As I set up my business plan on operating parks I had most every aspect covered, and wow was it put to a test. Our parks and the operations endured hit after hit of family issues from parents deaths, our house flooding (pipes broke, 3 1/2 months out of the house which is where our office is located as well), and a teenager who was acting out and needed our family to rally. The issues started 18 months ago, and we laid my Father-in-law to rest this last weekend. As the dust settles we held together. It was not perfect- but I am so glad for the electronic systems we had, the backup systems etc… I replaced administrative assistants during that time, managers, had computer failures at two parks… and found in the overall analysis… things held together pretty well…
A pastor once told me…
There is no testimony without a test, and no message without a mess…
We have both…
So… several years ago when I wanted to get into the MHP investing game, I called my friend Dave Reynolds and asked him to mentor me into the business… this is pre bootcamp days. He called back, and we ended up partnering on a park in Colorado which I still own. Well today I will re-enter the game. Off the sidelines with better systems than I have ever had, a very strong administrative assistant and 18 months of pent up excitement to pull the trigger again on parks.
Balance is very hard in this business- my message and testimony-
Testimony- Systems saved my parks… let me focus on my marriage, my family and the issues that we were dealing with… I always proclaimed I would put my family first- and I could with the right tools in place. I lost some ground, like I do not participate in bootcamps like I used to, and I do not have good feelers out for deals- so where I stand is reset but I am standing.
Message- Be ready for ‘what if’ days, weeks, months and even years… set your systems so if you need to walk away, the roof does not cave in in your absence. When things are not working, do not panic, tweak the system. Let your systems be the foundation.
One example-
Because we use cloud technology as part of our ‘system’ this is how a computer crash looked in the middle of our mess…
Text received from a manger at about 9pm Denver time.
‘Full computer crash, can not recover. help’
text back- ‘no problem- office max at … will have a computer waiting at 8am’
I bought the computer for pick up in another state online. Manager got the computer, and loaded on program- our remote access program. I logged in and loaded our ‘cloud’ program, syncing that laptop with the server. In 3 hours the computer was restored with every document and program that operates the community. I logged in again that afternoon, loaded the programs. She was back up and running- fully- zero data loss in less than 24 hours from the crash. She drove to office max and plugged in the computer, loaded one program. I had about 1 hour in total time between buying the computer, logging in and loading programs. The ‘cloud’ moves all the data and the program files, I only had to install them.
This same thing happened twice during our mess-
I am reminded of NASA… all systems GO for launch…
I am again GO for launch…
Are you?