SMALL BUSINESS

GETTING THROUGH COLLEGE WITH RELATIVE EXPERIENCE in focus subjects is an undaunting task. One big option is to start a small business or join in with others operating a small business related in some format to your career goals. Small business owners don't typically specialize in every facet of operating their business. They may have been a foreman on the job before being pushed to try managing his own business. He may have been a bookkeeper or first phase accountant before folding in to try a more lucrative, more involved business. He may have been the "best man" at his job description before falling into the necessity of trying it on his own.

I was introduced for a job by a cousin who lived near the college campus I attended, and GOT HIRED as SECRETARY to work the office end of four existing small businesses combined into one. I worked the papers to legitimize the status of our operation by filing federal tax requirements and jumped in; voted to be retitled as PRESIDENT within weeks. We combined my office experience, and sales training and background, a concrete foreman's business, an asphalt foreman's business and a concrete flat worker's business. Each came with his own "and son" extension. The address was set as my on campus apartment address with a post box address for mail coming to the business name from out of state. Because the office could not be permanently designated as an apartment on campus OWNED by the campus, I went in search of a new office space. The office was successfully moved off-campus and bids were won to construct basement floors, curbs and gutters, deck pads, steps and porches, sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, storm drain layout per engineer design plan, and install complete with properly ordered and set erosion prevention plan, proper grade and leveling of a church parking lot. Bids went in on a school athletic track and a park district lakeside refacing package that included benches, recycle and waste bins, and decorative lighting to be subcontracted out. Near the close of a contracted government job the men got into a squabble and disbanded leaving $15 - 20,ooo in a holding account meant to validate their determination to fulfill the contract. Conclusion of the job would set $30,000 aside but they needed to complete the flatwork signed to.

A family squabble for one foreman caused disruption on the job when his work performance slipped to require demolition of work he performed as many as three times... wasted concrete material and manhours. I went out to attempt at resolving the husband and wife problem. I was out of line "interfering." He filed suit against all others for payment out of monies paid for work accomplished except that his damages caused were subtracted from his earned wages. The government agency ruled that he was not due payment for lost material and man hours, and he quit the team to go independent hiring his teen sons as helpers on jobs he contracted. The papers needed to be rewritten on the small business as formed at the college campus office.

Before leaving the area and next in line to work with the originating men and their employees, I set up a company fuel account to be used and allocated to the job for which petrol was purchased under. I originated health insurance coverage and they negotiated life insurance option to be signed on to or not. Vehicles were already covered by Finns Insurance for the appropriate amounts. We had both an on-call accountant for end of year tax accounting and an on-call liability attorney. When I left the group, I had begun a program to align the employees under apprenticeship and journeyman programs for their own futures. I was the only registered disabled veteran in the bunch of men... employees and business owners alike. Disadvantaged Minority Female Disabled-Veteran Owned Business was my goal... and should have been theirs.

KEEPING CONTROL of a small business at any point is worth the arm wrestle if livelihood is to be on the level expected. Treating a personal small business and all involved parties with respect as an individual, not just in relation to their job title. Everyone wants to be treated as a human.