I didn’t leave my office till a couple of minutes past six. I knew that it was Sunday. And yes, I have lots of windows. I could see that it was beautiful outside. But being a health insurance agent is a full-time job. Work in a Chinese restaurant full-time. So I put in over four hours yesterday afternoon.
This is not a complaint and I am not a martyr. I played golf Sunday morning with Big Muddy and I found time for a walk before dinner with Sally. Being self-employed or owning a small business requires a lot of self-discipline. You must be willing to work until the job is completely done.
Most of yesterday’s office time was devoted to renewals. Thirteen clients have policies renewing August 1, 2014. In each instance I had to shop for new, 2014 policies that included the new required benefits and the new, often much higher prices. I then compared the old policies against the new ones, decided what would be their best option, and then either prepared a handwritten note or sent an email.
Only one of the clients would save money by switching to the new policies. A couple of young women could pay about 50% more for a new policy if they want maternity. The rest should do nothing.
The hours I spent to determine that almost all of these people should do nothing were not wasted. How would I have known if I hadn’t run the numbers? How would the clients know if I didn’t prepare the reports?
Prep work is the real work. Prep work is why a restaurant can serve you a dinner in minutes when it would take you hours to make it at home. Prep work is why your physician is ready to examine you the moment he/she walks into the room. The hours our teachers devote to lesson plans, grading, and evaluation long after our children have left for home may be the most important example of prep work.
So yes, you can find me at my office most Sundays. The dress code is casual. The music – loud.