First Steps to Solvency

alt80

Day 49 through making 7 weeks in total. No money spent apart from expensed. Been working all day started 7.30am and just finished 10.30pm. Haven't stopped apart from 20 min lunch, 30 min dinner and read a story to my son. !!!!!! whacked didn't even get to sleep until about 3am last night either. Secretary said not letting clients down delaying things I shouldn't just work myself into the ground starting to think some truth in that. Planning to have my chamomile tea and put my audiobook on in bed. Wife insisting I go to bed with her 11.30pm ha. She's right tbh I can't do this for days on end these days. Tomorrow I'm meant to be working 7am-12pm wife insisting she takes me to work and picks me up lol makes me come away haha. Laugh but I need that really.

Sorry I'm too tired to respond really again but thanks. I can't tell my wife she could look into volunteering in a hospice, I get it would be an amazing thing for the patients and/ or relatives but it would upset her too much and I don't want her upset like that she would not cope with seeing people at the end of their lives or relatives about to lose someone they are close to. 

She does charge some people for the nails but a few she doesn't because they in her words 'don't have the money' fml she just lets people take advantage constantly. 

RelievedSheff

Well done on getting through Day 49. Day 50 today.

Your wife is right to be coming to pick you up at midday. You can't just work yourself into the ground. You will do yourself no good with those silly long days, everyone needs some down time and some time away from work. Clients will understand that you are short staffed. Most people are in the same boat at the moment.

We have about 10 staff out of 100 self isolating at the minute, so timescales have been pushed back on certain projects.

enthusiasticsaver

I think your wife is right to suggest you go to bed at 11.30 and restrict your working hours to achieve a good life/work balance. Better for your mental health and stress levels. 

It just sounds like your wife does not have a business head and is treating this nails thing as a hobby. 

ayupmeduck

alt80 said:

Cars done bit of a basic valet today but keeps me out of trouble ha. 

Yeah she’s sold more than she’s spent ultimately I know. It was agreed the sales come off the total then she tells me she’s having a break from all spending - clearly not the case. She needs to get back off IG tbh I’ve said to her it’s who she follows - they target ads etc to who she follows pretty sure that’s how it works. She started following gardening accounts she’d get ads for spades and grass seed etc. 

@ayupmeduck Haha you must be fairly local lol I’m based in Mapperley Park and there are plenty of houses worth more than mine is but we are essentially sandwiched in between some really rough areas. Pretty much always lived here since I graduated just in different houses ha but I am starting to wonder if I should get a bit further out of town over the next 5 years or so idk rn.

I remember the area due to Goose Fair lol. My gran lived in Mapperley, I grew up in Beeston but now they live in Long Eaton. I generally am used to the Derbyshire side of Nottingham.

maggiem

Hope all ok Alt and you are enjoying the weekend with your family so not posting. 

alt80

Day 51, last weekend with the BMW and a low spend day. £40 in total on lunch and a coffee. Not done a lot really just walking and a little run in the car. Been really cold here, lit my fire this evening. I can't believe it compared to last week. Need to sit down and do figures for the month - another gone by, budget will reset on Monday as it always does apparently start of a new 2 month no spend for wife idk can't pretend I'm not cynical.

Yesterday was absolutely ridiculous, got up, worked 7am-12pm, spent afternoon/ evening with family too whacked to do much and worked from when my son went to bed at 8pm to 1am. Didn't wake up until 9.30am this morning ha fml I can't do the silly hours anymore. Summer is always busy with staff taking leave and me trying to do the jobs of more than one person all the way through. Always wind up upsetting my wife because we can't do anything together as a family was meant to be doing the 4 day weeks to spend long weekends with my family but I don't see me making that work, just letting them down I know as I said I would be ultimately business comes first.

@RelievedSheff thanks mate. I know re work I'm struggling with that at the moment being a bit obsessive with it have put about 4/5 hours in total in today. There are times some acceptance needed re not being able to turn the same numbers/ timescales but whilst I acknowledge it I fail to accept it and just carry on. Don't expect it of my staff but I'll take on my share and the others', always have done. 

@enthusiasticsaver yeah I'm not doing so well with restricting work right now. Understatement of the year mate re wife not having a brain for business ha. 

@ayupmeduck I have a walk to goose fair every year. You might as well be in Derby living in Long Eaton lol. 

@maggiem I'm ok thank you.

warby68

I've got some sympathy @alt80 with the work issue. When you have your own business, or even are simply self-employed it is very different to being an employee in terms of when and how much leave you take and the ability to switch off. The best benefit you have is being able to be flexible with your time as the boss even if there isn't too much of it.

I think you have a little way to go with managing the work/family balance. It probably isn't realistic to promise half days and 4 day weeks if this is your busiest few weeks of the year due to staff leave. You have to be realistic and start actively managing all aspects of it ( staggering leave, taking temps if possible, identifying when the best time for you is, seeking a little extra from other staff and knowing when to draw the line even when it is mad busy but even so there will be times when you simply have to work long hours) but wife also has to accept that your business will always have significant demands on your time, that's why she gets to be home and you have the lifestyle you do.

I fully agree that family and couple time is important but I do suspect your wife's demands are sometimes a little to do with her lack of direction rather than just whats good for son/you and she doesn't really grasp the realities as other partners might. We've done both here, employment and business. My husband never truly switches off and I'm darn sure he isn't alone. You |(and my husband) may well get to a stage where your role is a little more passive but it isn't there yet. 

You still have to strive for balance but also be realistic on both sides of the coin , which are the promises to wife and could you manage the business a little better in terms of your time. You'll get there, and 51 days is excellent btw

mark55man

keep going mate.  one day at a time is all you need to accomplish.  

stymied

Could you delegate some of the paperwork to staff that are self isolating?

Massive well done on the 51 days!

katsu

Can you maybe do some special 4 day weeks or work free weekends? If you can't do every one then maybe a few special ones will work?