went to the point of view of parents wiser - he bought a plot of land with a cottage and a strong foreign car. Two thousand he invested in the repair of cottages, to turn it into a residential. I went around to the point of view is stupid, I vkinul all the money in the business - they made ​​an advance payment for the printing press. Six months later, my salary arrears and suppliers exceeded 200 thousand. rubles. I sold the contract to another company's machine, and received money under the salary paid to suppliers and. My part of the apartment melted into the past. Today, I call her tuition fees for my ' universities '.

From the side it might seem that I have lost a decent amount of misspent. But I did not think so, although it was moved to tears hurt to leave a legacy. But I learned how to count money, I learned how to manage the business, I learned to look for orders to each client to find its own approach. I began to understand why some people agree with me have it, while others - no. I began to appreciate the business ethics and honor, when one word is enough to run the flywheel business. I got the experience and reputation. I became a businessman. And I stopped being an employee. I stopped being afraid to make money.

no. Formally, I continued to collaborate with a number of organizations for wages. But inside was defeated by a man who was shaking - he gets paid or not, increase it or not. Now I'm no longer interested in a career. I became interested in the money as a tool to manage the reality of. Now I could create their own. I began to re- build your business.

My brother at this time reached a career ceiling and significantly strengthened its position in the company. His salary is higher than my income more than doubled. I think he has once again changed the car.

I opened the second legal entity, clean and fluffy, signed new contracts with suppliers, found a way to Lithuania, began to take on any orders, however complex they may seem to me. Not to say that I was swimming in money, but the company's turnover amounted to 2.3 thousand. dollars - is allowed to pay wages to two employees, taxes, rent, Internet, and some had a. Profits from the company gradually caught up with the amount of wages in those places where I've been in the state. But I was a little. I wanted to grow.

A year later, I went to the merger with the company, my terms of turnover exceeding twice. And with full control in the welter of the company, as well as other circumstances, absorbed, and the company itself and its employees. But this merger cost me a better manager. She was offended by the loss of the sole management of sales and decided to start their own business. So I learned the lesson that the business owner alone and can not count on the understanding. Her care cost me nearly bankrupt (it took away from the lion's share of a customer ), but I began to learn to sell yourself. Then I had a great new team of sales managers, the remainder of the partner. At the peak of my turnover was more than a million rubles a month, however, the losses from inefficient management amounted to 25 % of profits. I was shocked, and winter was extremely hungry. I realized that I have a lot of problems and I myself was the main. I have very little idea how to command the people, how to properly allocate the costs, how to invest and what to invest.

So I went to the old way of investment in yourself. I parted with managers and began to untwist myself as a manager to manage advertising. The idea of ​​outsourcing advertising is not so new, but I made it a system: I was preparing a marketing plan, went to meetings in person, I was told and persuaded. The result was a three contract to manage advertising, and later managed to make a dozen such contracts. What I do not have economic education and my knowledge of marketing is unlikely to exceed the level of the graduate college, I did not bother. We have been doing advertising and doing it quite successfully. Sales of clients grew, and where there was no reason for the growth of sales, we were able to raise awareness of the company. But the main thing - I began to sell.

Then I took my first loan and invested it in two things: I bought my first smartphone and I replenished working capital. To be more precise, I paid off a loan the other way, and almost all wage arrears to suppliers and. As a result, my turnover has increased - I began to pay suppliers more quickly and speed of execution of orders increased. Liquidity has increased my and my word. Often, the order was carried out only under my warranty. The fact that customers have not thrown, said that the loyalty of my clients at the time was also very high. But the issue of good governance has not disappeared. So I took drastic measures.

I have fired almost all the technical staff. I was just Counsel and Secretary. When I moved out subtenant, which partially offset the payment for the office, I decided that this office - this is too much for the three and got rid of him and at the same time by the Secretary - for her work was no longer. I focused on my business to become effective in those costs that would have been comfortable to me. I became more passive sign contracts that bring me to rent, and less active - where you have to lift your butt on a chair twice a day.

Gradually, the situation has leveled off and I was first in many years, saw its profit in the company, despite the fact that my personal costs have increased. This prompted me to make another mistake, which cost me 15 thousand. USD. And 9000 was worth me experimenting with vending. Probably would have cost to regret such losses, but now I know what my management style and what people should be with me as a staff. And the loss of the money I took is not as painful as the loss of the first 7000. I already knew that the business is impossible without errors, and some mistakes can be costly. However, it is important not the number of errors, and how quickly you recover after a stroke. And you come out of it stronger or weaker.

Now I have more than one and a half years, growing. I can not call this increase a madman, but the crisis did not bring anything new to my business plan, except the desire to exploit the situation to their advantage. I set myself new goals and reach for them slowly, while the overall balance remains positive. And when I remember those first 7000 dollars, I do not regret their loss. They were not lost, they just laid the foundation of my personal growth.

Perhaps you want to know about the rest of the story of my brother. Eighteen months ago, his income up to two or three thousand dollars a month (at the time and a half times higher than my personal income), and he realized a dream - bought on credit a new Toyota. Payments in the 18 th. rub. / month. Hull were more than reasonable for its income. However, late last year, the crisis in the construction market has led to a reduction in his salary of 18 thousand. rub. Now my niece dropped out of music school, kindergarten and day, and my brother - to help mothers. The fact that he gets the money only for the fact that just once a day you done in the office - did not improve his mood. Today, despite the fact that I pay on loans of about 45 thousand. / rub. a month, my business much better and have a positive outlook.

Invest in yourself. Listen to yourself. Do this so that your skills and experience over the years began to work for you, not your employer. Perhaps this is the only investment that regardless of market conditions will remain with you.

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