Reflecting on 4 months in Business

That was fast. I’ve been in business 4 months now. It was only 2 months ago that Reflecting on 2 Months in Business was published.

What’s New?

  • New Client. I have a new client from someone that approached me. That was a first and we turned the deal around quickly.
  • Switched health insurer. Health insurance premiums went up again so I decided to switch carriers for a slightly higher premium but better metal level. This year, I actually saw catastrophic plans listed on the NY Health Exchange but they were at the end after all the bronze, silver, gold and platinum plans. Wasn’t Obama Care supposed to lower premiums without subsidies too? Health insurance, besides paying myself a salary, is my largest expense so far. I really wish the U.S. had a Single Payer system and we paid a tax to fund it.
  • Job Offers. People have offered me full-time jobs but have declined because the autonomy and flexibility of being self-employed trumps being an employee right now. It has made me consider under what conditions would I go back full-time. My bare minimum requirements would be
    • Work From Home whenever you’d like.
    • Flexible schedule. Want to take the afternoon off, go ahead but ensure the work is completed.
    • Full or mostly full autonomy. I want to be given some objectives and then left alone to complete them. For example, if an employer were to say Luke here’s some investment capital and go write this product or start offering this line of business, that would intrigue me. If I have to answer to multiple managers, especially in a matrix organization, I’m definitely passing. If they say we need a process with lots of oversight for that or we have to meet  daily, pass.If I ever hire employees, I want them to be mostly autonomous peers who need little direction but who assist each other as needed to get the work done. Perhaps this should be at the top of the list?
    • Great compensation package with awesome salary, benefits and PTO.
    • Training Opportunities. I’d like to go to more conferences to stay current with technology and network with the community or perhaps take additional classes.
  • Missing Professional Camaraderie. I absolutely love working from home. No commute. Limited distractions. Nice Office. However, I miss being around other professionals and talking shop about different ideas on a whim. This still happens occasionally but not like it was.

What’s Next?

  • More Detailed 2017 Budgeting & Taxes. Revenue & expenses are fairly predictable now so I’ll have a more detailed 2017 budget compiled along with taxes too.
  • Research Childcare Flexible Spending Account Feasibility. With our daughter getting older, it would be nice to put her in daycare part time to socialize with other kids and give mom and dad some “flexibility”. Am wondering if there’s a tax saving opportunity here.
  • Expand the Network. I want to get more involved in the Salesforce and tech communities and am debating how to pursue this. My primary method has been the internet via this blog and others. Other possibilities are joining the local Salesforce User Group, joining online groups, contributing to open source projects, or attending various networking events / activities.
  • Become Lightning Proficient. Lightning adoption has been slow in the Salesforce world for various reasons but predict it will pickup considerably in 2017. To stay current, I’ll be using Trailhead and other resources to become proficient at Lightning and remain so.

What are your professional goals for 2017 and how will you reach them? Do you think I use too many bullet points?

Hope you enjoyed the update and happy holidays.