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Time away from the business is important: don’t lose yourself in your business

It is easy when you own a business to get lost in the business, for it to become your whole life, to be solely how people see you.

It’s important that business owners have time for themselves, beyond family even.

This is on my mind today because someone commented to me this week that they think I work crazy hours for my businesses, saying they strive to do that for their business.

I don’t work crazy hours. A typical week is 60 – 70 hours. My recharge is what I do outside of work. It’s refreshing and enjoyable. Beyond family time, of which there is plenty as my commute to the office is 5 minutes each way.

My relax and recharge passion is writing. It has been for many years. I’ve had plays produced here in Australia, the US, Canada and Ireland and a couple of short films made, including Chasing Rabbits, which won a bunch of awards. There was even a musical adaptation of a play, which won a Green Room Award in Melbourne. There have been some awards along the way, which have been validating.

Most recently, my book, Not Dead Yet was published. This was a 4-year project leading up to publishing and then promotional activity following. It has nothing whatsoever to do with my businesses.

If you’re interested in this life outside of business, you could read Visiting Mum in her nursing home was a shock at first. I didn’t expect it to become a joy, an article the folks at Guardian Australia asked me to write for them in December last year, on a topic related to the book.

I am grateful to host David Hunt for the interview we did for The Art Hunter about the book:

And this podcast episode too for the Staying Alive & Rich podcast with host Maria Ugrinovski:

I mention these things to demonstrate activity far away from business, activity that offers other life experiences and perspectives that I find rejuvenating and enjoyable.

While I appreciate this post will read as promotion, which it is, it is primarily here to show that I value a life outside of business. I think all of us who own and run businesses need outside interests that do more to define us as a person than the businesses themselves.

For sure, business is important is provides for so many who rely on it. I guess my point is that you rely on you and allowing yourself to get lost in business is unhealthy.

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My 2009 (and beyond) story

Given some recent comments here, I have decided to share here a video that I shot, unscripted and in one take, in my office early on April 13, 2017, and shared that day with newsXpress members and selected others. It was also placed on a video platform, accessible to the public.

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Important note re comments here

When you type a comment on a post here, there is a field for a website address. If you don’t have a website, please leave the field blank. Putting your email address in is not appropriate. If I wanted you to enter your email address here I’d ask for it.

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We were hacked

On Saturday someone started trying to hack this site.  In all, close to 2,500 attempts. They got in several times and changed the most recent blog post.  The security weakness was found in the WordPress platform we use. It has now been fixed.

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How my OCD playlist of Spotify helps get me float above the clouds

Above the clouds you can see forever. Your vista is another world. You find yourself looking long into the distance, unencumbered by the clutter of street level existence of the everyday.

I am talking here about a headspace, a de-cluttered mind able to process as if it is in an above the clouds situation.

Because I can’t float above the clouds at will, yet, I use music to get me to a de-cluttered headspace. I have a short playlist on Spotify, six songs, that I play on repeat through my noise-cancelling headphones to get me above the clouds.

I can do this anywhere. It is important to being able to be productive on the road, at the office, on a plane – anywhere.

By the time the second song kicks distractions are gone and I am in the zone with the project I am working on.

Over the years I have found the choice of songs as important as the number of songs. Since I could lock myself away for an hour or more they need to be songs I am happy to hear three or four times without frustration.

It is an OCD playlist after all.

It doesn’t feel like work when I am in this place. Productivity is high as is clarity. It’s like a vacation from the day to day. I love this place.

I mention it to suggest to newsagents this could be a way to find opportunities outside what you usually consider in planning for the future of your business.

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An anonymous personal attack

I have received calls in the last 24 hours from several people who have received an anonymous note in the mail attacking me. Here is how this note opens:

Mark Timothy Fletcher – this is a message for you but since I don’t own a blog, this was my next best way to get my opinion out there for comment.

Mark Timothy Fletcher is a highly critical blogger of those who do not share his ‘noble’ views and usually have little scope to reply to his various attacks through his various blog sites.
As such I through a bailout approach was in order to allow you to judge my opinion of this man’s sordid business venture… I don’t think it likely he will put himself out for the judgement he casts on so many of us and our interests.

“Those in glass houses should not throw stones!”

(sic)

The little scope to reply comment upsets me in that all comments here are unmoderated except for the first comment someone makes. Commenters here themselves would know that the comments are unmoderated. While it frustrates me that such a false accusation is made, that it has been made speaks to an agenda of the writer.

If you receive this anonymous note please send it to me along with the envelope as it will help identify the source. Send to: Mark Fletcher 3A Lynch Street Hawthorn 3122 or mark@towersystems.com.au.

The note goes on to claim that I am the sole director of a business in Cairns – Head Office CBD.  This is true. An ASIC search will confirm it. I have mentioned this before in public forums.

Head Office CBD is an adult shop in Cairns, a retail business serving guys, girls and couples. The anonymous letter makes claims about that business which are false and misleading.

The only reason I own Head Office is to help a friend. They purchased the business a few years ago and for personal health reasons irrelevant here needed to urgently exit the business. At barely a few days notice I took the business on to protect their investment. Over time I paid them out and then put the business on the market – just ask Fritz Herscheid at Barrier Reef Business Brokers, he will confirm that he has been contracted to sell it.

Head Office CBD, in addition to being a regular adult shop, also offers access to a Cairns council approved male-only cinema lounge. The anonymous writer appears to be offended by this. I am not sure why as I’ve not sought to push this on them – they have sought out this information for themselves for their own purposes.

Head Office is a legitimate small retail business providing a lawful service which does more good for the community than if the business did not exist. Neither I nor the people who work in the business do not judge those who shop there or use the cinema lounge just as newsagents don’t judge people who purchase adult magazines or buy cigarettes. Live and let live is good motto.

The writer says they are personally sickened that these types of venues exist in australia (sic) let alone owned by somebody who likes to hold himself in such high moral esteem. I don’t hold myself in high moral esteem. I’m flawed. I’m human. Adult shops and male cinema lounges and other similar venues provide a valuable public service to people of all walks of life.

I am proud to say that under my leadership this has been a good, clean and safe business. It’s also been a profitable business providing work for local Cairns employees.

It’s odd that the note is written from a deeply personal perspective yet they writer refuses to identify themselves – leaving one to wonder about their personal convictions.

I cannot think of why the writer has written and distributed this note. My only guess is that it is a response to my Coming out blog post of May 22. I’d welcome their public comment here about it.

The lack of a comment suggests they do not have the guts to stand by their words.

In the time I have owned Head Office I have learnt things about retail, shopper theft patterns, remote business management and human nature that I had not learnt through other retail businesses I’ve owned.

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Blogging software update

The software managing this blog has been further updated. While most of the changes are behind the scenes, one change makes it easier for people to read and comment from their smart phone or tablet device. Enjoy.

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New introductory video for the newsagency blog

I shot a new introductory video for this blog earlier this week to outline my goals here and to explain what this place is all about. The old video was being viewed 20 to 30 times a week and had been live for almost a year and I felt it was time for a change. Here’s the new video (it’s also on the top right corner of the home page):

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Changed security Captcha codes

A couple of weeks ago O changed Captcha codes to reduce spam and attacks on this blog. Following feedback from what was implemented and complaints from many that they could not get their comments up, today a more human-friendly Captcha process has been put in place. I hope this works better for people.

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New Popular Posts feature on the newsagency blog

Next to Recent Comments on the right hand side of this blog now you will find Popular Posts. This is a new feature. The blogging software tracks traffic by post and creates this list dynamically based on traffic. I’ve had this added since there are some older posts that get a fresh burst of traffic.

A good example of this new Popular Posts feature working is the listing of a T2020 blog post from March this year in the list.

This change and the captcha security code change are part of a new version of the blogging platform that has now been fully installed.

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Changes to comment security here

We have upgraded the software that runs this blog and with this the security features of posting comments has been enhanced. You will now be asked to enter two words instead of a four character code. This stops automated comment attacks. Sorry for not mentioning this when the change was made Monday.

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I am not paid to write about what I write about

I rumour was put to me for clarification yesterday that I was paid by some newsagency suppliers to talk up certain products. I have never been paid to write anything here and have not sought and will not seek payment for anything I write here. I write what I write because I want to.

Anyone hearing the rumour should question the motivation of those behind it.

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The 10,000th blog post

While I’m not a big milestone person I couldn’t let this 10,000th blog post pass without comment.

What started on January 27, 2005 with a tentative first post has evolved considerably over seven years, 10,000 blog posts and 27,180 comments.

I didn’t really have a plan when I started the blog other than to write occasionally about life in my newsagency.  Within the first few months that changed as I realised I could use the blog to write about issues beyond my own business,  issues affecting the newsagency channel more widely.

I have learnt plenty along the way – from the practical of writing for public consumption to learning to be more accepting of alternative views to mine.

I think that my voice has changed as a result of blogging. I think that my other writing, away from this place, has improved.

I am proud of the blog being a record of some of the challenges (and opportunities embedded in these challenges) faced by newsagents, those who work in our businesses and those who work with our businesses.

I am pleased to have been able to use the blog to document appalling treatment by some of newsagents.

For what it’s worth, I think the most important issues I have written about are:

  1. Australia Post and the economic harm the government owned post offices continue to wreak against newsagents. Both sides of politics are to blame for this.
  2. The failure of successive governments, the ACCC and suppliers to be fair in their treatment of newsagents through deregulation. Today’s print media distribution model disadvantages newsagents while giving commercial advantages to our competitors.
  3. The failure of magazine distributors to provide a model which is fair. They hold us accountable for the financial liability yet do not provide reasonable business levers with which to manage that liability.
  4. The disruption of print media and the impact this will have on the traditional newsagency business model … and the opportunity for financially rewarding change.
  5. The failure of many newsagents to manage their businesses for day to day profit. Too many newsagents expect their pay day when they sell and do not realise that their pay day is today, tomorrow and next week … and that this determines what they will receive when they sell.
  6. The failure of the leadership of the newsagency channel: in 1999 to lead through deregulation; and,  in the mid 2000s to put the needs of newsagents ahead of their own ego and interests.
  7. The day to day … sometimes mundane stuff about hiring and firing people, customer theft, employee theft, how we did things, why we did things.  These narrow focus topics often led to some wonderful comments which added tremendous value to what I wrote.

I smile when a supplier contacts me saying that they rarely read the blog but have been told about a post relating to them … yeah. I know that posts and comments are being noticed when people complain about the blog or me in an ill-informed or derogatory manner.

This is a place of conversation. Everyone is welcome to join in. If I am wrong, tell me.  If you want to apologise, do so.

In terms of actual achievements, that is for others to judge.

We go into 2012 with some good progress having been made in 2011.   Morrison Media, Universal Magazines, Express Media Group (EMG) and Pacific Magazines are closer to newsagents in part as a result of engagement here, showing that publishers follow posts and comments and respond in pursuit of a more valuable relationship.

I don’t have a plan for the future of the blog, never have. I’ll write about that which I want to write about … to reflect the newsagency narrative and to help and represent newsagents.

I care passionately about the channel and its place in Australian society. What we have is unique, important and valuable. It is also vulnerable. We all in this channel need to work hard to combat our vulnerabilities and to play to our strengths.

To the visitors, 1,100+ every day, and to the commenters, responsible for 27,000+ published comments, thank you for being part of this thing.

Let the blogging continue…

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