Motivation

I have been looking for solutions to keep us afloat. I should say, we aren't drowning. But this piece of driftwood in the middle of the ocean is starting to get damn uncomfortable.

Mr. Partner has some family issues going on right now and I don't want to bug him with pesky little things like the status of our company. So, he isn't included in the latest. He will be soon. He likes his financial statements.

Our money issues really stem back to this summer. A lot of our financial issues are related to carrying so many homes and, well, lawyer fees. Everyone is getting paid. Just slowly. Fortunately, nobody is jumping up and down screaming. They are patiently waiting. But I wouldn't dare call the plumber right now, knowing I owe him for a hot water heater.

One of the things I have really liked about what we do is that--until the past few months--we are a cash-based business. That is, the only credit we have is mortgages. If we buy something at Home Depot, it is paid off at the end of the month. Carrying a balance for a hard-working plumber (and probably the only plumber in Birmingham I can stand) really bugs me. He is a small business too.

I have seen our company at its worst. We aren't there right now. We are in the disaster recovery phase. And, though I hate writing this, any new major disaster will probably cause a bigger mess than this summer. I am banking on everything going right more or less.

Last summer we sold a home and with the profits, we had the money to cover a minor disaster or two. Now we just have experience. I haven't been offered a financial bailout. That's ok. I am motivated by the fact I just don't want to fail.