Working From Home, Buying Equipment In Season

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Tips for Working from Home Efficiently

By Scottie Claiborne ©2006   

The Work-In-Your Pajamas Myth

The office world has an idealized picture of working from home... you wake up whenever you feel like it, prop up your fuzzy-slippered feet while you drink your coffee and check emails while having some quality time with your kids.

Those of us who work from home know that's just not quite accurate. Working from home takes tremendous focus and self-discipline to do properly. It's easy to slip into doing the minimums because it feels like you are always at work, but with some organization, you can get more done while enjoying life.

Separate Work and Home

Space:

Many people report that their "office" is the dining room table, where they've moved a computer and the cordless phone. Still others report they work in the guest room, surrounded by laundry that needs to be ironed and old excercise equipment.

Treat your business like a business! Find space to set up your office, preferably a room with a door to screen out noise and distractions. One lady I know took over the walk-in closet in her bedroom! You need space where you can talk on the phone without the dog barking and kids screaming. Children (and spouses, if they aren't working) need to be told to stay out, and that rule needs to be enforced.

Equipment:

Phone. Get a business phone line or a cell phone exclusively for work. That phone should stay in the office and nowhere else. People will call at all hours of the day and night, including holidays. If it's not business hours, (or a customer with equipment out) don't answer it.

Voice mail. Don't mesh your personal greeting and your business greeting. Since you've got the dedicated phone line (see above!), make sure you have a professional and friendly greeting that directs people to your website for off-hours information and lets them know how soon they can expect to hear from you.

Computer. It's worth it to purchase a computer specically for business use. Don't install games, instant messengers, or other distractions on it. Keep it focused on business use and you won't be tempted to while away the hours on a "quick game" of HomeStarRunner or get caught up with a friend when you should be working.

Time:

Work time. Set scheduled hours, get up, get dressed and show up "at the office" (or the warehouse) as you would any other job. We are creatures of habit and setting good habits trains your mind to focus on the day's work.

One of the great things about working from home is the flexibility to stop and take care of things around the house as needed. HOWEVER, these should be exceptions to the rule, not a daily thing. If you find your spouse expects you to be fixing or cleaning throughout the day, it's time to revisit expectations.

Family time. Don't work 24/7! At 5 or 6 PM, leave "the office" and do your home thing. You may no longer be able to take off weekends, but there's nothing stopping you from taking off a Tuesday or Wednesday. Schedule that time and take it! Without a break you will burn out quickly and this business that you thought would give you more time with your family will start to keep you away from them.

Interaction:

Getting out of the house is good for your mental health as well as your business.

Network: Join you local BNI group or your chamber of commerce, or look for other small business networking opportunities, like working women groups.

Go To Lunch: Meet old friends and chat about life. Vent. Brag. They can give you a big picture view of your business and motivate you to get more done or make some changes. And spend some time just talking about family, friends and aquaintences!

Hang out at the AIRCO Forum: Don't let it take over your day, but the forum is a great source of new ideas, feedback, and community. It's a great way to share experiences with your peers!

Make Lists:

It can be easy to forget some of your larger goals in the craziness of day-to-day phone answering and delivering, but keep track of what you want to accomplish this year and follow up with it.

Do you want to go full-time? Hire a crew (or more crews?) Expand your operation to a biger area? High level goals and daily lists are a great way to make those dreams into reality.

Internet Everywhere- Wireless ISP's

By Scottie Claiborne ©2006   

Can you imagine what your business would be like without the Internet? For many companies, the Internet provides their primary source of marketing, houses their catalog or storefront, and is a primary means of communicating with customers. Many companies also used web-based software to process payments online. And don't forget the daily visit(s) to the AIRCO forum! It's like your morning cup of coffee… gotta have it.

So, what could you do if your Internet connection traveled with you wherever you went in your city? Robert Whitsell of Bounce Around Jax just found out… he switched his Internet provider to Clearwire < http://www.clearwire.com/> and bought a laptop. Now he takes the Internet wherever he goes.

"It's awesome," he raved. "Now I can take my laptop with me to the warehouse and in-between cleaning and loading, I can check my delivery schedule, my emails and even look in on the forum. Anywhere I go within cell tower range, I can get the Internet as well! "

Not just a convenience, this is a major breakthrough for anyone who processes payments online or uses online software to manage their delivery schedule. Instead of arranging for card or electronic check payments ahead of time or taking a risk on processing it when you get back to the office, you can now take the information on the spot and key it in- instant approval.

If a partygoer wants to find out if you can work her party next week, no need to tell her to call you later, just look it up! How many times has someone at an event asked you what else you carried? Just pull out your laptop, access your site and walk through the inventory. The days of handing a potential customer a business card and hoping they remember to call you are over- take a reservation and get a payment on the spot!

The best part of the service is that it's costs the same as or less than traditional wired broadband. Robert is paying about $25 a month to be able to access the Internet anywhere in the city. Check out Clearwire < http://www.clearwire.com/> and see if it's available in your area! If not, check the http://www.bbwexchange.com/wisps/ WISP (wireless ISP) directory to see if there is an alternate provider in your area.

Buying New Equipment In-Season

By Scottie Claiborne,©2006

You've just turned down yet another customer for Saturday… you could have rented out 3 additional items. And last week there was one… and next week you've already turned down one. Maybe it's time for new equipment! Break out the credit cards and let's go shopping!

Slow down there, Bucko! Before you race to the computer to look up your favorite manufacturer and place an order, let's think this through!

1) How Many Requests Do You REALLY Have?

Track them! While 2 requests in a single week can seem like a trend, it can also be a fluke. Always track requests for items you don't carry and not the number of times you've turned down a customer due to lack of equipment before jumping in. You may find there are more, or less requests than your impressions lead you to believe.

2) Can You Deliver?

You may have the customers, but do you have the help? Before you even start estimating expenses and revenue, think about your help situation. Can you hire more people to make those deliveries? The added income of delivering more rentals each weekend will be offset by the wages you'll need to pay. If this is your first employee, it also means some added paperwork with the state. Don't let that scare you- if you need employees, the sooner you start building them up, the better. But do be aware this will add another layer of stress and be prepared to deal with it.

3) Can You Get the Goods?

Don't commit to buying anything yet, but do call your favorite manufacturer or distributor and ask them for an honest assessment of how soon you could take delivery on the inflatable of your choice. In-stock specials may not be exactly what you want, but if you can get them quick and rent them now, it may be worth taking an item that the manufacturer has ready to ship now. Think it through though… you don't want to get stuck with an item you don't really need just because you could get it fast.

Even if you just loooove one specific company, do some comparison-shopping. You may find a better deal or a faster ship time on a similar item from another vendor.

If there's a lead time, add at least another week onto whatever the seller quotes you to be safe. Even if they've delivered on time to you in the past. If it comes in early, you can always take last minute bookings on it, but don't promise anything til you have the inflatable in your possession.

4) Is There Enough Time Left?

How long is your season and how many weeks are left? Factor in shipping time, a cushion for shipping delays, and get a realistic estimate of the number of rentals you can get out of the piece before it's put up for the winter. (Warm climate rental businesses may not have this problem!)

What's it worth to you? If you can get 25% of the cost of the inflatable back this year, is it worth it to you? 50%? Do you really think you can pay it off before the season is over? On high-ticket items (or in high rate areas) it may make a lot of sense to get 6 rentals out of an item this year… but if you are in a low-rate area, even 12 rentals might not make sense.

5) What's Your Cash Flow Situation?

You may have money flowing in now, but remember that winter will be lean and off-season inflatable sales can garner you a hefty discount over in-season pricing. Think carefully before investing your cash into another item before the end of the season. If you'll be putting your new item on credit, will it be building up interest all winter while it waits for warmer days? If you've got a no-interest deal, it may be worth it to move now and not wait.

6) Special Considerations

If you are considering a water item like a water slide or slip and slide, be realistic about the demand for that item as fall nears. If demand is really high, you may only need a handful of rentals before the end of the year to make it worth the investment.

If you are thinking about adding a larger piece and you've never dealt with them before, be prepared to practice and possibly add more help. Never, ever set up an item for the first time at an event or a customer's house. That's just asking for trouble! No matter how close you are cutting it with the delivery dates, take the time to set it up and inspect it before taking it to a paid event.

Don't be afraid to order more equipment in-season if you have the demand, you can get it in time, and you have the help to deliver it. Fall is HUGE for most rental businesses and a purchase just might be able to pay itself off before the season is over! Adjust your business plan and be bold- measured risks can and will move your company ahead. Just be sure to think it through before placing your order!

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Moonwalk Rental Directory Updates!

By Scottie Claiborne ©2006

I've been working hard to add some new features to my pet project, the Moonwalk Rental Directory, and it's ready for the unveiling! Here's what's been added:

Tracking Image:

Directory members have asked in the past for a way to track their site's exposure on the directory. I did not want to add tracking variables to your listings because then you lose the value of the link as a backlink, or the link popularity for the search engines. Having a direct link to your site helps increase your rankings in the search engines and is part of the value in having a listing on the directory.

You've always been able to tell how many clicks you are receiving in your own webstats- it's under referring sites or referrals. But what you haven't had is any way to track the exposure. As of June 24, you'll now see that the Moonwalk Rental Directory is requesting an image called track.jpg from your site whenever your listing is displayed. While it's not elegant, it is a way to give you the raw data on how many times your listing is viewed.

So each month you can look and see how many times track.jpg was requested in your webstats and you will know the number of times your listing was viewed.

Equipment Listing:

I've added checkboxes for the most popular items to the listings- all you have to do is check off what you carry. For more details or unusual items, we have an "other" box where you can list as many items as you like (up to 120 characters.)

Delivery Area:

I've also added fields where you can list your free delivery area as well as your additional fee delivery areas. You can add neighborhoods, cities, counties, or whatever makes sense for your area.

Self-Updating:

In order for you to add all this great info, we've also added a feature that allows you to update your own listing whenever you like! Just click [Edit this Listing] underneath your site thumbnail on the directory to be taken to the edit login page. You may need to click the [Send me My Listing #] button to get your password in order to login- it will be sent to the email address you used to register. Once you have that, you can login whenever you like and add, delete, or update your listing.

AIRCO members can now receive an extra $25 discount on their listing! Just input AIRCO MEMBER in the additional info section of the payment page and the discount will be applied before the payment is processed. If you recently renewed your listing and you are an AIRCO member, email listing@moonwalk-rental.com with your state and business name to get credit for another 6 months on your listing. All discount requests will be verified!

Hot Threads at the Forum

Interesting Discussions

Wrap Up

A-IRCO.COM Launches!

After feedback from our members, the Board of Directors took a vote and unanimously decided that AIRCO ought to have a site for consumers so that displaying the AIRCO logo on your site won't lead people to the discussions on the forum.

So, this week we've launched the new A-IRCO.COM site, a site dedicated to informing consumers about safe operation of inflatables as well as giving them party ideas and showcasing hot new inflatables they may want to rent.

We've still got a lot of content to add, but we will be adding to this site on a regular basis and promoting it to the public. By separating the business operations from the consumer information, we believe it will be easier to get our message to the right people.

The A-IRCO.COM site is totally geared to consumers- there are no membership pitches or links to the A-IRCO.ORG site and no industry ads. The goal of the site is to inform consumers and stimulate demand for more inflatable rentals.

AIRCO members will be receiving instructions for updating their logos to link to the .com site instead of the .org, although they may continue to link to the .org site if they choose. The information pages on the .org site for consumers will remain in case any visit the .org site.

AIRCO Member Approval Caught Up!

My apologies to those who've been waiting for their membership approval packets- I've been waiting to finish the A-IRCO.COM site before sending out any more membership packets so that the information in them would be up to date.

If you've applied for AIRCO membership and haven't heard back from us yet, check your email to see if your information has arrived. If not, please email me and I'll follow up with your application. If you've gotten your acceptance information but still aren't listed in the Member Directory, it means we haven't recieved your insurance verification yet. Contact me if you have sent your insurance certificate copy and still aren't listed.

As always, if you've got a great idea for an article, send it to us at scottieclaiborne@a-irco.org. Your ideas are more than welcome.

See you next month, or feel free to join us at the AIRCO moonwalk forum anytime, day or night. We'd love to hear from you!