The juggling act of life
Posted on 26. Nov, 2009 by Guest Contributor in Real Life
I was offered a voice to express myself, since then I have been listening to all the voices of all the aspects of this conversation and been talking to myself ever since.
Not that I have come to a conclusion mind you.
To be a single mom and a business owner is a task and a half. Actually being a business owner is a task and a half, being a mom came later and so I had no idea what I was in for – or how grateful I would be at certain times that I was a business owner.
When you get the call from the day care to say she has a fever I’m on my way to the car while still on the phone to the school, no “please may I” or “excuse me please” or “ill make up the hours on the weekend” I can just leave. That is a blessing. The 2 o’ clock dentist appointment is not a hassle, nor the shopping sometimes as I leave early and get in done before I fetch the girls.
This may sound like I have a lot of time off not yet have I mentioned the late night turmoil over the accounts, the 4 in the morning stress strategy session when you were woken by the tremors of it all falling down immanently.
I own a modest company, we have huge heart and a large distribution we are well known and our product is adored, we have reputation , history and vision, a dynamic leader(me ) who learnt from the best( my dad), we have reduced and are still reducing inherited debts and still I am terrified.
Everyday cash flow becomes a bigger challenge. I have interested parties, investors and opportunists alike who have made offers my way and when it was all coming together smoothly – when I had a new survival strategy in place, the dominoes were laid, the economy slipped away beneath us. The offers pulled back, the investors paused and even the opportunists are re-evaluating there opportunities.
Yet I still have a long reliable list of customers, and new ones everyday…that is until last week Monday. Telkom has experienced a cable damage /theft “incident. They are still trying to resolve the issue and 10 days later I am asked to be patient.
Come Friday half of November has been lost. I have lost 2 incoming lines, one fax line, ADSL line has hiccups. The silence here has been heartbreaking. Where I have now advertised my private number on the site, and on my automated email response, still I burn at knowing that those who call me listen to a phone ringing out.
It is hard to quantify the amount of lost revenue other that to compare this trading period with the first 2 weeks of the month. I am horrified to know be looking at a surplus of 48K per week in turnover that has not taken place. Of course now the utilities bill and the TELKOM bill are now due.
This season is my hot season, from now till mid Dec we make our opening capital for the New Year, facilitate leave pay and bonuses and of course the overheads for month end Dec.
I cannot choose to trade through Christmas as my supplier base closes down, and my customers go away, even if I wanted to fill up with stock now how can I with no cash flow?
This translates to a Christmas over run eith love but sadly no gifts, no bonuses, possibly no pay, and when the new year arrives I fear I will be forced to play the hand I have resisted so long. I am not whining, I am trying. This may just be the last chapter of this book.
Now I wish I had a Job, a 13th cheque, medical aid, pension, car allowance. I wish I could budget and relax, knowing that although my funds are limited I can trust that they will arrive every 30 days or so. Or will they? With all the job losses around, it seems that nothing is reliable.
I am seriously considering developing an online enterprise; I have my hands, my mouth and a loud voice. I don’t want a corporation, nor do I want other people financial stability reliant on me. I don’t want overdrafts or bonds. I don’t want store cards. I want to find joy in bargain. Find solace in knowing I have money in the bank – maybe not even a South African bank.
I want to know that if I am going to fight to keep my staff employed, fight to facilitate their families, to keep the employed employed and put my children through the South African education system, that there will be leadership, employment opportunities & entrepreneurial spirit. I want them to have the wisdom to choose wisely because right now although I’m still driving forward, I don’t know which option is the best. I just know Im doing my best.
