As I sat in very slow traffic this afternoon caused by the same road work they've been working on since December, it dawned on me that I've been in St. Thomas for about four months. And while that isn't a long time in the grand scheme - it has been enough time for us to feel like we are settling in with our routines.
Our first month of Import Supply has been similar to Julian's approach to learning to swim. Jump in and hope for the best (in our case however- there's no life guard or watchful parent!)
At this early stage - I'd say that one of the biggest challenges is picking up the pieces. From computer systems to accounting procedures - we are inheriting other people's ways. And like buying a house that needs renovation within a budget - we have to stick to the "must-do" changes before tackling some of the beautification projects.
Take for example our fleet of vehicles. And I use the term pretty loosely. Within our first week we had two of them towed off the property and sold for parts. By the end of the month - we had purchased two work vans and three SUVs. We now have fourteen vehicles with distinct island characteristics but are at least functioning well as work trucks to do service. We even have a fuel truck. (Yes, this is Charlotte writing these words. Can you picture it now?)
Mark is driving a Toyota 4Runner that is in pretty good condition. It came complete with fuzzy dice, leopard spot mats and skull licence plates that glow red in the dark. There's even a big "kangaroo bar" (or in this case maybe an iguana bar) to protect him from any head-ons. Julian loves this car - except for the fact that the electric back windows ceased functioning well before we got the truck.
And if this doesn't make you laugh - I was actually hoping to inherit this truck as it's nice to drive and was uncharacteristically clean for an island vehicle. The only problem is the seat track is stuck and I can't quite reach the pedals. So I don't drive it that often.
But back to the shop. We have a large building near the cruise ship terminal where we run our little operation from the top floor. There are a number of tenants who sub-lease space from us which also provides us with a little additional income. Our office space has a mid 1970's decor - which we hope to update at some point. However - we have essentially a one bedroom apartment space that will allow us to expand and also allows us kitchen and other space to meet and function as a team. Pictures to follow soon.
The main order of business for us right now is to push generator sales. This is our busy season leading up to hurricane season. In fact - I am working on some catchy little advertisements (Don't Get Caught With Your Power Down)for the local newspapers and have even submitted an article - When Being Backed-Up is a Good Thing. (okay - Mark vetoed this latter title). Building awareness and customer outreach is the big focus right now.
The other newer aspect of the business we are working hard on is preparing permit applications for our clients. All commercial generators require permits from the Department of Parks and Natural Resources - so Mark has been visiting different generators, taking photos and preparing lengthy applications on behalf of the clients. By calling around we have been getting almost more work than we can keep up with.
So- that is just a small taste of what we have been starting with. In addition to getting to know our team and learning their strengths and abilities - there is still a huge amount to learn. Mind you - it's amazing what you can do if you have to. Who would have ever thought I would be overseeing the finances?
Our first month of Import Supply has been similar to Julian's approach to learning to swim. Jump in and hope for the best (in our case however- there's no life guard or watchful parent!)
At this early stage - I'd say that one of the biggest challenges is picking up the pieces. From computer systems to accounting procedures - we are inheriting other people's ways. And like buying a house that needs renovation within a budget - we have to stick to the "must-do" changes before tackling some of the beautification projects.
Take for example our fleet of vehicles. And I use the term pretty loosely. Within our first week we had two of them towed off the property and sold for parts. By the end of the month - we had purchased two work vans and three SUVs. We now have fourteen vehicles with distinct island characteristics but are at least functioning well as work trucks to do service. We even have a fuel truck. (Yes, this is Charlotte writing these words. Can you picture it now?)
Mark is driving a Toyota 4Runner that is in pretty good condition. It came complete with fuzzy dice, leopard spot mats and skull licence plates that glow red in the dark. There's even a big "kangaroo bar" (or in this case maybe an iguana bar) to protect him from any head-ons. Julian loves this car - except for the fact that the electric back windows ceased functioning well before we got the truck.
And if this doesn't make you laugh - I was actually hoping to inherit this truck as it's nice to drive and was uncharacteristically clean for an island vehicle. The only problem is the seat track is stuck and I can't quite reach the pedals. So I don't drive it that often.
But back to the shop. We have a large building near the cruise ship terminal where we run our little operation from the top floor. There are a number of tenants who sub-lease space from us which also provides us with a little additional income. Our office space has a mid 1970's decor - which we hope to update at some point. However - we have essentially a one bedroom apartment space that will allow us to expand and also allows us kitchen and other space to meet and function as a team. Pictures to follow soon.
The main order of business for us right now is to push generator sales. This is our busy season leading up to hurricane season. In fact - I am working on some catchy little advertisements (Don't Get Caught With Your Power Down)for the local newspapers and have even submitted an article - When Being Backed-Up is a Good Thing. (okay - Mark vetoed this latter title). Building awareness and customer outreach is the big focus right now.
The other newer aspect of the business we are working hard on is preparing permit applications for our clients. All commercial generators require permits from the Department of Parks and Natural Resources - so Mark has been visiting different generators, taking photos and preparing lengthy applications on behalf of the clients. By calling around we have been getting almost more work than we can keep up with.
So- that is just a small taste of what we have been starting with. In addition to getting to know our team and learning their strengths and abilities - there is still a huge amount to learn. Mind you - it's amazing what you can do if you have to. Who would have ever thought I would be overseeing the finances?
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