If it Doesn't Make Dollars, Does it Still Make Sense?

 If it Doesn’t Make Dollars, Does it Still Make Sense?

                  Few really know what goes on behind the scenes. Most relish in the spectacle of the finish product. The baby being born, the game winning shot, the last glance from the bride, as she gracefully leaps into the limo and rides off into the sunset.

              But for every beautiful moment there is a price to be paid. Nothing worth having comes easy! There are 9 months and hours of labor, that bring us the miracle of birth. And there is endless wind-sprints, and countless push-ups, that bring us the thrill of the game winning shot!

    In business, the owner is the one who pays the price. Especially in the foundation stages. Whether it’s financially, physically, or mentally, today’s local business owners are getting down and dirty in the trenches. As crazy as it sounds, most business owners I talk to don’t mind doing the grunt work in their business. Because after all, “it’s their business!” Where things can tend to get complicated, is when the owner is doing all of the grunt work in his or her business, but not seeing any of the financial gains at the end of the rainbow.

 Many of the best business owners I have been around are driven by the numbers. They will say “the numbers tell you everything about a business”. The numbers will let you know whether a business is up or down, going to succeed or going to fail. When it comes to business, the numbers absolutely, positively, never lie!

       Or do they? I recently had the pleasure of embarking upon my companies first community event. The event was a Youth Flag Football Tournament, geared towards raising money for our local school district. This would be the first event that I was going to officially put the “Before You Go Pro” stamp on. So you know it had to be good! Everyone knows, initial impressions are everything. And dammit, I wanted to let the fireworks fly! Not to mention, this is for the school district right?

    So to the grindstone I went. Working day and night, to ensure the success of my companies first event. I can honestly say that my heart was intently focused on the kids, the families, and the school district, everyday that I worked my way closer to game day. However, throughout the process I couldn’t help but think about the bottom line. I couldn’t stop thinking about the numbers! I constantly wondered would I lose money? Or gain a profit? I knew the numbers would tell me whether or not my 1st business venture was a success, or a failure. I knew the numbers would be visible for everybody to see. I was terrified of the numbers!

     You see, the reason why business owners always get so hung up on the numbers, is for the simple fact that the numbers = $$$$$

    If the numbers aren’t right. Then your money isn’t right. And if your money isn’t right for too long, you can say goodbye to your business. To make a long story short. The numbers for my tournament were low. Definitely lower than I had anticipated. Actually the number of kids participating in the flag football tournament was decent. But the number of supporters in the stands was terrible. My business definitely took a financial punch in the gut, and we are still stumbling to our feet!

    However, I did learn a valuable lesson this past weekend. One of those little pearls of wisdom that you receive after going through the fire sometimes. I learned that it’s not always about the numbers. It’s about progress. Sometimes financially, we have to take steps backwards to move things forward. Whether it’s a parent going into a little debt, to help their child get through law school. Or a fabulous teacher, taking a meager wage to strengthen kids in her community. I’ve discovered the bottom line isn’t always “The Be All, End All”. People are. Kids are. Families are.

While my business is currently financially weak, I rest assured that my Youth Flag Football Tournament made perfect sense. Even though the bottom line didn’t!  So Before You Go Pro, will move forward with the picture of the two young boys above in mind. While the bottom line is always a priority. Taking care of our athletes first, is what will always make SENSE! 

I would like to give a special thanks  to everyone who helped out with the tournament, and also everyone who was in attendance. Can’t wait till next year.

-See you at the top!

-Before You Go Pro