I think a lot of people have the wrong end of the stick about running a business. Many see it as a ticket to freedom, whatever that is. I’m not saying that being in charge of your own work can’t be liberating, but it can also be limiting. I mean, being in charge means you can theoretically do whatever you want, but it also means being responsible for the consequences for your finances, lifestyle, social life and so on.
I’m feeling a bit down on it at the moment; it feels like a matter of one step forward, two steps back. I’m trying to transition the clinic into running on solar, partly because I believe it should be the norm and partly because I believe this is our ticket to financial stability. The thing is that getting it all set up is proving to be complicated and expensive, and I’ve barely made it past step one.
Maybe I need professional advice on the commercial solar panel calculator results I generated online. I’m confused about what counts as usable roof space, and I don’t want to move forward without first having a thorough understanding of what this is going to cost. I’m already running this thing on the smell of an oily rag, so I can’t afford to be anything less than scrupulous about planning for the installation and maintenance.
No one ever said it was easy to get started on commercial solar. Sydney gets plenty of sun – compared to Melbourne, that is – but it’s still not what you’d call a solar paradise, like Brisbane. Battery storage is going to be essential if I want a system that’s really going to get the shop off grid, and it ramps everything up to the next level of complication.
At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself if it’s worth it. That, I think, is the secret to small business longevity, and my answer explains why I’m still plugging away at this. It’s also why I’m going to move along with the solar project, even though it’s driving me mental.