Again, about the business - lean years

I already wrote that I did not go nowhere from nowhere. The idea to make money on the printing industry was born not immediately preceded by a desire to make something of their own and together with his brother selling a small flat - Dormitory.

At that time in the company where I worked, there was only a printing unit. His aunt was engaged in the matter. It just so happened that the breakdown due to its nature, he quickly established his place in the company - listened to her boss for printing as I listened to on site building. This is us in a sense, united. One day we went to a client in a nearby town, and the way my aunt poisoned his stories about the fate of the battle, as it used to take the paper on military aircraft on the Kamchatka Peninsula and the bass scored his old car, driving orders from Poland in Kaliningrad. That's between the stories about her life and was born sentence uttered in the air. ' Oh, if only there were 20 pieces of bucks to buy a digital machine, you could get rich. ' This technique then I took over, and often use it in working with start-ups. But then he was new to me, and forced to think. And then there was the decision to invest.

His legal entity, I had (for my order to the database), we rented office in an office in the hen house 600 rooms on six floors, and later by selling its Internet - provider business, moved into place and our former boss. The phone number I pressed the trump, using the fact that the secretary -manager of the lessor friend worked - many suspected then that I bought the same number.

Neither I nor my partner in business does not quit. We just started looking for excuses not to come to work for various reasons. With our positions, and I was head of year, it is - Head of Sales and general atmosphere raspizdyaystva it was easy. But in fact we have been working full time in the company of only one manager, which dragged my partner. Engaged in design, the first months of alternating all. At a quick profit no one expected, but hoped.

The first order was an order for mediation print color flyers from my future partner. But then I did not know it yet. But he has specialized in outdoor stands, and custom printing delivered to my partner, as well as money for it. We passed the order down the chain in Poland. However, half ruined, and a Polish edition had to print additional part of the local digital printing. Then I first learned of the financial chess. Money for that first job, I never saw my aunt spent their unknown destination and what he said to me that with the Pole ( Pole it! ), It will understand itself. Then our debts before a Pole were almost always at least a thousand bucks. A maximum of 200 thousand of debt. rubles to the contractors, I reached the very few later.

In fact, even then I began to realize that business is business, and to control the partner and not to allow it to finance even very necessary. So I began to insist on the conduct of the white business constantly increasing non-cash component and reducing the work with in cash. At some point, by entering the Steel up 95% of all revenues. But it was much later.

Before our break with a partner, we were never in the black. T. e. Firm slowly and smoothly absorbed my apartment all the money and the current revenue. My partner has not invested a dime, putting only their knowledge and experience, however, is constantly making comments that are unique to the carrier. So I lived on my salary, which is to the base of the company consisted of three formal papers, gave me a total 12tys. rub. This, of course, was not fabulous wealth, but it was quite tolerable money, we rented an apartment and ate. So I now gaze with a smile on those who said that the combined business to work hard or impossible to. Even as possible, you just set up the logistics and management of own time.

However, if I worked hard whether it is healthy. I rarely show up at home before 22 o'clock, and out of the house sometimes had to leave at 5 am to send a bus in Poland, or, as the smugglers ' to charge the driver '. Yes, offset, we drove from Poland. It was crappy, but my partner insisted that in order to work with its contractor. I silently agreed. I'm not so much understood then in printing, so kept quiet and learned.

I slowly learned to 'see' printing, offset printing highlighting, debris, shoals. Gradually, I lost any illusions about how the press and postpechati. A lot of work in the printing is performed using a hammer and chisel. For example, krasivuschie foil business cards made ​​with an inkjet printer (the first run - the picture ), an ordinary laser printer or copier ( toner overlay ) and the laminator ( foil weld ). Then wiped with a cloth sheet and you have a masterpiece. Or packing strips on the calendar. People think that their special stuffed press, but in fact much easier to fill the machine for cutting paper - they have a wide strap, so the calendar and enclose the bar, and a slap strap will never fly off and will not warp. Or debris on the print. Almost all of the printing machines in our old, so the dust collectors do not work or work poorly, and the paper dusty - be healthy. So, on the edge of the machine is always wet sponge which wipes polygraphist printing rollers. Or do not rub.

So six months later there was nothing that I did not know about printing. And our company has grown in the meantime to two offices, sales to nearly twenty, head of sales. We have a fenced in minitipografiya own corner of one of the shops. When it worked two designers, and my partner as a technical specialist printers. Since we got the machine to lease, it was less time on operational work and finding clients and more time spent at the bench. When minitipografii was cash, so if it was necessary, feel free to put it in her hand. So I started a habit to confiscate the proceeds several times a day. My side income by that time fallen - by the time I left the studio and the Web has lost 230 bucks a fabulous salary.

And the company was rolling down an inclined. Revenues did not cover costs, so we have to hold salaries and benefits of leasing a machine. And by August -September (and we started in February ), the situation became critical. By my calculations, our debt has exceeded 200 thousand. rubles. So one day I went to the window of our office on the fourth floor and thought that everything was far easier, step down, I. But I have not stepped. I sold the machine. Even without the machine, and a contract on him. triple deal. My former boss bought the contract, offsetting debt to leasing. After some time the supplier gave me my deposit. This money was enough to pay off the debts on wages. People fled, my partner left me with the machine - she wanted to publish, not to do business. All I have left - is a manager, the one with which all began. The city was rumored that I was fucked up. Not me, but my business, but for me it was the same.

Nevertheless, I sat down with my manager, and we decided that the two of us, we somehow feed our. So she sat on the phone. And I went to the suppliers. Again, go orders, but a month later we smiled real success. We received a contract for election. In the glorious city of Svetlogorsk was a great battle for the mayoral seat and just rolls over the budgets of campaigns. It was the most stupid order - Changes could go for 10 hours before delivery of the order, and we have ruled, an arrangement with the printers to keep the doors to the last, on the night shifts. The main thing is that the customer paid. And pay very well. As a result, we have bailed out somewhere around a hundred thousand rubles of net profit, which allowed us to pay their last respects and to get a break on the understanding of the situation.

Our company at that time amounted to three people: we have a staff of designers, who kicked my partner out of ignorance and minitipografii kitsch. And I took back. As a result, an ethnic Armenian, Uzbek origin, which makes every Russian word three errors for a long time to register in my company. I stick legs and forced him to learn web design and flash. Now it is one of the most popular adult- designers in Russia. We parted ways when I began to move to remote workers, trying to reduce staff.

One of the key moments of my new strategy was that I decided to do not only print, but everything: Souvenirs, and outdoor advertising, and web design. I went to suppliers and contractors. Gradually, I spoke with all the offices in the city, which was worth doing. We have accumulated a sea of rubbish to show customers. I have found, or rather I have found suppliers offset from Lithuania. So gradually we began to dictate terms to customers and clients.

The main result was that I got out of the debt hole and we had a small but steady revenue and profit, even. The company at the time earned from 90 to 180tys. per month, stars from the sky was not enough, but it became quite noticeable in the discharge of small advertising intermediaries. We began to learn. We have to lend at my word of honor. In response, we do own printing orders faster and often cheaper than their own, twisting his hands discounts. The apotheosis was the year I earned more than their calendars contractors - with the ordinary profit of 15%, I raised up to 40% of the cost of collecting teams of orders. I learned how to sell, do not be timid in the presence of customers. I wanted more. And this was the beginning of the second turning point in the business, which ended my parting with the printing and advertising in particular,. In short, I'm just tired of the rat race for quality and customer. I'm tired of stocks and marriage. So I went to the automation of production and rent. But that's another story. I'll tell it some other time.

Now why the hungry years. When I started the business - my income was 12 thousand. / month. Pursuing a business, I lived according to the method - do not let yourself die of hunger. I was the main producing unit at the company, but my income rarely exceeded 18tys. T. e. I took out of business just enough to pay the rent and did not die of hunger. It was not dedication, I just decided that I should live, to live the firm. But there was no luxury holidays, there were no large purchases - the first child to bed, I made ​​myself, the carriage went on barter, the TV was inherited from the division of property with his brother. I have long time did not even have a computer at home. We do not show off. To save, buy bags of potatoes at once, and then stopped practicing and it's getting rid of all lunch.

For comparison, my brother had already received around 30,000 working normal declarant. When my personal income has risen to 30, it rose to 50. When I got to that figure, he went to 80 and bought a brand new Toyota in the credit for seven years. And then pizdanul crisis. However, this is a different story.

In the life of any businessman can not be only the ups. Even Buffett is sometimes mistaken. The important thing is whether you can use the lessons that life gives you, then use to climb even higher. It seems to me that I was able to. I continue to be wrong, but every day I make the new rates. And quietly growing. Each of my new up, padded over the last month, includes new lines. The balance increases. And thank God. And what you want.

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