Are We Really Good Business Partners?

I've always found that work helps me forget my worries, so I decided to focus on something that I've neglected for a while, my "working with your partner" series.

Last time I posted on this topic we discussed how to judge if going into business with your spouse is a good idea. We focused on a series of questions/potential-conflict areas that would help us judge the suitability of such a decision. I had promised to give my answers to those questions and that's exactly what I'm going to do here.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the list when I decided to embark on this journey with the techie, so my answers may be (a lot) less than perfect. Anyway, I'm taking the plunge now:

1. Is this what you really want and is it right for you?: The first part of this question is pretty easy. The techie and I have discussed this since the day we got engaged. The desire to go into business together was the one thing we had  in common (probably the only one, till today). With respect to the second part of the question, it seems right most of the time because both of us are excited to face new challenges everyday and we can play devil's advocate without getting personal (well most of the time). 
2. Why are you starting a business?: We both seem to have the appetite to take on risks and we have a shared dream to help the less fortunate through our social business. 
3. Who's vision is it?: I'm not ashamed to admit that the vision here is the techie's. I'm more of the getting things done kind of person. However, the vision grew from our desire to start a social business and all the research we put in to determine where there was a market gap.
4. Are your expectations of work life-balance the same?: We are aware that this is going to be a big part of our lives for the next decade, at a minimum, and have tried to plan our personal life accordingly. In terms of priorities we see eye to eye about 80% of the time, which I think is healthy and partly because we are sharing our life on all fronts.
5. Map out areas of management and responsibility: Based on our core strengths, experience and qualifications, we have divided up the work-load as - the techie covers marketing, projects (expansion) and IT, while I focus on operations and finance.
6. Can your relationship handle this arrangement?: This is undoubtedly the toughest question of the lot (we seems to have started with the easiest). Initially, I didn't give this much though since we seemed to be compatible on the big stuff, however, it's not all plain sailing. There are days when I really appreciate the fact that we can complement each other both at home and at work, while on other days divorce seems inevitable (luckily these are few and far apart). 

So those were my two cents on what it takes to work with your spouse. Though I think it's useful to ponder all the above points, you also need to trust your instincts. Do you think we are really good business partners or just good partners? Let me know if there's anything I missed out or  if you need help formulating your answers.

Star for an Hour

Today was another first for our company and me. The first time we were on air. Yes, we were interviewed on a radio show! (The techie has already been interviewed innumerable number of times on t.v. He has even been on the news. However, we'll forget all that for now and bask in our two minutes of attention.)

We had loads of fun, and I actually forgot all about being a mommy, wife and all those other things. The doctor, who was with me, was also a mother of two struggling to maintain some sort of balance in her chaotic life. We both left the home front to our husbands and raced out the door to have a fun morning with an early-twenty-something RJ, who showered us with compliments. We even had a mini photo shoot at the end (thank God, I wore my new Zara formal shirt and black diesel jeans) and got a lovely goodie bag. I did learn that I had to pick-up a little more on the local language though.

My mom heard the whole show (you can always count on them to be your biggest supporter and critic), while my daughter and husband listened in right through the pre-school routine. My angel was delighted to hear her mommy on the music box (I like to think a little more than see her daddy on t.v).

The show was a breakfast one and after each segment they play a popular tune. Half an hour into the show, they played a current favorite of my daughter's. When they finished the song and switched back to the interview, apparently my little angel is reported to have said "Daddy can you call mummy and ask her to talk later, I really want to just listen to the music"! So much for my soothing voice being the center of her existence.

Obviously, the CFO part of me came back to the office to find a bunch of tax returns on my desk. So, I bid a sad adieu to my two minutes of fame and got back to number crunching.

Should I Work with My Husband

The basis for today's post is an article I read in an entrepreneurial magazine titled "Should You Go Into Business with Your Spouse?" If you look at my previous entry on what working with my husband is like you'll see how this article hit the right note with me. The writer had quite a few relevant, noteworthy points. I decided to put my own spin on these points and share them with people who are thinking about partnering outside the house.

So try and answer these before you take the leap:

• Is this what you really want and is it right for you?: I think this is the most important question to answer, since a lot of people do things for different reasons even when their instinct is not to go ahead with something. A strong factor to consider is the nature of your relationship, is it a case of opposites attract, peas in a pod or something entirely different. This analysis will let you know what to expect in a working relationship.
• Why are you starting a business?: The reason you are getting into a business may change as you and the business grow over time. However, when starting you need to know if this is something you want to incorporate into your life for the foreseeable future or if you want to build a brand and sell it in the long run. 
• Who's vision is it?: Both partners need to be on the same page when it comes to how and in which direction you want your business to head. Have you both agreed on the nature of the business and the method of operation? Do you share a common vision for your future business? If this isn't out of the way right at the beginning (at least on an outline basis) it could cause a bit of strife.
• Are your expectations of work-life balance the same?: This is a potentially explosive area. It starts right from your concept of work ethics (can we check personal mail during working hours, can we work flexible hours) to who handles what responsibilities on the home front and how will you manage personal emergencies.
• Map out areas of management and responsibility: This point may seem simple, since it's self-explanatory. However, when you have people joining your business as employees they will need clarity on the reporting hierarchy.
• Can your relationship handle this arrangement?: The crucial question, obviously. Look at it this way, a lot of people have a baby to try and strengthen a relationship that may not be working. A new business s the same. Have a frank discussion on whether your relationship balance and status will withstand being combined with a working relationship.

Let me know what you make of this exercise. Was it useful? Do you have anything to add?

Next up:

• Part 3 - My personal answers to these questions
• Part 4 - Guidelines on establishing a working relationship with your spouse

 If you find this series too boring, let me know and I'll add an alert at the beginning of such posts.

Going into Business with the Techie

We are finally done with the public launch of our company and I can get back to squeezing in some blogging time. I've just realized how hard it is to write again when you have been on a break. The ideas are there, however, the flow is not smooth. Any tips there? So here's my attempt at putting my thoughts down on paper (virtually).

When people realize that the techie and I run a business together, the first thing they ask is "What's it like to work with your husband? Don't you get tired of each other?" I used to wonder about the same thing when I heard of such situations, before we started our little venture, and now I finally have an answer.

I hate it, however I wouldn't trade it for the world. Confused, well so am I, so you can keep me company.

The techie handles marketing and projects, while I run operations and finance. Point is we are always fighting over our different areas of operation and can't help discussing work to the exclusion of all else, except our daughter. This means we have absolutely no personal time. Secondly, at least in the near future, we cannot take a holiday together. Due to the size, nature and newness (pardon the word) of our operations, one of us has to be on hand at all time. This means we take separate breaks, if we do get to take a break. Plus, we have to be completely reachable and ready to take decisions (with all relevant updates and information) even when on holiday.

The benefits are that we though work long and unusual hours, we can support each other in all aspects including child-care (though the onus for domestic arrangements falls on me and business arrangements fall on him).

At the end of the day, I don't know if I can ever go back to a regular job, were we see each other only at the end and beginning of the day, even if we get to take family vacations.

Example, last week the techie went on a break with the boys for two days. I had loads of work since I had to cover for him as well. However, I was bored out of my mind since I couldn't pick-up the inter-office phone and pick a fight with him!

Don't try to understand me, I'm too complicated even for me. All I can say is, it's literally a 'partnership' in every sense of the word for us.

P.S. - Have just decided that this will be the first in a mini-series of posts on working with your spouse. Who knows what enlightenment I may get from the introspection and my fellow bloggers.

New Experience - Press Meet

Just wanted to share this with all of you. 

We had our first big press meet today. It was scary and exhilarating. Scary, since we have officially announced our name and  plans to the world and now have to deliver big time. Exhilarating, since all the work of the last one year is starting to taking shape. 

I will post more on this later. This entry was a quickie, just to share my 'high' with all you wonderfully supportive people. 

Stay tuned and keep rooting for us. I will definitely return the favour. 

Law and Order

I finally had an epiphany on why I haven't been able to blog regularly for the last month (excluding the vacation). It's because I don't manage my time well! Fine, I know it's not a a groundbreaking discovery, however, it does put me on the right path to getting rid of a lot of my stress.

What basically happens with me is - I start the day of fine, noting done all my tasks in order of urgency and importance. I even start working on the list with full concentration (I love striking of tasks from my list, so satisfying) and the best of intentions. Where I flounder is when an employee or family member interrupts and asks for my attention. I am totally unable to tell people to come back later. I have to resolve everybody's problems for them and before know it the day is over and I have over 70% of my incomplete list (to which loads of other stuff has been added during the day) staring back at me. In addition to this, I tend to get so involved when I have a writing task that I lose all track of time.

So basically at the end of the day, I rush home, feed my baby, play with her and put her to bed. The time I spend with her I'm totally focused on her, however if she takes time to doze off I get impatient because I still have to tackle my list and get it all done before the next day dawns.

See this is where I go wrong. I should be pressurizing adults to keep to a schedule, not a two year old who just wants some extra cuddle time with her mummy! So, I decided to bring in a clear time management technique to handle my day. Let me tell you there are so many techniques out there that you need to make a schedule just to go through all that information. I finally settled on two major tools that seemed simple and efficient.

The first one was pretty obvious, set out fixed time slots for:

• Internal meetings
• Interviews  
• Meeting with visitors

Obviously, family members will be highly offended if I set out a time for them to get in touch with me. So had to accept those pleasant distractions as they were.

The second tool I stumbled across purely by chance and almost dismissed. It was managing your time in minutes! Come on I work 12-14 hours a day, that's an average of 780 minutes. I was pretty skeptic about this, until I read that the world's best lawyers, who bill their clients by the hour use this technique to track and manage their time. I was sold, come on, if it's good for top-notch lawyers, it's good enough for me.

This is how the concept basically works. You split your hour in batches of 7to 10 minutes and then assign parts of a schedule task for each slot. Over the course of the day you finish all your tasks. Apparently this method keeps your mind fresh and alert since you spend limited time focusing on each task at any point of time. Obviously, if you have pressing deadline you need to tweak the system a bit.

Anyway, I've listed out my major tasks for today and am all set. Obviously, the first ten minutes are up, since I use them to write this entry. Wish me luck and I'll let you know how things work out. Who knows maybe I'll  use this to manage my mommy/wife time as well!

Working Mummy Learns: Deal On

Since I'm being buffeted and torn apart by the winds that frequent the corridors of power (will go into that in another post), I decided to make the most of it by sharing a few tips on running a business. I don't claim to be an expert or a master of past experience, what I have to offer are just little bits and bobs that just might help someone in a similar situation. So, for all of you out there who are running their own business or planning to do so, this is one of the first lessons I learnt.

There are a number ways to get benefits from suppliers other than direct discounts.

I learnt this lesson after spending an average of 50 hours a week talking to equipment manufacturers and retailers who deal in medical supplies. Initially, I was focused on getting the best deal through a direct reduction of the quoted price. Most suppliers figure this into the equation when they give you the first quote, so to an extent I was able to get what I wanted. However, the final pricing didn't really give me a cost advantage over my competitors. That's when I sat down with my techie and asked him how he handled such situations.  Suffice to say we had a long discussion over dinner and my daughter's bath time and this is what I came away with:

• Focus on optimizing your overall cost rather than getting a flat-out discount. An ideal example would be a upgrade in the product chosen at the cost of the original product. - If you are going in for a desktop computer you could ask for a newer version of the Windows operating system at the original price quoted. - Obviously, you need to see value in the offer and not just go for the first thing you can get.   

• Workout a long term package, focusing on services, instead of a one time benefit on your actual purchase. - When getting your phone system set up, ask for a year's free warranty (over and above what comes with the package) and AMC services at a discounted rate.   

• Try to get complimentary products / services free or at a concessional rate, in the place of a price reduction on the main product - Speak to your interior decorator about getting your blinds and carpets for free when she gets your whole interior contract.

In order to ensure that you don't get taken for a ride when you work on these offers, always do your homework. Some points your research could cover are:

• Quotes from at least three suppliers who deal in the same product. The brand can be different, if you can't get dealers who sell the same brand. Ensure that you get the initial price and a price after a couple of rounds of negotiation (just talking on the phone can get you some great deals).

• Speak to a few existing customers and get details on the deals they got.

• Research prices on different qualities, models and accessories for the product. This will help you ask for those upgrades and complimentary products.

Actually, after writing this post I realized that we mummies can use these tips with the little angels. For example "Sweetheart, instead of going to bed after 5 minutes, why don't we snuggle up and read an extra story." So you basically have them where you want them and it's easier to get them to sleep after the last story, instead of starting the get into bed process all over again after 5 minutes. At least I hope things work that way.

Let me know what you think. Do you have any other ideas for me?

Sprinkles, sparkle and hospitals

I am guilty of the neglecting this fun, virtual sanctuary of mine for real life. After moaning about my lack of social life, the last 10 days have been crazy - good and bad. Here's what I've been up to:

• Our big anniversary dinner with the whole family (about 25 people)
• A 50th anniversary celebration for a family friend's of ours - the pre-dinner speeches revealed a lot of previously unknown information about the special couple
• Spending some quality time with my parents, who were down for a visit - actually my daughter monopolized them
• A two year old's birthday party at a 100 year old club - I had one of the toughest workout's of my life running after my daughter and nephew all over the massive park
• A house warming party - great business networking opportunity
• A film premier to launch my cousin's new movie theater chain - the movie was cliche, however it was fun to dress up a bit, plus the sound system was great
• A visit to the emergency room when the little one suddenly started running a high fever and screaming that her tummy hurts - we had a traumatic ultrasound session interspersed with bouts of vomiting, followed by a suppository. Not the best day   

All this clubbed with 12 hour (at a minimum) work days, makes for a pretty exciting life. I could start getting used to all the glamour and glitz, obviously sans the hospital visit. Sadly, all I have lined up for the month of July is a 6th birthday party for my nephew and the official media launch of our business, which is not as glamorous as it sounds and just means more work.
I have such bouts of activity (apart from the work part, which is pretty standard) only once in 3 or 4 months. So I'm expecting things to go back to the boring old status quo soon.

Weekday Flip-off

If everyone out there thought only employees need to sound off on what a pain the workplace has been this week, think again. Here's what's been getting me down (please refrain from smiling smugly and instead empathize):

• People who insist on post dated cheques with the date space being left blank. Hello! did you just hear yourself saying post DATED cheque!
• Sly thieves who go around flicking air-conditioning units, copper wires, digital mouses (is this right) and keyboards. People who don't want to take responsibility for the equipment they use and create opportunities for such thefts to happen.
• IT engineers who claim that they are waiting for a sample to create an online leave application form. This after:
• The person in question has just got back from a 2 week vacation (for which he applied using the said paper form).
• I spent a whole afternoon designing an administration system with them (of which this is just a part of module one). "When are we going to get the whole system up and running? (Were you there in the meeting when we fixed deadlines?)"
• Conflicts between finance and administration. My common response:
• "Yes, you have to go to these people (accounts) for the money, even if I have approved the spend."
• "Yes, I do trust you, but the auditors don't trust anybody."
• "Budgets apply to every department. No department is above finance."
• Vendors who deliver the equipment to your location and forget to send the engineer along. "The agreement says payment is 90 days from the date of installation. Send in your technical team and then I'll speak to your accountant. I don't care if you are from a different department, I'm from a different company." (I know I mentioned vendors before, bear with me).
• Government organizations that take 6 months to complete a 3 month audit and inspection, because they're too cheap to pay for their staff to travel for one client, and try to batch process everything.
• Front office staff who:
•  FORGET to take down contact information for walk-in customers.
• Accidentally misplace feedback forms (which I'm guessing didn't favour them)
• Equipment finance company representatives who ask the 'CEO and Founder' (this is what he was introduced as):
• What his interest in the company is?
• Whether they can have the financials of our angel investors (a private investment fund)?

I will now stop ranting and raving, since I have to get back to work. However, be forewarned, I am going to set aside one day a month for work related vents. Please feel free to join me or chastise me.

Are you totally happy with your colleagues, employees, vendors and customers or do you have some secret / not-so-secret grudges. Feel free to shout out here. Come on, make me feel like I'm not a total biotch.

Dealing in Millions is Not Fun

Wait, before you judge me, I am not one of those people who has tons of cash and goes around saying "money does not buy happiness". I firmly believe that money does make life easier, especially when you can spend it on a pair of Louboutins and a Herve Leger bandage dress (gotta use those curves).

Unfortunately, the only millions I'm seeing are those I have to shell out as payments to my vendors. Vendors who don't deliver on time and still expect your cheques to be credited correctly. Vendors who send equipment and conveniently forget to send the experts to install it. Hey, I'm not talking about your average desktop here, these are high-end diagnostic and testing equipment. (My homeboy techie can manage all your regular electronic stuff, what else will he do with that fancy engineering degree)

As you can see I have a bone to pick when it comes to vendors, more about that another day. My main struggle here is managing business cash flows. Now I'm the self-proclaimed queen of excel sheets and when it comes to creating advanced models for business forecasting, I'm your girl. However, reality strikes when I have to juggle cash outflows, which do not coincide with the inflows. I have learnt my most important lessons in humility after we started this business.  

Take the example of last week, we had major equipment payments coming up, which I was comfortable with since we had scheduled for them. Unfortunately, the finance head of one of our investors was out of action for a few days and a cheque which we were expecting was delayed by a week. I had to sweet talk and cajole a whole bunch of people in the hopes that at least 25 percent of payments due could be postponed by 7 days.

Finally, we did get a bit of leeway and managed to balance the payments to fit the investment receipt schedule. However for that whole week, till we got the investment deposits, I woke up in a cold sweat every night, imagining bounced cheques, being turned out of the house and not being able to send my daughter to school.

Like I said, dealing in millions is not fun.

Is it financially easier running your own business or earning a salary? I always thought both had their pros and cons, but am leaning towards employment in terms of financial stability.

I'm in Love

Yup, it's true, I've fallen head over non-existent high heels; hook, line and sinker for ........ Microsoft's OneNote. Now be nice, no sniggering. While I agree I'm a bit late with the technology part, my defense is that I'm more of a stationary girl. Give me Post-Its, a notepad, felt-tip and gel ink pens, highlighters and I'm in 7th heaven. Ask me to use anything other than excel (which I love), word or powerpoint and I'll give you a blank stare (yes, the only operating system I know how to use is Microsoft, well other than some accounting software).

That's why OneNote has my complete and undivided attention. It just feels like I'm using a very posh version of my 5-subject notebook (no, I am not in school anymore). Here are some of OneNote's features, that do it for me:

• Toddler-proof: It's on my netbook so the little on can't use it for her artwork (I love her creations, just not when they are done on my work notes)
• Automatic back-up: A bonus for technologically unlucky people like me
• One stop shop: I can save all my work at one location. So, no more frantic searches for vital meeting notes that I need in the next 5 seconds
• Audio and video search!: Fine, I admit, I haven't used these features as yet. I just feel very professional and knowledgeable talking about such technologically advanced features
• Share: They have loads of share options, so you can have people work on stuff together. Also helps avoid duplicating work

I'm sure I've missed out all the really advanced features on this product, so go check it out yourself at the official OneNote website. I'm sure you will love it or just laugh at my lack of updatedness (just made-up that word), either way you will have fun.

My loving husband is laughing his head off, since apparently this product has been around for almost 10 years and I've discovered it just now. Like my 14 year old niece says - 'whatever'.

Note: I am (sadly) not getting paid by Microsoft to plug this product. I am just so excited about it I had to share. (Maybe the people at Microsoft will see this and pay me to review future products. A girl can dream right?)

What's your weekday uniform?

I don't literally mean uniform here. Rather, we all have a style that we follow on working days, at least as far as I have noticed. The fact that most of us have a predefined work day style has probably, less to do with detailed thought and more to do with convenience. The advantages for me are: I already know what goes with what (or most of the separates pair up easily), the whole set has been washed and laundered over the weekend and when an item of clothing gets worn out it, just takes me about half an hour to pop into a familiar shop and replace it. The obvious disadvantage (in the eyes of some) is monotony, which most of us combat with variety in accessories, shoes and bags (if you have the time to set a new one). So having discussed the pros and cons of having a fixed weekday wardrobe, here's mine.

Before I had my baby and when was working in a corporate environment, I used to dress pretty formally. Outfit type one was trousers in black, grey, tan or pinstripes paired with formal shirts in colours ranging from shades of white and cream, to pastels and the occasional bright pink or blue. Outfit type two was similar to one except that trousers were replaced with skirts - pencil, long, slightly flared (but always an inch below the knee) - usually in pastels shades with an almost invisible self print and the odd black one. Shoes were obviously closed and formal in black, brown and grey.

Today, post baby and with a business to run, my uniforms are a bit different. I need to be able to transition from a meeting with my operations team, to one with the auditors and move straight on to a site inspection where I meet with the builders (one can come away from these covered with quite a bit of dust). So there are a couple of considerations, nothing too girly (though a touch of femininity is nice), should survive long hours without wrinkling, should be easy to dust off. So this is the uniform I came up with: jeans in dark colours - think indigo, navy and black - for a formal look and button down shirts or tunics in black, whites and pastels, with the occasional red. For shoes I generally opt for formal looking ballerinas (don't want to fall down a flight of unfinished stairs) in black with some pretty detailing.

So what's your weekday uniform, or are you one of those people who actually make an effort to look different everyday? Any ideas for me to dress up my outfits?

Respecting Our Customers

This is a purely work-based entry, on a topic I really need to discuss. Customer service.

The reason my husband and I got into the healthcare line was a direct result of what we experienced as customers, especially when I was going through my pregnancy. The first irritant was, that there was no system of appointments (or a very ineffective one), particularly if the doctor was a good one! Secondly, patients where asked to endure pretty uncomfortable conditions, notwithstanding the fact that most of these people were in pain or at a minimum extremely uncomfortable.

This lack of concern for the customer, in a industry which was thriving on treating sick people, showed us there there was a definite gap in the market, just waiting to be filled. So today, we are on the verge of launching a business through which we aim to provide high quality diagnostic services, a great customer experience and value for money.

Hopefully, we will keep in mind why we got into this line of business, when we are struggling to match the profit figures that our investors expect. To increase the chances of not forgetting our initial motivator, I have created a code of ethics for us and our staff to follow:
- Respect: Treat customers and colleagues with the respect due to a fellow human being
- Professionalism: Deliver on all commitments, on time, and to the best of your abilities and knowledge
- Transparency: No bureaucracy, just clear, concise and essential processes and procedures   

I'm sure there are loads of points I have missed. So, if you feel you can add value here, please give me a shout. I will definitely consider all input seriously.

P.S. (can you do this in a blog): I'm not sure if similar conditions exist in the healthcare industry globally. These situations seem to be common everywhere that I have ever lived.

Wake-up to the Daylight

As everyone who knows me will vouch, reading is what I love best, followed by art and sleeping. So I decided to dedicate an entry every week to either a book that has caught my fancy or some information on the art world. This is to help me broaden my (currently narrow) horizon and focus on something other than my family and business. I may, later, add on other topics of interest, since I truly believe that each of us needs to try and be the best we can. So this is my starting point.

The book that recently made a big impression on me was "Chasing Daylight" by Eugene O'Kelly. Though I read this book a few months back, and have read about 10-15 books since, it has really stayed with me. It's a sort of biography by the former CEO of KPMG and covers the last few months of his life after he was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour.

Funnily, the book isn't morbid or weepy. Even I (the person who cried when she saw Jack Dawson die in the Titanic) didn't shed a tear! It just inspires you to take life by the horns, decide where you want to go and start heading in that direction.

Though the author wishes he could have done certain things better, he also doesn't let regret slow him down. There are great lessons here for anyone who runs a business or is working towards a managerial position. There are lots of ideas on helping employees find some sort of work-life balance. One idea I particularly liked was where senior managers were encouraged to switch off their phones for the first 30 minutes after they got home.

Another great aspect is his relationship with his wife and the rest of his family. Though I'm sure we all value our family, we often forget to draw strength from each other. This seems to be especially true of young busy couples. We forget that the person next to us, is there to lift us up when we stumble and that there's nothing wrong in admitting that your scared or need some help.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling now and let everyone read and understand it for themselves. Just one last thing, for you non-readers out there, it's a really slim book and really worth every minute spent reading it.

This book has definitely woken me up to the possibilities that lie before me.

Where do you see yourself ..... years from now

I've been asked this question from the day I finished 10th grade and I'm guessing most people have had a similar experience. Well, now, about 15 years down the line, I think we should frame a new question 'Is this where I saw myself, when I started walking down my path of dreams?'

I for one had a very different picture in my head. I planned to work in finance for about 10 yeas, make a ton of money, retire when I was about 30-35 to just paint and write and have a cozy little bookshop of my own. Oh! and I also planned to live in Florence and spend one month in every year exploring a new country. Yup, I was what you call realistic.

Today, I'm a year and a half away from my 30 birthday and my life seems to have gone off on a tangent. I've been married for almost 5 years, have a 2.5 year old daughter, have chosen to take care of my in-laws, left behind my investment banking job and run a healthcare business with my techie husband. But you know what, this life seems pretty good to me! Yes, we are currently strapped for cash, I haven't done any serious painting for over two years and this blog is my only form of writing. However, I am optimistic that we will, one day, travel the world together (it may be as back-packers or with first-class round tickets), I will definitely have an art gallery of my own and maybe this blog will give me the courage to finally write that book.

So here's what I'll tell my daughter when she starts planning her perfect life: Plan and work towards your dream but let life flow as well. You never know what path the river will take to reach the sea. It may be longer than you thought but also a lot richer and way more interesting.

Luxury vs Babies and New Business

I'm feeling totally guilty today. I just blew about 400 bucks on a terrible lunch, adding on about 400 (no pun intended) empty calories and making my wallet a lot lighter. 400 big ones may not seem like much to a lot of you and it didn't to me about 2 years back. However, with a toddler to provide for and a business into which hubby and I have pored all our life savings, our finances are precarious, right now, to say the least.

Apart from our scary financial situation, is the fact that the food sucked, big time. So I didn't even get my money's worth. In retrospect, I can think of at least 10 very productive and urgent uses for the money:
1. pull-ups for my daughter (who is potty trained, however I don't like her using public toilets)
2. Toiletries for all of us
3. School snacks
4. Part of my brother's birthday gift (his gift costs way more, and will be worth every bit)
5. A pen drive (for work)
6. The phone bill
7. My weekly dance class fee (this is not a luxury, I need the class to stay semi-fit)
8. Formal work shoes for my hubby (his are in tatters from standing for hours at the construction site)
9. Batteries for my watch
10. Overtime payment for my babysitter

I know, it's not a very glamorous list. I used to have way more fun stuff on my shopping list when I was an employee, rather than an employer. For example, in my not so distant past here's what I would have blown the 400 on (if I hadn't had that lunch):
1. Chick lit, Cosmo, Vogue
2. Art supplies
3. Surprise gifts for my family - 'just to say I love u' - now I just have to say 'I love u'
4. Growing my birthday gifting fund
5. Printing pictures and getting pretty frames for them
6. A cute top or fun bling ring
7. A mani or pedi (depending on the season)
8. Getting my hubby his favourite Thai Red curry dinner (home delivery, not homemade)
9. Catching a movie at the cinema with my hubby and a big tub of caramel popcorn (definitely a night show)
10. Dark Chocolate from Lindt

I can't believe both these lists were created by the same girl. Oh! how the mighty fall!