Working From The Basement

I received a Tweet this morning that stated the Micro Enterprise Resource Group of Connecticut had closed its doors after 5 years.  This really doesn’t surprise me that much because micro businesses seem to be too diverse and distracted to get any kind of political message out.  Most of us hunker down and go to a chamber meetings or small social media networking gatherings, but seldom spend much time thinking about policy and politics.  I think we all agree the micros don’t get much respect from the government, banking institutions and even our slightly larger peers.  How many times have you heard “Oh you work from home?” I think most people just think we are unemployed.

So the question remains can micro businesses come together if not physically or on a specific agenda but more philosophically in a virtual community.  Could a Facebook Fan Page or group foster some kind of community spirit that wouldn’t take much effort or more importantly time.  I don’t know but it’s just a thought, let me know your opinion.

Don’t forget to click on the MERG CT link on the left of the page the organizers left a little treat for you there.

Thanks for visiting Working from the Basement

Michael Lawson
WFTB

I would like to share something that happened this past week with one of my clients.  I’m working with a local family.  The wife works for a large multi-national company and the husband works as a handyman.  They became my clients this past summer and they recently asked me to research the husband’s current business insurance.

Of course, I agreed and the first thing I noticed in their current policy was that the husband was classified as a carpenter.  So I asked him…are you a carpenter?  Well guess what he’s not, because in the course of his work week he does do some light carpentry, some electrical work, and minor home repairs, etc… In fact he is a handyman!

The commercial “class code” on his policy was wrong.  This means that if he had a claim while doing something un-carpenter like he ran the risk of having the claim being denied by his insurance company and having his policy cancelled.  On the other side of the coin, his current agent (no, not me…but a LARGE state-wide chain) has a possible errors and omissions exposure.

As a quick side note-a class code is the code for a type of business.  This code is in turn associated with a rate.  Each business type has a different code which means each code has a different rate.  For example a carpenter is generally a less expensive rate than a roofer.

Sometimes an agent might misclassify a business deliberately because the rates are more favorable.  An agent that does this might lose the ability to sell insurance for that company, especially if he/she does this often. While this may save you money on your insurance it could cost you a good deal more if your business is not classified correctly.  The point is; check with your insurance agent to make sure that you are correctly covered for what you do.  When you receive your commercial policy, please review the declaration page(s) carefully to make sure the information about your business and its operations are correct.   Commercial insurance policies are very specific about what they will NOT pay for.  If you see something there that either does not make sense, or you don’t understand…ASK.

When you receive your commercial policy and you have questions, your agent should be very willing to answer any and all your questions about it.  By the way, when shopping for commercial insurance, you may want to consider using an independent insurance agent (like me!).  They have more than one company they work with and if the rates go up with your current carrier, they can always “shop” your business with another company.

Charlie’s Info:
Hi my name is Charlie Schein and I’m an independent property/casualty insurance agent.  I’ve been in the insurance industry since 1988…but have been working “from the basement” since September.

Charlie can be reached via his contact information listed below:
(860) 513-1055
(860) 819-9810-Cell
(877) 513-6363-Fax
charlie@starschein.com
www.starschein.com

To keep up with Charlie follow him on Twitter or Facebook.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cdschein
FaceBook Fan Page

WFTB – Charlie Schein

They say there is no such thing as a good decision, but unlike what the accompanying picture says Indecision can kill a business.  Being able to make quick well informed decisions is one of the benefits that entrepreneurs have over their larger competition.  If you’ve ever worked for a large corporation or on a committee you know that sometimes even small decisions can take forever.  Endless meetings, missed deadlines and misinterpretations have killed or sidelined many projects.

It’s not that larger companies can’t make decisions, it’s just that sometimes their structure and policies can get in the way. That’s not to say that longer strategic plans shouldn’t be discussed at length especially when they affect their employees and the company’s long term health.  Also just because you are small you shouldn’t make snap decisions based on no information.  Take as much time as you need and gather all the information you can, do your research, ask friends and consult your peers.

So what happens if we make the wrong decision? Well then you simply make a new one to correct it the best you can and move forward.  I always go by the formula of 50, 50, 90 which means:  you have a 50, 50 chance of making the right decision, but 90% of the time you are wrong (just kidding, sort of). Making any type of decision is better than none, because if you don’t your forward momentum and enthusiasm may be lost. Sometimes making a decision is hard especially when you are unsure of which way to go, but take the responsibility and implement the changes as you see fit.

Just to make it clear Indecision is not the key to flexibility, don’t believe everything you read on a wet nap.

WFTB – Michael Lawson

OK a lot of entrepreneurial related media talks about creating your own rules to be successful, but that’s not what this posts about.  What I am talking about are the rules that we need to keep ourselves motivated, organized and sane.  I have two sets of rules I use, one set is used every day the other for specific days of the week.  I’ll go over some of the ones I use every day.

1. COFFEE – This is the number one rule that must be obeyed for me to function, and I’ve seen Diana without coffee so I assume this rule to be universal.  I must have coffee before my brain even starts to work correctly. 
2. SHOWER, SHAVE etc… – OK this one usually happens at some point during the morning, but again it is not as important as rule #1 and sometimes goes un-followed.  This rule actually becomes rule #1 when leaving the basement though.
3. THE DAILY TASK LIST – This really should be rule #2, but #1 and #2 seemed to go together (am I confusing you enough yet?). I try and keep a short task list with only 3 or 4 things on it, enough to get completed during the day but not too daunting.  Yes I have a real task list that contains everything I need to do, but by moving only a small number into a daily list it makes it so I feel accomplished.  You can always add and remove things to the list and prioritize it as the day goes on.
4. LIMIT DISTRACTIONS – We talked about space here before and limiting environmental distractions is important, but keeping yourself focused is important as well.  If you are in the middle of something and the phone rings don’t take it unless you have to.  Close your email client, Chat, Facebook and any other Social Media outlet, plan to spend a set number of minutes an hour checking them if you use them to market your business.  I like to answer emails first thing in the morning, mid-morning, over lunch and mid-afternoon, unless it’s an emergency.
5. MUSIC – I don’t consider music a distraction, it helps me concentrate while working alone, One of the benefit about being self-employed is we can crank it when a good song comes on.

I actually have a few other rules I follow, but I just wanted to get you started writing your own list, although I think Rule #1 is universal please let me know if you have anything else to replace it.  I’ll post my weekly list if anyone is interested, but that is going to vary greatly depending what you do for a living.  Having guidelines even if we don’t follow them exactly helps us get through those really tough days, and I think also keeps us more focused.  One nice thing is your rules can be anything you want them to be; after all you are the boss.

WFTB – Michael Lawson

I just wanted to mention a few good events coming up over the next few weeks that might be of interest. This Friday Oct 30, 2009 Diana will be at the Middlesex Expo in Cromwell Ct from 9:00a– 8:00p at her B-Law booth, I’m sure she would be happy if you all stopped by.  Our friend Charlie Schein will also be helping Diana man her booth.

Friday October 30^th 2009
Middlesex Expo 2009
Crowne Plaza Hotel
Cromwell, CT
9:00am – 8:00pm

The ambitious event schedule for TweetCrawl continues with fund raising efforts this time focusing on Operation Home for the Holidays.  If you haven’t been to one of these yet it would be a good time to meet new people and help a great cause.  Diana and I will be at the one on November 11^th in Middletown, we are not sure about which of the others yet.  It’s Karaoke night so stop by and see if you can get Diana on the stage to sing.

Thursday October 29^th 2009
Hot Rod’s TweetCrawl
114 Bank Street
New London, CT
5:30pm – 8:30pm

Thursday November 5^th 2009
TweetCrawl at Wadsworth Atheneum
600 Main Street
Hartford, CT
5:00pm – 8:00pm

Wednesday November 11^th 2009
Karoake TweetCrawl at Public’s in Middletown
337 Main Street
Middletown, CT
6:00pm – 9:00pm

Friday November 13^th 2009
Open Studio
555 Asylum Street
Hartford, CT
6:00pm – 8:00pm

THE FOLLOWING EVENT HAS CHANGED
Saturday November 14^th 2009
Operation Home for the Holidays TweetCrawl
The Warehouse of Lisa Davenport’s Home Gallery
9 Austin Drive
Marlborough, CT
1:00pm – 5:00pm
This Event is now “Open House to Bring Them Home” party
Kid Friendly and lots of Raffles and Prizes, please RSVP on Facebook.

7:00pm – 10:00pm
$40 per person to benefit Operation Home for the Holidays.
Order your tickets here or RSVP on Facebook and pay at the door.

Another Event that I would recommend is the “Starting and Staying in Business – What it takes to survive in today’s crazy world“  seminar hosted by Rothstein & Co.  Alan is a great speaker and is very engaging, this should be a really good presentation. A donation of $10 to FOODSHARE would be appreciated, please rsvp to cpa@rothsteinco.com and let them know you read about it on WFTB. The agenda and contact information is listed below:

Job Stability is Being Self Employed
Alan Rothstein, CPA/PFS
Alan works extensively with small business owners and entrepreneurs

What can go wrong in business, and how to prevent it
Susan Busby, Attorney

New Rules on Marketing and Communications
Using Social Networking to grow your business
Darlene Susco, President Susco Visual, Inc.

November 11, 2009
Farmington Marriott
15 Farms Springs Road
Farmington, CT
7:00pm – 9:00pm
$10 per person requested donation to FOODSHARE

I want to thank all the people that got back to us about  Diana’s Thankful Friday post, it was one of our biggest days here at WFTB. It was very encouraging to hear that we are helping motivate others in their daily lives.

WFTB – Michael Lawson

If you are starting a new home business, one of the most important decisions will be where to put your home office.  Over the years mine has moved and ended up in the basement, but depending on your situation that may not work for you. Most people at first end up using a table in the kitchen, dining room or simply working from the couch and floor, when nobody is home.  It is very important though that you find a quiet place to work, especially if you need to think, write and make private phone calls.

While a corner in a room can work,  I would recommend finding a whole room or using a partition, and make sure that you keep it somewhat organized.  If you have a whole room, make sure it is big enough for some expansion, my latest space even has a spare desk.  Also consider going paperless, this one decision alone can free up a lot of space, scan what you can and keep up with your filing and shredding.

Having a space doesn’t mean you are tied to it for 8-16 hours a day either. Break up the monotony by working from  the deck, going to a coffee shop or even the library.  After all, if you are self-employed, setting your own rules is one of the benefits. I usually take a long lunch when I begin to feel cooped up and bring a laptop with me to get some work done.  This helps clear my head and get motivated. Make sure that when you do this, though, that it is something you can do while being distracted.  Don’t take a project with you that requires a lot of concentration. Your office or shared space should feel comfortable enough for you to escape to and get serious work done.  If you dread it because it is disorganized or in the wrong spot, you may want to consider other options.

In the past I have always thought that clients didn’t take you seriously if you worked from home, but with more people telecommuting I think that this perception has changed.  While this does depend on what you do for a living, and having an office outside the house can motivate you to get going in the morning.  One of the best consulting jobs I had was for GE in Avon where I was able to bike into work on nice days using the Farmington Valley Greenway.  I am just pointing this out because if you don’t pick a spot in your house or apartment on where to setup shop it may impact your work. If you really can’t work in the house or coffee shops, another option is month-to-month office facilities where they rent you a small office and a shared conference room.  This can be a great stop-gap measure, before committing to an office lease.  Other options include adding an addition on to your house, but if you plan to have employees you should check your towns zoning regulations.

The IRS used to frown on the home office and it was a big red flag, but now the rules have relaxed, and as long as you have a legitimate office, preferably one with walls it can be a great benefit.  I have always had a home office and over the years have made it a home within a home – my commute is 16 stairs in the morning.  It may take you awhile to make it comfortable, and make sure that if you don’t like something you change it as quickly as possible.  Don’t buy a lot of furniture either – people tend to crowd out their home offices – and make sure anything you buy is light-weight and can be moved easily.  Considering that I live off RT 4 in Farmington I save about 2 hours a day, so for me working from the basement works.  Make sure you name your space accordingly whether it’s a corner, a basement or a fortress of solitude make it your own and make it work for your business.

We are looking for people to Interview about how they work from home so please feel free to contact either Diana or myself if you are interested.  If you have any suggestions on what makes your home office work please feel free to comment on this post.

WFTB – Michael Lawson

It gets lonely in the basement and once and awhile you need to get out in the light.  Meeting on a regular basis with other basement dwellers can help keep you motivated and focused.  One of these groups meets the first Thursday of every month at Ken’s in Glastonbury, CT.  It is important when forming one of these informal peer groups that a specific schedule is planned.  Groups that don’t do this are bound to fail, some people will always be absent, but by setting a specific day most of the members will attend.  Small groups like this can be either a great addition or replacement for the more stringent BNI groups that have strict attendance guidelines.  BNI groups can be particularly rough on solo entrepreneurs, since we are the only ones available to service our clients.

While the Geek Meet caters to the technology crowd it is actually attended by people in other businesses and has grown from 4 to about 8 regulars.  This time we didn’t get our regular table ahead of time so we had to spread out and make the rounds.  Some of the attendee’s are as follows:

Michael Lawson – (Me) Advanced Technology Consultant and head Geek
Ted Jennings – Financial Software
Harry Kiernan – Computer Consultant, Artist, Organ Donor, and Chief Schmoozer
Rick Williams – Web based Training and Compliance Software
Rachel Pianka – Website Design
Diana Bartolotta – (Diana) Awesome Attorney and certified geek
Greg Flint – Network Design and Consultant
Steven Summit – Desktop Support
Charlie Schein – New Independent Insurance Agent, formerly in Insurance Software sales
Tim Tracey – Insurance Software and founder of YouGottaCall.com referral network
Joe Courchaine – Former business owner

What most of these people have in common other than some technology interests is that we all are either independent, virtual or very small businesses.  Some of the conversations included Diana and I discussing our new collaborative website and getting the participants of Geek Meet to contribute articles.  Tim explained his website and how it can help grow your business, along with reminiscing with Charlie and myself about Insurance software.  Since I have the only Iphone I was being picked on for looking at it every 5 minutes, then showed everyone the new app I purchased called TFLN.  Harry is donating part of his liver, after donating one of his kidneys a few years ago, so I guess we will be seeing less of him (just joking). Lastly Charlie and I discussed some personal Insurance that I was interested in.  I am sure Diana will post a comment with what was discussed at her table once she reads this.

While groups like this may not always directly lead to business opportunities they can help keep you sane and provide a much needed break.  Larger informal groups such as the Tweetups also allow for even more exposure for your business and are good for network building.  Currently Suzi Craig runs the one in Connecticut called the CT Tweet Crawl and I highly recommend it.

On another note we all have a name for our spaces at home and I picked the name of this article based on Rachel’s.  She credited me with giving it that name, so whether you work from the basement, dining room, living room or  “fortress of solitude” always remember to change out of the PJ’s, brush your teeth and put on your super hero cape.

WFTB – Michael Lawson