Money Talks
Several weeks ago I was sitting down with members of a family business talking money. We were focused on the bottom line when to my surprise the CFO mentioned that what he values about looking at the numbers is that it helps to direct him toward what is truly interesting in a business. The numbers are not merely the bottom line but a way of seeing. They can be a way to become more aware of the human and creative aspects of our work. Overly concerned about what we needed to do to maintain our financial success, I found his view a welcome relief.
Following the money can be a way of bringing value to our work at the shop. The cost of labor and materials and operations is the ground, the reality of our work. To look at these details is to pay careful attention to what we do, what we have and what we use. We can be anxious about ways to make the finances work and seek to control our future or we can observe what is working and learn from our exploration. We can discount or avoid what we need to charge or we can use our pricing as a way to affirm the value of how we hand craft a frame and serve our customers. Paying attention to how we work with money can be an opportunity to better conserve our resources and to value our talents and our labor. Putting a price on our service is a way to affirm to our customers the value of our service.
Money talks.
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