It was 6:30 p.m. when I left the plant. We had been working since 7 a.m. to finalize the details of a proposed new base-coat/clear-coat system and agree on a timetable and price. My cell phone had been ringing just about every 20 minutes all day long. My client's blackberry was in almost constant use. We were both on the Internet keeping track of e-mail and searching for information about booth designs, pump sizes and other system features. When I finally did leave the plant, we went straight to dinner. After dinner I met with some vendors to review the day's events and draw up a task list. Then it was back to the motel room to take one final look at e-mail. At 10 p.m. I turned on the TV to catch up with the Olympics. At 10:10 I fell asleep.
Sound familiar to anyone? We burn a lot of energy to get through workdays like this. Speaking of energy, how is the price of fuel affecting your business? My gas bill went up by 40 percent two months ago in my office and home. I added more insulation and it went down below the previous year. Makes me wonder why I waited and what other opportunities there are to save money on fuel.