In 1845  Henry David Thoreau settled by Walden Pond, building a shack that he lived in for two years and two months.

He wrote, ” I went to the wood because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when it came time to die, discover that I had not lived.”

This was an experiment in living, answering the question, “How simple can a life be and still be a good one?” He wrote of it in his classic work, Walden.  Thoreau was a harsh critic of conventional life, seeing people enslaved by excessive lifestyles and accumulation of possessions,  observing that, “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation”. His experiment in stripping life back to the essentials on Walden Pond revealed a richer, fuller life – walking the woods, noting the changing of the seasons, observing birds and animals, and cultivating his small garden -  “making the earth say beans instead of grass”.


I was introduced to Thoreau during my last year at school – the phrases ‘live deliberately’ and ‘lives of quiet desperation’ have stayed with me as a very helpful signpost – “go this way, not that way”.

I started my own business because I wanted to live deliberately…

to choose how I used my time
to choose who I spent time with
to choose when and where I worked
to choose how I dressed and the words I used
to choose the products I consumed
to choose my influences
to smile and say no to the work that was wrong for me
to avoid the unnecessary
to find out what a business could be
to show that it could be done
that there are no rules that must be upheld
to show that it is possible to strip back to the essentials
to do the work I care about
to do work that matters.

And not to come to the end of my time and find that I had not done anything worthwhile.

And you?

You live and breathe your business every day, and no one knows as much about it as you do.  But are you neglecting one of the most important things about it? I’m talking about finances.

Some aspects of running a business are decidedly more fun than others. You’re naturally going to spend more time on the things you enjoy.

Working your way through that shoebox of receipts and reconciling bank statements is rock bottom on the fun scale for many of us. It can turn into a once a year, last minute effort at tax time. I understand completely. I hate doing it, too. (Note: If this is your idea of fun, and you’re good at it, there is definitely a market for your work!)

However, the consequences of avoiding this tedious task are serious.  Without regular monitoring, it’s impossible to really understand your financial position. Cash flow problems can take you by surprise – and that can really mess with your business. Or even kill it.

Try answering these questions:

What was last month’s income? Last month’s expenditure? Last month’s profit?

What was last year’s income? Last year’s expenditure? Last year’s profit?

How much money do you need to earn each month to break even?

How much money do you need to earn each month to live well?

Do you have a financial reserve? (How many months could you survive without income and still pay your expenses?)

Do you know how much profit you make on each of your services / products?

When did you last review your expenses?

When is your next tax payment due?

This is by no means a comprehensive list of things you could be monitoring, but it will give you an idea of whether or not you are paying enough attention to your business finances. If you struggled with some of these questions, it would be a good idea to start paying more attention. Maybe set aside a regular timeslot once a week / fortnight / month to process receipts and invoices and take a look at your financial position. If it’s really something you can’t bear to face on your own, or you don’t know enough to do it well, outsourcing to a professional might be a good option for you. Ask around for recommendations.

Are you already on top of this? Got your finances sorted? How did you get there? Love to hear your comments!

]]> http://unconventionalist.com/alternative-business-management/business-finance-a-case-of-neglect/feed/ 0 http://unconventionalist.com/alternative-business-management/on-the-road/ http://unconventionalist.com/alternative-business-management/on-the-road/#comments Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:14:16 +0000 Kim Wood http://unconventionalist.com/?p=59

…back in late November.

When you have a business, it’s important that people understand what you do. The people who work with you, the people who buy from you and the people who support you. You want them to understand your passion – that what you do is important and worthy of their time and attention. And in the case of customers, worthy of their money. When you have a business that doesn’t fit a standard category, making sure people understand the value of your work takes something extra.

You need to sing your own unique song.

You know the full story of your business – you’ve lived it, breathed it and dreamed it from the beginning. In your head it’s like you have a full orchestra and/or rock band of your choice playing your song in surround sound complete with a multimedia show. It’s not easy to convey that full experience when all you’re using is your voice. How well are you singing your song? Are people hearing what you think they’re hearing, or something more like bad karaoke?

Here’s the thing – people will try to understand what you do in terms of what they already know.

Most people are listening for familiar songs. If your business doesn’t readily fit into a standard category, your words aren’t matching familiar patterns in their minds. If they can’t make a match, they’ll stop listening, just as if you’ve massacred an old classic.

You need to make it clear that what you have is something unique and valuable – that your business is not just a second rate rendition of an old standard.

You need to make an impact and get attention.

In simple terms, you need to do two things: craft your song and develop your voice. You want to be memorable and catchy, preferably in under 3 minutes, just like a classic pop song. You want to use words that are easily remembered and repeated. You want to be passionate and entertaining. You want to share that amazing experience that’s in your head.

It’ll take some time and effort to get this right, but it’s vitally important to do so. There are plenty of resources available to help you hone your performance – to develop a song that has people listening, enjoying and singing along. Thanks to the amazing powers of the internet, you can learn from great business performers.

Take a look at this video of Scott Kilmartin of haul, Pop Culture Recyclers. Scott’s opening line, “My business is called haul and it’s complete rubbish” has his audience instantly engaged and entertained. A unique story presented in a way that’s distinctive and memorable.

Getting feedback from your audience will help you craft your performance – remember that it’s about them and what they are hearing.

When you get it right, they’ll be singing along with you.

What’s your song? How did you develop it? Who or what has helped you?

It’s the first day of October – time to get this show on the road!

Just to give you an idea of what I’ll be doing here:

This blog is aimed at people driven by ideals, dreams and passion who have built their own unconventional business, people interested in sustainability (business and this planet) and people interested in alternative approaches to business, work, communication and community.

I’ll be posting once a week on:

• business basics and survival tips
• alternatives to traditional business management
• case studies of people that are doing great business their own way

… no doubt other things will come up as well.

I’m looking forward to connecting with you – I know there are a lot of unconventionalists out there.

Let the fun begin…

Okay, so I’m not supposed to be here yet (the site is being designed and I’ve got a lot of content to write), but people have been asking what this unconventionalist thing is all about, so this will give you some idea.
I expect to have the full site up by the end of September. If you want to keep in touch, register your details just over there on the right.

I’m talking to the unconventional thinkers, the inspired dreamers, the fighters for truth and social justice, the passionate keepers of ideals and brave visions. I’m talking to You who rejected conventional ways and created a business that you believe in. I’m so happy that you have.

What you do is important. For you, your family, your community, your planet. You are changing the world.

But some stuff just has to get done.

You have the same management issues as any business – working with other people, troubleshooting, delegating, keeping up with legal & financial obligations, troubleshooting, planning, remembering to have a life outside your business, troubleshooting. And them some.

Traditional business solutions aren’t going to work for you.

You aren’t going to do things just because ‘that’s the way they’ve always been done’. You challenge established business processes that don’t fit with your beliefs. You’ve seen the soul-destroying effects of traditional work practices. You’ve seen the purveyors of ‘business improvement systems’ and the snake oil salesmen who diagnose and treat your business ills. This is not your way. The last thing you want is a man in a suit coming in to tell you that you need to ‘collaboratively expand and grow high-quality knowledge systems whilst continuing to lead the industry in progressive meta-services’.
You know there has to be a better way – a way to run a successful business that fits with your way of thinking. Something that values people. Something that values this planet. Something that works, so that your business thrives and you get to live the life you have chosen.

Don’t lose sight of your dreams because of all the stuff that gets in the way.

I can help you manage your business in a way that fits your values and your life.   Let’s talk.