Page 12 — THE CONWAY DAILY SUN, Wednesday, March 7, 2012
THE ENTREPRENOLOGIST
When saving money just isn’t worth it BY MICHAEL KLINE
In my last column, we discussed getting anything you really want by being willing to pay the price. Of course I was talking philosophically about being willing to pay the personal and emotional price of doing what it takes to get what you want. Today we’re talking about spending real money. Why and when is it better to spend more rather than less? I don’t believe the expression “you get what you pay for," frankly because so often you get far less than you pay for. Further, most of us have had experiences when we paid top dollar only to be disappointed. In our next few articles, I’ll be discussing various categories where saving money is only sometimes a good thing. This week, let’s tackle the category of “cheaper to do it yourself." As an avid doit-yourselfer, I know this is sometimes really stupid. Michael Kline "This life's hard, man, but it's harder if you're stupid!" This quote is often attributed to John Wayne, but my research says it’s actually from the Steven Keats playing Jackie Brown in the movie "The Friends of Eddie Coyle." Regardless, never have truer words been spoken. Certainly, when I act stupid, my life gets harder. Success comes easier when you do things you know how to do (or can learn how to do). I’m stupid when it comes to certain projects, so I hire people smarter than me to do them. In other areas, where I’m smart enough, I do those things myself when I have time. Life is hard enough. Know when you’re too stupid to get involved in something and get help with those things. Remember, confidence should not get confused with ego. If you have experienced that you are able to learn similar skills, then, by all means, have the confidence to jump in and learn new things. If you know deep in your gut that your ego gets you in trouble beyond your skills, you must let it go. Take comfort in the fact that you’re smart enough to know when to hire someone smarter than you. What do you need to be able to do yourself? You need to be able to think about and analyze your business like an entrepreneur. No matter the expertise you have in your particular industry or trade, you need to understand the business that does that work, not just the work it does. You need financial expertise including an understanding of industry benchmarks; you need hiring and supervisory skills; negotiating skills to deal with landlords, suppliers and employees – the list goes on. With very few exceptions, such as medical and legal professions, this is not something you can “sub out." I agree with a widely held sentiment that this is the root cause of most small business failures. The next thing you must master yourself is the difference between doing work and creating systems that do the work. The only way to leverage yourself is to create systems that replicates the work you do. For most other issues, you can decide which to see KLINE page 15
Representatives of the Gibson Center for Senior Services Inc. of North Conway are to appear before the Conway Planning Board for full site-plan revew March 8 for a proposed expansion. The plan includes demolishing the Carriage House and moving its contents to the adjacent residential structure (above) next door. That structure will be renovated for the thrift shop now located in the Carriage House and will also be used for office space. The Sprague dining room is also to be expanded. Parking will be located on the site of the Carriage House. (TOM EASTMAN PHOTO)
Gibson Center plans expansion Senior center to appear before planning board for site-plan review March 8 BY TOM EASTMAN THE CONWAY DAILY SUN
CONWAY — Representatives of the Gibson Center for Senior Services Inc. are scheduled to appear before the planning board March 8 to present plans for a major expansion. The plan involves: * Constructing an addition to connect the existing adjacent Kenison house at 26 Grove Street to the existing garage there; and converting 1,748 square feet of space in those two residential buildings to retail. * Demolishing the existing Gibson Center's Carriage House building, and replacing it with parking. * Constructing associated infrastructure at 14 and 26 Grove Street.
According to plans on file at Conway Town Hall, permitting and design for the project is being done by Bergeron Technical Services of North Conway. Architect for the project is SISR Architecture LLC of Madison. Drainage design and engineering is being done by Civil Solutions LLC of Bartlett. Hired as surveyors was Ammonoosuc Survey Co. of Intervale. Town planning director Tom Irving said a few minor waivers for parking and setbacks are expected as part of the project. “It seems pretty straightforward,” said Irving Tuesday. George Cleveland, executive director of the non-profit senior center, and Shawn Bergeron, of Bergeron Technical Services, said Tuesday that see GIBSON page 13
Lorna Colquhoun joins Division of Economic Development CONCORD — The New Hampshire Division of Economic development has announced the hiring of Lorna Colquhoun of Franconia as the communications and legislative director. “We are excited to have a high performance player like Lorna joining our team,” said Christopher S. Way, interim director. “She is well known in her field, and her experience will allow us to expand our outreach activities to the public regarding business assistance.” Colquhoun spent 20 years as a freelance correspondent for the New Hampshire Union Leader,
beginning in the Monadnock region before moving to the North Country, and at several other newspapers, including the Granite State News in Wolfeboro, the Coos County Democrat in Lancaster and The Telegraph of Nashua. Her work has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and other national and regional publications and most recently was the editor of New Hampshire: First in the Nation, highlighting businesses and photographs of the Granite State. "I've had the good fortune for see COLQUHOUN page 16
Lorna Colquhoun