Overhead Overboard

Alan Weiss's The Uncomfortable Truth®

Here’s how I saved the entire $450,000 tuition bill for my kids by not having an office. I’ve never needed nor desired employees for my strong, seven-figure business. I want help that’s “in and out” very quickly, no long-term obligations. I use very good outside firms because I believe in investing money to save money. My worth isn’t based on “virtual assistants” whom I find virtually worthless. Observe the “total days to cash” dynamic, and improve your cash flow by collecting early, not late, on your terms, not the client’s terms. Remember, it’s not what you make, it’s what you keep. You can do this without sacrificing well-being: first class air, hotel suites, and limos. That’s because you charge clients basic and reasonable expense rates but can afford to upgrade yourself. But you have to eschew fanaticism. You don’t need version 4.1ab.7-a of anything. I learned the nonsense of ridiculous backups in pre-computer Prudential Insurance. Never “automatically upgrade.” Do I drive the last of the blazing fast, manual shift Corvettes, or do I drive a seven-year-old Chevy? It depends upon how you perceive it. Make your corporate bylaws as favorable as possible in order to use pre-tax and not post-tax money. Maximize every retirement plan available to you, and “catch-up” if you miss a year. Minimize meetings to increase your margins, and learn how I saved a month a year by simply refusing “small talk.” Oh, yeah: Web sites are not sales tools, so stop investing anything beyond basic credibility needs in them. Success, not perfection, my friends.