What Do You Want?

Some years ago when my wife Susan and I were dating, she had finally become frustrated when five, then six-plus years had passed with little change in our relationship. Would she ever hear those four little words, "Will you Marry Me?" Maybe you can imagine my discomfort, as a long-time bachelor, when she began to ask ME a particular question...“What do you WANT, Philip?"

You see I was fine with our relationship the way it was, even when she smilingly compared our dating life to an “Andy Griffith romance”...weekend dinners and movies, ALWAYS great conversations, but no sign of a real commitment. We were both busy people, so I guess I was in no hurry. But, when her question became more pointed and less smiling, I realized it was time to fish or cut bait. I had to ask myself, “What DO you want, Philip?”

Our software company receives calls from business owners all over the United States and around the world, sharing their frustrations about being bogged down in day-to-day operations, and looking for ways to free themselves of working long hours and dealing with errors, bottlenecks and miscommunications. They seek help in controlling seemingly endless variables in processes that “normally” run a business. But, what many of those overwhelmed owners describe as "normal" or "business as usual”...I would call CHAOS!

Owners tell us they feel chained to their business that has now become just a very difficult job. Many say they don't feel like owners, but feel as if the business owns them. It’s taken over their lives and, in some cases, the lives of their family.

Business owners generally call us after they have visited our Website, watched a few of our videos, read our articles, or maybe even read our book. Initially, we hear excitement in their voices, as if they have found the answer to their dilemma—Like someone having found a new fad diet that is sweeping the country, seeming to offer some magical ingredient that will solve their weight problem quickly and forever—and with little to no real effort.