It would be easy to buy Jeeps, FJ cruisers, and airplanes. Stacie and I could drive around and shop while the others work for additional revenues and to help expand our business..I got to admit it might be fun.
Problem #1 Advergents doesnt make a lot of money(yet)
Problem #2 Stacie and I never fight about money but we have different tastes and we can't ever agree on what to buy so the whole process would be frustrating.
Problem #3 It AINT my money
I guess I will have to use my blog time to try and solve these problems so I can get busy buying stuff......
Problem #1: I really don't care if Advergents is not making a lot of money..we just need to sell more...right? The truth is that our business has exponentially grown over last year's revenues. That doesn't mean that we are millionaires either. There is a process here that we have to follow as investors. It really means that a solid sales strategy IS and WILL be the core to our growth.
Problem #2 This problem sounds like a personal issue that should be left at home but it actually speaks to who Stacie and I really are. We both like stuff and who doesn't? The problem lies in the fact that each one of us is frugal enough to argue the other one out of buying "stuff." Granted...it makes it hard to do anything fun but who cares...This "problem" is very handy when you look at Advergents as a whole... Advergents doesn't need stuff. It has an office and with people in it. Not many people either. The 5 of us run around working on jobs with passion. When a problem arises we go directly to the source and fix it. The company is lean. We have no desire for new trucks, buildings, clothes, trips, or gadgets. We all have a simple desire to create a resolution to a customers problem. Its cheap to do this....and because Stacie and I agree on this, we can spend money to make that happen. (to some extent)
Problem #3 It AINT my freakin money..this doesn't mean its the government's either. Its God's...Everything in the world is His anyway. Who am I to hoard it? For those who don't stick to close to theology, you might think I'm getting religious on you. The truth is that I am a Christian and this is a Christian company. The whole thing belongs to Him...There is no debating this. Trust me I fought it for 15 years and lost each time I tried. Last year in frustration I threw my hands in the air and said "FINE...YOU WIN" I'll stop trying to be rich and you tell me what you want me to do with Advergents....The result:
We made more money!!!
So here is the deal....I manage Advergents aggressively and God provides the opportunities, salaries, etc..Don't believe me? Look at my books or the title of this blog....because its not my money to spend means I don't have to worry about what to buy. Honestly, I would never go shopping with your money nor God's.
So.....Here is what I offer up for opportunities?..... Service
To be a good steward of His money we need to be good servants too....This means GIVE. That's right!! Give away money and time...
Advergents tries to serve as much as possible through financial contributions as well as labor. It's important to see Advergents working in the community as well as Africa, Jamaica, and Haiti.
What to do with all this money?
#1 Give it away
#2 Stabilize current business
#3 Expand our business model
#4 Facilitate growth
#5 Buy a FJ Cruiser that is fully loaded instead of some stupid Jeep...(inside joke)
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
A round of golf with the security industry. Watch me tee off!!!
I must start with last week before I can get to this week. There has been a common theme running through the office during this time period that needs some examining and I feel I must explain chronologically.
On Thursday I enjoyed a nice training flight over Lawrenceville and Winder. I didn't kill anyone so things generally went well. Upon arriving back at the office I noticed drawings on the white board that looked similar to a data closet we are currently working on. After further questioning of the staff it was discovered that the subcontractor involved had chosen to lay the room out in a different manner than what was desired. Not only did a huge argument ensue but my weekend looked as if it was heading for the toilet.
On Monday during a meeting with our staff some very important questions arose about Advergents:
Who is Advergents?
What is Advergents?
Where does Advergents do their job?
When is Advergents comparable to the competition?
Why is Advergents in business?
These may seem as though we really don't know our direction yet but actually these questions are already answered to some extent....but they also tie into the central theme of what I'm writing here.....
Today Advergents was given the opportunity to participate in a walk through at the Governor's Mansion. Several companies were involved but as always the regular contenders stood out. As the meeting began it became obvious that the design was less than spectacular. "The same old same old." I'm at a loss for words because jobs like these are what could make our industry shine. But instead we were told to work with old technology because the new technology "just wouldn't work here"
Soon we were walking around the grounds......The last installation was a disaster...Again our industry has failed on a high level. How could anyone be awarded a job that is in the spot light and then perform so badly. I'm simply embarrassed.
So.......You might be wondering where I'm going with all of this? Well, it really goes back to the question from the staff meeting..."When is Advergents comparable to the competition?"
NEVER!!!!
I didn't say this because I want to sell you a bill of goods. Our niche is the fact that we actually out think the other companies in this industry segment. My personal opinion is that almost all of them are still selling smoke detectors to their customers. The data closet we were working on was screwed up because the sub decided that he knew what was best for OUR customer and then short cut the install...He actually said to me the following: "Almost all other companies install the cables this way." My response was "When have I ever said Advergents was like other companies?"
Walking the Governor's mansion today I received an epiphany.....I was actually in the midst of the old guard and it was Advergents responsibility to change the game once again. The old guard had convinced the customer to install old technology and the old guard was there to give them pricing on a failed solution. Just like when you show pictures of burnt down homes, fire trucks, and dead families and then offer pricing on the latest smoke detector...Simply, its a scam.
Let's answer the question:
#1.When is Advergents comparable to the competition?
answer #1:__________(fill in the blank______________
On Thursday I enjoyed a nice training flight over Lawrenceville and Winder. I didn't kill anyone so things generally went well. Upon arriving back at the office I noticed drawings on the white board that looked similar to a data closet we are currently working on. After further questioning of the staff it was discovered that the subcontractor involved had chosen to lay the room out in a different manner than what was desired. Not only did a huge argument ensue but my weekend looked as if it was heading for the toilet.
On Monday during a meeting with our staff some very important questions arose about Advergents:
Who is Advergents?
What is Advergents?
Where does Advergents do their job?
When is Advergents comparable to the competition?
Why is Advergents in business?
These may seem as though we really don't know our direction yet but actually these questions are already answered to some extent....but they also tie into the central theme of what I'm writing here.....
Today Advergents was given the opportunity to participate in a walk through at the Governor's Mansion. Several companies were involved but as always the regular contenders stood out. As the meeting began it became obvious that the design was less than spectacular. "The same old same old." I'm at a loss for words because jobs like these are what could make our industry shine. But instead we were told to work with old technology because the new technology "just wouldn't work here"
Soon we were walking around the grounds......The last installation was a disaster...Again our industry has failed on a high level. How could anyone be awarded a job that is in the spot light and then perform so badly. I'm simply embarrassed.
So.......You might be wondering where I'm going with all of this? Well, it really goes back to the question from the staff meeting..."When is Advergents comparable to the competition?"
NEVER!!!!
I didn't say this because I want to sell you a bill of goods. Our niche is the fact that we actually out think the other companies in this industry segment. My personal opinion is that almost all of them are still selling smoke detectors to their customers. The data closet we were working on was screwed up because the sub decided that he knew what was best for OUR customer and then short cut the install...He actually said to me the following: "Almost all other companies install the cables this way." My response was "When have I ever said Advergents was like other companies?"
Walking the Governor's mansion today I received an epiphany.....I was actually in the midst of the old guard and it was Advergents responsibility to change the game once again. The old guard had convinced the customer to install old technology and the old guard was there to give them pricing on a failed solution. Just like when you show pictures of burnt down homes, fire trucks, and dead families and then offer pricing on the latest smoke detector...Simply, its a scam.
Let's answer the question:
#1.When is Advergents comparable to the competition?
answer #1:__________(fill in the blank______________
Pardon the Interuption
Just when Im all geeked up about blogging for Advergents our T1 goes down. Not just for an our or two but for 18 hours. No internet and no phones!!! How is one suppose to operate in these conditions? I should call my boss and explain to him(her) that if Im going to succeed I will need a better work environment than this.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Welcome
Thank you for joining our company blog. Just to clue you in... we will not be using this blog to LIST company events or achievements. The purpose will be to blog about how we see our company impacting the following topics: Community Service, The Security industry, Competition, Politics, Current Events, The weather, etc., etc.
The Advergents blog should offer insight as to how a small business operates in today's economy. It's like a reality show but with words. This has been an idea of mine for a while now. There are plenty of TV shows that show the "reality" of certain situations. The problem is that producers and editors will skew the reality of a situation for dramatic effect. We just want to show people what it is really like to operate a growing business.
There are tons of ups and a few downs every day. We have a small staff and we act like any family might. We hope you join this ride with us and become part of our extended crew.
The Advergents blog should offer insight as to how a small business operates in today's economy. It's like a reality show but with words. This has been an idea of mine for a while now. There are plenty of TV shows that show the "reality" of certain situations. The problem is that producers and editors will skew the reality of a situation for dramatic effect. We just want to show people what it is really like to operate a growing business.
There are tons of ups and a few downs every day. We have a small staff and we act like any family might. We hope you join this ride with us and become part of our extended crew.
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