audit / fire

A couple things worth mentioning from last week. Thursday Gilford's had an audit from our workers compensation provider Liberty Northwest. Hadn't had an audit in a few years so there's always a little trepidation in the anticipation. Overall it went well. They basically want to see if we're claiming everything the correct way. Are our subcontractors licensed and bonded? Did I split every hour of a particular type of work our own employees did into its particular category correctly? For as long as I can remember I've been looking at the laminate (Pergo-type) flooring as a variation of hardwood flooring, but they let it be known that I've been wrong all these years and showed me the description of the category. It clearly states that they look at laminate like any other vinyl or carpet job. It's still incredible to me and makes me wonder why the last auditor never alerted me to it. I've been underpaying a full percentage point of the wages earned. For the year they were focusing on that translates to about $150. Not a huge deal. But it is forcing another audit next year...

One of our customers is a fireman with a background in the advisory side of the profession. He coordinated a carpet job with us in a few weeks and while he stood at the counter and looked around the office spoke what we all know to be true but never really focus on. If the building went up in flames tomorrow, we'd be in a world of hurt. No sprinklers, no alarm monitoring, valuable records lost. On the first point, we'd never put the money into retrofitting this old building with fire sprinklers. I suppose we're on the fence about monitoring. If the building started burning there'd be no stopping it anyway. As far as the records, that started bothering me. There are fireproof file cabinets that we can purchase to keep our payables and receivables safe for at least an hour as firefighters extinguish the blaze. A four-drawer file cabinet holds two-years worth of records. They say you should keep records for seven years. We'd need four cabinets starting at $1500 to $2000 each. As I thought about that scenario another idea entered my head about scanning everything as a backup and taking the laptop or whatever home every night. A new computer and scanner would need to be purchased. I'd also have to find a way to incorporate scanning into every bit of filing we do. Not to mention dealing with previous years if we could find the time. The attractive thing about that option would be the instant access we'd have to files in a digital form. Or we can just live like we have been with the possibility of a disaster pushed way back in our minds.

The Thaw

After a couple dicey days of slick roads and screwed-up schedules a day of slush has arrived. Two jobs we had down for Tuesday and Wednesday were on the steepest hills in the area. The homeowners said forget it at the time but I'm now left trying to find them new space on the calendar. Joy stayed home both days and quilted. I think she's actually looking forward to coming back to work.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

--click the image to fill your screen--

Tax Glitches

The weather has yet to shut the area down totally, but it has caused some delays this week. Shop traffic has been off. I told Joy we should have winter hours 'til 5pm instead of 6pm. I sent her home early. Instead of worrying about the lack of business, I'm reveling in it. Some businessman I am. I've actually had some estimates to figure and some tax stuff to catch up on. Had a nice scare with the IRS yesterday and today when they said the State failed to show them that I'd paid any unemployment insurance taxes for the entire tax year of 2003. They said to get the state to "recertify" the year or else they'd ding us for close to $2500 plus interest and fines. That woke me up at 2am this morning wondering how that conversation with the State was going to go. When I got a moment around 11am I called and got a live person and reported what this IRS letter was claiming. The gal almost completed my sentence for me because the State had been flooded with calls like mine. She brought me up on her computer and said we had definitely paid all our taxes and said there was a glitch in communication between the State and the IRS (obviously). So all is well and the doubt I felt about doing something really stupid passed.

Decompressing

Had a really quiet Sunday. Watched some TV I Tivoed, started reading a book. Joy finished a quilt (I'll try to get a picture later). I have some trouble with free time. 52-hour work weeks have a way of occupying any sort of life I have. When the free day comes it's hard to come down. I can always think of some unresolved work-related thing I could go in and do on a day off. I know the healthy thing is to get away from the business, but my mind doesn't get away. Trying to come up with a solution to this problem has not been easy. "Just get away," is a little too simple when the store is busy. It's not always busy but the moment I think I'll have an hour, all hell breaks loose. And if I do walk around the block that tether to the shop announces itself. The cellphone call is a question about a current job, word that a delivery truck has arrived or the shop just got full. Seems like the obvious solution is having an extra person on the inside. The fact that I'd be forced to manage another soul seems more horrifying than the current situation. I can't see myself handing over the behind-the-scenes bookwork details to a total stranger anytime soon so I can go have some time alone. Besides material costs, employees are the most costly thing in business. Doing it all and staying small has been profitable. We'd miss the income we're used to. Not to get too New Age, but I think the change has to come in my head. Attitude adjustment or continued acceptance of a not-so-perfect situation, however you want to phrase it. I can't see any solutions. Others would love to have my problem. Or would they?

Morning

I'm an early to bed, early to rise person. I'm up by 4 to 4:30 without an alarm clock most mornings. I'm in bed and sleeping before 9pm even on weekends. It's nice because I get a couple of hours before work to figure estimates or jump online to read the news or email, have a couple cups of coffee and give the cat its requisite time on my lap in the morning. This morning I jumped on the treadmill for 45 minutes for a little speed walking, just over two miles. It felt really good. I hadn't done it in a while. How many times have you heard or read that physical activity improves mood? I've always known it to be true but we don't always do what's best for us. So use the new year as an excuse. I'm going to see if I can fit 45 minutes into my early morning schedule for this mainly as an experiment. See how I'm feeling after 30 days. Besides, it's drier than walking in the 35 degree rain.

Resolutions

To get back into blogging.
To savor the quiet times.
To look out the window more often.
To regain some humor.
To try to not be so serious all the time.
To read a whole book this year.
To keep hovering below 200 pounds.
To see some friends.
To let down some defenses.
To tell Joy I love her more often.