[vermontpainter]

So its spring and its crazy. No matter how much we prepared for it over the winter, its here and there are always surprises. Lately, in the day to day running of my business, there have been several "pop-up" situations that have left us without someone or something for a day. It made me realize how much we as business owners rely on our resources.

What resource, whether human, physical or otherwise, would you find it just about impossible to go through a day without?

For me it happened last week. One morning I was on the road and realized my phone had not rung (rang?) in over an hour - this never happens. So, compulsively, I made a call and could not get phone service. First thought: I'm sure we paid the bill on time. After another hour of excruciating lack of service I was passing a Unicel outlet and stopped in to find a line of people out the door and the kid behind the counter saying: "Its not your phones, the network is down and they are giving us no eta on when it will be back up." It was like panic in the room. And for me, complete inability to communicate with my employees on 3 different jobs in 3 different towns without spending almost $4/gallon to personally drive to them, which I did. I also had an estimate to get to and was supposed to call the homeowner when I got into town...tried finding a payphone when you need one lately? Who needs one? This story could go on, but you get the idea...

What would yours be?

 

[GMack]

I guess it's a given but no way could I get through a day without my cell phone . . . Otherwise, I've become quite dependent on e-mail lately . . . Also just added two employees and my existing employee has really stepped up into a leadership role with them which I love. He is making himself more and more irreplaceable by the day . . . Great service at the paint store . . .

I guess it's hard to choose just one thing. I think the moral of the story could be this: As much as we all would like to think that we rely on nothing and nobody but ourselves for our success, that's wrong. We all depend on a lot of things and a lot of people everyday to help make our worlds go round.

 

[ProWallGuy]

Unfortunately, this is it:

 

[bikerboy]

My truck.

 

[johnthepainter]

toilet paper.

 

[Brian]

Without a doubt, my computer.

My truck broke down today and is in the shop. No big deal, I get to spend a day or so in the office and just rescheduled my appointments.

I often go days without a call on my cell phone, so that's not a big one either.

Two years ago my computer crashed and my life almost came to a halt. I couldn't do estimates, bill customers, surf the net, check email, etc. I literally couldn't work. Fortunately I have a computer at home, though it doesn't have the same software and files. I was able to do some things, but I was very limited.

Brian Phillips

 

[vermontpainter]

I feel that pain, Brian. Last spring our computer had been dying a slow death, and we went through the process of upgrading to a new system and changing everything over. Painful couple of days. We ended up with a much faster and better system, and even came through it with high speed internet instead of dial up. It would be hard to go a day without it now.

 

[GMack]

We ended up with a much faster and better system, and even came through it with high speed internet instead of dial up.

I think I'd have to slice myself with my 5 in 1 if I had dial-up internet service!

 

[MAK-Deco]

Yeah i would say computer too. All business and personal info for me has been on a computer since 1992 alot of old backups I probably couldn't access anymore. Have some stuff on floppy disks!

I couldn't live w/o computer and a great back up system.

 

[vermontpainter]

Heres another important element

 

[stansoph]

1) VISA Card-I can get, do and have anything I need or want.

2) Mobile Phone

3) Menthol Cigarettes

4) Coffee

#'s 2, 3, 4 are convinience items

 

[Dave Mac]

For one day I think i could get by with loosing anything, but I would hate the most, for my people not to be their. Im a firm believer in the company is only as good as the people in the company.

thanks
dave mac

 

[johnthepainter]

my bong

 

[Ethan]

For one day I think i could get by with loosing anything, but I would hate the most, for my people not to be their. Im a firm believer in the company is only as good as the people in the company.

thanks
dave mac

Couldn't agree more Dave. My project manager is amazing. He manages our jobs our people our subs... He is the day to day of our company. I wouldn't know what to do without him... And our office manager too - if he didn't show up - that would be chaos.

After people, it would be my server... If a computer goes down, I can find another computer... if the servers go down, doesn't matter what computer i'm on...

 

[johnthepainter]

beer

 

[Paul_R]

Used to be many years ago, my dope, sex, and munchies were the things I thought I could not go without. Now I know my life has changed and I have aged a few years, so I have no need for dope, but sex is good when it is available, munchies when I am tired, and what I value above all is the retention of my intellect, that I hope allows me to accurately evaluate situations, establish a plan of action, and carry out that plan for getting desired results. Oh, and by the way, it helps to be mobile. I spent 3 months last year with a broken heel, and it sucked. Think about what you can't go without, and you might think again.

Happy painting, Paul.

 

[greensboro84]

hate not workin with my mp3 player. when im listenin to miles davis and paintin, im in heaven

 

[TJ Paint]

my bong

Lolz

 

[RH]

I hereby nominate TJ for the, "NecroBumper of the Year", award. :whistling2:

 

[daArch]

PUT THE SHOVEL DOWN, TJ, AND VACATE THE BONE YARD !!