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  1. #1
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    SACRIFICE: What have you personally sacrificed for your company?

    Everyone who runs a company, the successful ones, have invariably made sacrfice. Many times, the sacrifices were far and beyond what was apparent to others or may come as a shock to those who are looking to get into the business.

    For your webhosting company, what sacrifices have YOU made in order to start it, maintain it or even SAVE it? The reason for this post is because we're going through some big growth pains and it's hitting home for me right now after a month of massive fraud which, well, cost us our profit across the board. It was a sharp reminder of the dark side of running a business and being responsible for all the successes and the failures - and it's the failures that tend to get the most attention.

    I'll start this out and expose what my own family has gone through to keep ourselves afloat during the hard times:
    • We lost our entire saving account
    • We lost our home down payment (took us 7 years to build up)
    • Sold my car
    • Cancelled nearly every single luxury we enjoyed (cable TV, cellphones, eating out (stopped eating at restaurants), dropped our dating nights (my wife and I had date nights we dropped for a season), etc).
    • Wife went to work part-time as a food server to help with the bills
    • Had to find part-time work as a shelf-stocker to help out with bills at the house since our 'padding' was lost to the business.
    • The biggest sacrifice however was looking at my wife's face as I spent another day at the 'office' in the garage, seeing how tired she was, how stressed she was from not having ANY security, feeling I had renigged on every promise I'd ever made to her to protect her and take care of her. THAT was the biggest sacrifice I've had to endure and alone almost closed CalHost permanently.

    Maybe my list is not as long or as suprising as others' may be, but I'll tell ya, it's times like this when it would be interesting/encouraging to see what sacrifices others have made in the name of entrepreneurship.

    Who would like to share first?

    Edit: spelling
    Last edited by thecloudguy; 07-02-2004 at 04:33 PM.
    Adam - AQORN
    Official OpenStack Foundation Member, Corporate Sponsor and AI Research Team
    Our Clients: Facebook | Red Hat | Starbucks | AT&T | HPE | NVIDIA | CrowdStrike | Cisco | Juniper | SAP | Autodesk | SUSE | Ubuntu

  2. #2
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    Nov 2001
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    I started from 0 and owe it all to hard work

  3. #3
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    Re: SACRIFICE: What have you personally sacrificed for your company?

    My biggest sacrifice was probably at the beginning when I started my company.. I had no time for my friends/relatives until I finally started repaying my bills and put some of my "financial" stress behind. I was 18-19 at the time but I didn't do things other people of my age usually do (have a little job, go to school and have a fun).

    Three years later I don't really regret it, I gained experience that can only be benefic to me (learned to administer a business, how to support customers and sales/marketing).
    Jean-Pierre Abboud / I'm the TekGURU
    www.Gotekky.com / Managed hosting solutions / AS63447
    Web Hosting, VPS Hosting, Dedicated Servers

  4. #4
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    Oh, I'm not referring to investment capital- I'm talking about hard times when you had to risk/lose something to stay 'online'/ in business...
    Adam - AQORN
    Official OpenStack Foundation Member, Corporate Sponsor and AI Research Team
    Our Clients: Facebook | Red Hat | Starbucks | AT&T | HPE | NVIDIA | CrowdStrike | Cisco | Juniper | SAP | Autodesk | SUSE | Ubuntu

  5. #5
    Well my wife and I have been having marital problems. Her biggest complaint. I am on the computer to much and not enough time with her and the kids.
    L. James Prevo - President/Owner
    Prevo Network, LLC - http://www.prevo.net
    Est. 1999 - Month to Month Billing!!

  6. #6
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    It might be hard for some to articulate what they're giving up to start and run a business (not me necessarily).

    I'm sure there will be many who won't want to contribute to this thread.

    Cheers
    Jeff
    www.idologic.com
    www.demologic.com
    A company committed to people serious about their websites - If you don't DO LOGIC - what do you do?Check Us Out

  7. #7
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    Originally posted by idologicJeff
    ... I'm sure there will be many who won't want to contribute to this thread ....
    That is certainly to be expected and respected of course, but generalizing may help those who are looking either for encouragement or to get started, it will sure become a wake-up call if they think this business (any business really) is a rosy path to wealth or happiness without sacrifice or loss (temporary or long-term).
    Adam - AQORN
    Official OpenStack Foundation Member, Corporate Sponsor and AI Research Team
    Our Clients: Facebook | Red Hat | Starbucks | AT&T | HPE | NVIDIA | CrowdStrike | Cisco | Juniper | SAP | Autodesk | SUSE | Ubuntu

  8. #8
    I think this is why a lot of these fail. They get into this then it can get overwhelming. It has for me I tell you that much.

    I crossed the sell the business time in my life.

    I tell my wife, Should I just sell it? Then the thought of the extra income crosses her path and she says no.

    It can put a strain on your family, I tell you that much.

    We have just had to do a little better scheduling our time, that is all.
    L. James Prevo - President/Owner
    Prevo Network, LLC - http://www.prevo.net
    Est. 1999 - Month to Month Billing!!

  9. #9
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    Originally posted by ljprevo
    Well my wife and I have been having marital problems. Her biggest complaint. I am on the computer to much and not enough time with her and the kids.
    The fact running your own business in its infancy is such a time burglar, is the only sacrifice I have had to make. The rest I have been fortunate with. When I started my company 5 years ago, the first year with a new girlfriend was a burden. I loved her too much to give up, but loved the business the same. She finally realized she wouldn't win that early in the relationship. She decided to go to law school. So we were both busy for the next four years and appreciated the time together. Any who..... She is now a lawyer on the job and baby hunt. Marriage is two months way. And I soon feel I will be falling into the same problems you have/had.

    I admire those who started a business, made it successful and balanced a family to too.
    BeDifferentSolutions | "For when Indian-based solutions just won't do."
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  10. #10
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    James it can get tough in any business and even though you are being hit hard now it sounds like you have one thing many don't and that is a supportive spouse. Hang in there buddy, one of the lessons I learned early on is it gets toughest right before it really becomes great. Many places to advertise for free and get those current customers excited about your business, focus on them and they will bring you many.
    Freckle Face
    http://frecklefacehosting.com

  11. #11
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    Mar 2003
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    Canada
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    You think this is hard?

    Try opening a brand new $400,000 restaurant in the Caribbean on Sept. 1, 2001 and watch the tourist trade go from 100% to 0% in two weeks.

    This is a breeze.

  12. #12
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    Mar 2001
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    Haven't taken more than a 3 day vacation since 1996, and even then I have the laptop. That's the biggest sacrifice - The ability to get away for long periods of time. I do not mind it, but I guess I sacrifice a week in Hawaii each year playing golf.

    Enjoy the 3 day weekend!

    - John C.

  13. #13
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    Oct 2002
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    WOW Blue! I think I know now why you call yourself Blue. Look at this smilie:

  14. #14
    We both had to sit down and realize we need to better schedule our time. We are in the process of moving out of our house and into a condo. That has been hard in itself. With a condo we eliminate yard work and get rid of the repairs that our house was always having (older farm house)

    It has a lot to do with time management. We are working at it more and more every day.
    L. James Prevo - President/Owner
    Prevo Network, LLC - http://www.prevo.net
    Est. 1999 - Month to Month Billing!!

  15. #15
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    Australia
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    Originally posted by UmBillyCord
    . . . I admire those who started a business, made it successful and balanced a family to too.
    That's the main reason I moved my business back home, where I can be around my wife and 5 kids. If I was to run HTTPme from an office out of the home, I would never see them. Working from home allowed me to balance out my family demands and business demands. The wife also saw the color of money too, so she knew the hours I had to put in to maintain the cashflow.

    But as far as other sacrifices, I didn't have to make any. The business was cashflow positive from the first month, and allowed us a comfortable lifestyle, and opened many doors. I'm not bragging. I'm just saying the business bought many opportuinities into my family's life, and we intend to keep that momentum rolling, even though we sold the business.

  16. #16
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    Mar 2001
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    Brag away Bob, brag away....you earned it.

    The rest of us are still slaving away, working too many hours. My office is only 3 minutes from the house, so easy enough to get back and forth when needed, yet provide a buffer for more efficient working when needed.

    Now go build your house!

    - John C.

  17. #17
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    May 2004
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    wow adam.....comparing your list with mine, i feel as if i got off lucky.

    we started small, and built up, but needed to take loans from family friends time to time to pay for payments.

    usually not the case anymore
    Sang P. Ma
    President/VizHost.Com, Inc.
    http://www.vizhost.com

  18. #18
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    Jan 2004
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    Texas
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    Well,

    I am moving out to Texas while my wife and family stay here in California, so I can start a small datacenter. We'll be separated for a year before she can follow me due to the navy, (She didn't follow my lead when I got out of the Marines.. ) But she is understanding in the fact that I when she get out I will be more stable and eventually she will have a comfortable stable life for the fam where she can stay home with the kids.. I have a wonderful wife!
    James Lumby

  19. #19
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    Nov 2003
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    The good news is that we are this close from moving into our first DC where we actually have real financial planners doing the planning for me involving investors, leases and other interesting things that, when it is all finished, a massive reward for us all.

    It's just these times when you are not one of the ones that never had to sacrifice or take any risks and you wish you coud get abreak.

    The Sacramento Bee (last week) had an article about how businesses are defined within the first 2-5 years of operation - whether they have the viability to remain in business or close down.

    We've had a few of those bridges of decision and last month was hard. No doubt about it with fraud coming from everywhere -- whether the address is in NY, London or Kuwait.

    It's getting better of course, but I have never been one of those who just walked into a business without a care or worry in the world like blue27. This is my first serious endeavor and it has taken a toll which I intend to collect on when things pick up again.

    It is interesting, however, to read about how those whom I would have expected to have had experienced some element of risk to find nearly the opposite. After I've made my first million, I'm taking a month-long vacation in Hawaii with the family.
    Adam - AQORN
    Official OpenStack Foundation Member, Corporate Sponsor and AI Research Team
    Our Clients: Facebook | Red Hat | Starbucks | AT&T | HPE | NVIDIA | CrowdStrike | Cisco | Juniper | SAP | Autodesk | SUSE | Ubuntu

  20. #20
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    Adam, that's a crazy list. I think I would have given up a long time before then. I mean, there's no guarantees that things will ever get better so it might be all for nothing anyway.

    I don't think there have been any real scrifices on my part apart from time. I spend alot of time on the computer but I work from home so I can still spend alot of time with my wife and kids. My wife works full time and pretty much always has. I get to take my kids to school, I pick them up and get them dinner. If we ever need to go somewhere, we can go and it's always been that way. But from day one, there was always more than me just looking after things so I've always had some freedom.

    The biggest sacrifice was a crappy wage for the first few years but it was still well enough to live on. Starting and running your own business normally means sacrifices in terms of time and money but if it threatened my family's security, I'd be a mechanical engineer again in two seconds flat. Nothing is more important than my family's security and happiness. I've made large personal sacrifices for that but they had nothing to do with the business.
    Laurence Flynn @ HostNEXUS.com
    Managed WordPress Hosting Solutions
    Focused on speed. Obsessed with security.

  21. #21
    Biggest sacrifice has to be time. Running any business especially a hosting business requires a lot of time.

    This isn't a part time job or even a full time job, its a 24 hr job. It helps to be single, so you basically sacrifice everything else.

  22. #22
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    Well, you have to be available 24/7 even with staff. If I go out and I'm more than 30 minutes away from a computer, I get nervous. But I think that's just part of the addiction.
    Laurence Flynn @ HostNEXUS.com
    Managed WordPress Hosting Solutions
    Focused on speed. Obsessed with security.

  23. #23
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    Texas
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    This is very true... ^^^
    James Lumby

  24. #24
    i started with literally one client, then another client a month later... before i even had a domain name. for the first year, the hosting website was a subdomain off one of my websites. i slowly built up over the course of 3 years without any sacrifices besides the much-mentioned "time".

    i quit my very corporate job 3 months ago to devote myself full-time to my business, but i don't consider that a sacrifice.
    Vagrant Web Hosting - U.S. / CANADA
    Website Hosting - Website Development - Content Management
    NEW: Windows Hosting w/ ASP.NET

  25. #25
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    I'd say for me since I started webhosting so young that I gave up being a normal teenager. I may regret it later on but, for now I am content with the price I paid.

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