Division of work
Before long you will have compiled a good list of jobs requiring attention. Somehow this list has to be graded so that you can not only do the most important work first, but do the jobs in a logical order, each one building on another, rather than randomly doing a bit here and a bit there. The other advantage of having a list is that when you finish one job there is no time-consuming thought required before you start the next one, just a glance at the list. The initial grading can be done under the headings:
· Essential, ie leaking roof or no water.
· Important, ie starting the business to get the money flowing.
· Fun, ie whatever you want to do most.
· The rest, ie all those jobs that will get done one day.
The essential jobs obviously need to be done first. A new fitted kitchen should not be in this category as a couple of old tables would do just as well for a short period. Be prepared to rough it for a while and the luxuries will seem so much better when they come.
Essential jobs are those which will get worse if not attended to, those which cause actual physical hardship or present a danger, and those which cause problems with earning money. If the workshop roof leaks or the floor is mud, get it fixed before you start work, otherwise tools will be ruined and items dropped will be lost for ever resulting in bad work and short tempers.
Once you have a safe and healthy environment you must start to earn the money. This is the most important category and will be dealt with in the next section.