A couple of weeks, I lost my dad. He passed away of a heart attack at age 79. After a lot of reflecting, I thought it only appropriate that this week’s blog post incorporate Ben Day, and his contribution to my business.
The fact is, I likely would never have opened KD/PR Virtual if it wasn’t for my dad. He was the person who was always saying he wished he’d opened his own company. He contemplated buying a gas supply company in Durango, Colorado once with aspirations of my brother and I learning the business with him. But in the end, he stayed with the sure job and the steady paycheck. He put up with a lot of junk though, especially for a company that he dedicated more than 30 years to, and I knew if he could do it over, he would have preferred being his own boss.
When I lost my job in 2000, I know that dad was thinking he wished he’d taken the risk, when he encouraged me to open my own PR firm. I remember him challenging me “So, what’s holding you back?” I used the first excuse I could think of – money. He asked how much, and the next thing I knew he was writing me a check for $2,500.
I spent that first $2,500 on a new computer, fax machine, answering machine, stationery, business cards and office supplies. Six months later, I paid my dad back.
I’m still not sure if I would have taken the leap into self employment without his encouragement. That was more than a decade ago. It’s still the best business decision I’ve ever made. I know dad was one of the people who was most proud of KD/PR Virtual, and he was always asking me questions about my work and clients.
Every once in awhile, someone asks me to be a guest speaker to talk about business success. I always start off my talk telling people that I don’t recommend they start a new business like I did – with very little planning, no clients and non-existent savings. But, I think I’ll have to add a new line to my talk……If you have a family member who believes in you and is willing to be your first investor…it could be the deciding factor between success and failure.
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