Most of the people probably never thought what their life could be if they ever open their own company. The temptation of quiting your daily job and pursuing your dreams is pretty high. It's true that most startup operations and daily ruotine are different, but one thing remains through out them all, being a founder means having to know how to do pretty much everything, otherwise your company won't live long enough. Costs of hiring professionals is not an option when you running a startup out of your own pocket. And bigger your company gets, more and more complicated jobs you'd have to do.
I have listed most recent 5 days of my life and things i had to encounter.
Day 1 - Saturday
Human Resources - Dealing with employees being late is probably one of the most annoying tasks i ever have to do. Especially if that particular person is very valuable, but fails to be on time in 60% of the time.
12:00 pm. Shop reorganization - Reorganizing the shop's furniture and equipment set-up. Setting up computer on the front desk and moving furniture to clear up the space, preparation for further construction of a wall. Measuring specific dimentions and preplanning.
3:00 pm. Electrical work - When the sign company fails to summon an electrician to connect the store front sign, there is nothing else left, but to DIY. Home Depot and electrical tools to measure an amperage and voltage and power tracker is the first step, thanks to my major allowing me work with 1500 volts, back in Siberia. Investigating where does the dead wire come from and why it is not connected is a pretty dirty job, especially when the building is 200 years old and landlord is claiming it was probably cut and no chance it will work. Open up a couple of outlets and shoot the power through each disconnected wire and Erica! Its alive. Then setting up a separate switch and soldering transformator to the power line to the LED sign. 2 hours of work, dirty outfit and job is done. Sign is lid up like a christmas tree.
Step 2, send clothing to cleaning.
Day 2 - Sunday
2:00 pm. Construction of the wall, separator the cleaning/back section from the customer's waiting area and the front desk.
Day 3 - Monday
7:30 am. Open the master store, washing, drying and folding. Regular start of the day. Waiting for a second shift to arrive and hand the work over.
12:00 pm. Driving to Costco for restocking of detergents, softeners and other cleaning liquids and powders.
3:00 pm. Going back to the shop under the reconstruction. Getting and installing new curtains to cover the rest of the openning between the wall and the new constructed section.
6:00 pm. Upgrading management system and adding new features.
Day 4 - Tuesday
7:30 am. Open master store at 7:30, put first loads to wash, no time can be wasted, today will be a busy day. wait for a backup to arrive at noon as always.
One of the dryers broke down, no time and no money to summon the technitian, DIY, open up and research whats causing the problem, ordering broken parts online with 2 days shipment.
3:00 pm. Ordering new washer and dryer to the store under reconstruction.
5:00 pm. Researching for capital raising events to present Liox to prospective investors.
Day 5 - Wednesday
7:00 am. Text message from a late employee that she is quit.
7:30 am. Rushing to the shop to open it on time. Welcome to a 12 hour double shift day at that shop. No backup is available.
7:30 am - 7:30 pm. Washing and pressing 25 shirts, 50 lbs of other laundry.
Painting, finishing the separation wall.
Receiving new rent statement with double the amount of rent, dealing with property manager over the error in the significantly increased rent statement.
Putting new job positions on craigslist and holding up a few interviews same day.
Day 6 - ThanksGiving
Sleep in, Work, Movie =)
I have listed most recent 5 days of my life and things i had to encounter.
Day 1 - Saturday
Human Resources - Dealing with employees being late is probably one of the most annoying tasks i ever have to do. Especially if that particular person is very valuable, but fails to be on time in 60% of the time.
12:00 pm. Shop reorganization - Reorganizing the shop's furniture and equipment set-up. Setting up computer on the front desk and moving furniture to clear up the space, preparation for further construction of a wall. Measuring specific dimentions and preplanning.
3:00 pm. Electrical work - When the sign company fails to summon an electrician to connect the store front sign, there is nothing else left, but to DIY. Home Depot and electrical tools to measure an amperage and voltage and power tracker is the first step, thanks to my major allowing me work with 1500 volts, back in Siberia. Investigating where does the dead wire come from and why it is not connected is a pretty dirty job, especially when the building is 200 years old and landlord is claiming it was probably cut and no chance it will work. Open up a couple of outlets and shoot the power through each disconnected wire and Erica! Its alive. Then setting up a separate switch and soldering transformator to the power line to the LED sign. 2 hours of work, dirty outfit and job is done. Sign is lid up like a christmas tree.
Step 2, send clothing to cleaning.
Day 2 - Sunday
2:00 pm. Construction of the wall, separator the cleaning/back section from the customer's waiting area and the front desk.
Day 3 - Monday
7:30 am. Open the master store, washing, drying and folding. Regular start of the day. Waiting for a second shift to arrive and hand the work over.
12:00 pm. Driving to Costco for restocking of detergents, softeners and other cleaning liquids and powders.
3:00 pm. Going back to the shop under the reconstruction. Getting and installing new curtains to cover the rest of the openning between the wall and the new constructed section.
6:00 pm. Upgrading management system and adding new features.
Day 4 - Tuesday
7:30 am. Open master store at 7:30, put first loads to wash, no time can be wasted, today will be a busy day. wait for a backup to arrive at noon as always.
One of the dryers broke down, no time and no money to summon the technitian, DIY, open up and research whats causing the problem, ordering broken parts online with 2 days shipment.
3:00 pm. Ordering new washer and dryer to the store under reconstruction.
5:00 pm. Researching for capital raising events to present Liox to prospective investors.
Day 5 - Wednesday
7:00 am. Text message from a late employee that she is quit.
7:30 am. Rushing to the shop to open it on time. Welcome to a 12 hour double shift day at that shop. No backup is available.
7:30 am - 7:30 pm. Washing and pressing 25 shirts, 50 lbs of other laundry.
Painting, finishing the separation wall.
Receiving new rent statement with double the amount of rent, dealing with property manager over the error in the significantly increased rent statement.
Putting new job positions on craigslist and holding up a few interviews same day.
Day 6 - ThanksGiving
Sleep in, Work, Movie =)
