You ever started a business from scratch, Scott? Been at the phone 24/7?
Worked a 12 hour day and then turned it all around to work an 18 hour day
the next day?

Jay and Mary have been doing it for 8 or 10 years now; Gail and I have been
doing it for 35 years. You wanna come tell us how it is done?

You don't have a clue.

I wasn't going to dignify this absurd thread with a response, but your
post hit it right on the money.

You are just a bit off on the estimate, however, Jim. This is the
third business I've started from scratch (albeit the first one that
Mary has been involved with) since 1990. This is by far the riskiest
venture, yet, but it's also been the most rewarding. (Although not
financially, just yet.)

People who haven't done this sort of thing simply can't understand the
number of hours that go into such an endeavor -- they've never put all
their chips on red, and spun the wheel. All they remember are the fun
flights I love to write about.

They don't understand what working for free means. What it means to
hang everything out in the wind, balls and all, hoping that the
vultures and bottom feeders don't gnaw 'em off. They don't
understand what it means to risk everything -- EVERYTHING -- on a
dream, nor will they ever understand how that motivates us to do what
it takes to fly.

Whatever the results of Scott's tortured estimates, suffice it to say
that our take-home is absurdly low given the number of hours
invested. Mary and I are the lowest-paid workers in the hotel, on a
per-hour basis -- lower than the newest house-keeper or part-time desk
staff. We do this willingly, however, year after year, because our
goal of creating the ultimate fly-in hotel is nearly complete -- and
we will have done it all without incurring debt.

The tradeoffs have been stark, however. Our home has gone virtually
untouched for five years, as we concentrated our efforts on the hotel
-- and it looks it. Our main car is ten years old; my truck is 12
years old.

Still, we understand that the rewards are coming, with luck. Unless,
of course, a new Embassy Suites opens up next door. Or someone slips
on the stairs, or wrecks our courtesy van, or the economy tanks, or
any of a hundred unpredictable catastrophes befall us. Then, every
minute invested over five, long years will have been for naught.

In the meantime, gents, I'm planning on flying while I still can...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"