A friend sent a text today, asking if I'd be willing to advise his friend, who's operating a recovery home in the Midwest. (I leave names out to protect anonymity.)
I told him to text his number and I'd be happy to talk with him. Anyway, he did and we talked.
It seems like the biggest obstacle for non-government programs is how to raise operating capital. And this man's situation is pretty much the same. He has 42 clients and is supporting them mostly with donations from the small Midwest community where he operates.
When he was at TLC many years ago, we weren't as developed as we are today. When he was with us we operated one or two businesses. But today, we have half-a-dozen small businesses that generate about half of our operating capital. The other half normally comes from service fees we charge our clients.
We are State Licensed general contractors. We also paint homes, remodel and roof houses, install air conditioning and do other types of home maintenance. We also provide labor for sporting events and festivals. In November and December we sell Christmas Trees in Central Phoenix.
The one thing I pointed out to the man is that every area is different. For example, our City of Mesa has over half a million residents. Where he lives is in a relatively small town in Oklahoma that has 17,000 residents. So, he naturally has to be quite creative in finding money raising projects for his clients.
He'll likely have to figure out how to raise money working more with agriculture and ranching projects or in other labor intensive businesses related to farming. I believe there is always work to be done if a person's willing to do it. There's always landscaping to be done, trash to be hauled, houses to be cleaned, cars to be detailed. If one looks long and carefully, there's always someone who needs help with something.
In closing I say that if we're in a business helping others improve their lives somehow, we'll find a way to do it.
No comments:
Post a Comment