The Five Stages of What?
Well, I'm now 99% sure CommTech is folding. The only thing that could save it is if the phone rings next week and it's a REALLY big project starting immediately. But it's more likely to be attorneys for our old partner. Or perhaps a job offer.
That's right, a job offer. I really want to continue doing what I do as an independent contractor, or perhaps starting another company. But I'm also exploring full time jobs, and there are actually a few companies out there that I would like to work for that have expressed interest in having me work for them. And I've sent my resume and let a few people know I'm looking. And Rachel and I did a spreadsheet with expenses and income and figured out what I need to make. If someone comes in with an offer in the neighborhood, I will probably take it.
I've got to give some thanks to my little sister giving her big brother some advice in a long conversation we had last week. Thanks, sis. I wouldn't be open to the idea of working for someone else if we hadn't had that talk.
Anyway - this is one of the biggest bummers I've had to deal with in a long time. And I think I've been going through those five stages of grief. I've read that originally, it was not the "five stages of grief," but rather, the "five stages of receiving catastrophic news."
I'm calling it the "five stages of realizing that it is better to dissolve the business you have spent almost five years building and start over than to try to keep it afloat."
1.) Denial - I think part of me still thinks something will happen to save it. Note I said 99% sure. So I've got some of that.
2.) Anger - I am really angry at our old partner for taking far more out than he put in to our company, for turning down work, and for working on enriching himself through other business ventures while Chris and I were full time and more trying to build CommTech. And he doesn't care a lick about keeping the business going, he just wants money that isn't there. And I have some anger for resellers who used us to help them win business and then didn't honor their committment to us to staff the projects we helped them win. And I even had some anger with Chris for taking a full time job rather than finding another contract. I had job offers back in November that I turned down to stay with CommTech thinking that in the long run it would be better for everyone. But I understand that he is making the best decision for him.
3.) Bargaining - well we tried bargaining with our old partner, but he wouldn't listen. And I keep thinking, maybe if I do X, Y, and Z, it will give us six months. Maybe I can close CommTech Professionals, LLC and start CommTech Professionals, Inc. Maybe I could find new partners. And so on. But the reality is that at this point, my X, Y, and Z should be things done to find work and income for me and not for CommTech.
4.) Depression - I've definitely had this one. I know I'm a wreck emotionally. I'm not sleeping well. I have frequent periods of overwhelming feelings of doom and dread. My shoulder is acting up, my neck hurts, and I've got new pain in my other shoulder. And I've been losing weight faster than what I can attribute to exercise alone.
5.) Acceptance - I'll let you know when I get there. I mean, I go through periods of acceptance, but I quickly slip back to step one and repeat the cycle.
That's it for now on this topic. More news next week, I'm sure.
That's right, a job offer. I really want to continue doing what I do as an independent contractor, or perhaps starting another company. But I'm also exploring full time jobs, and there are actually a few companies out there that I would like to work for that have expressed interest in having me work for them. And I've sent my resume and let a few people know I'm looking. And Rachel and I did a spreadsheet with expenses and income and figured out what I need to make. If someone comes in with an offer in the neighborhood, I will probably take it.
I've got to give some thanks to my little sister giving her big brother some advice in a long conversation we had last week. Thanks, sis. I wouldn't be open to the idea of working for someone else if we hadn't had that talk.
Anyway - this is one of the biggest bummers I've had to deal with in a long time. And I think I've been going through those five stages of grief. I've read that originally, it was not the "five stages of grief," but rather, the "five stages of receiving catastrophic news."
I'm calling it the "five stages of realizing that it is better to dissolve the business you have spent almost five years building and start over than to try to keep it afloat."
1.) Denial - I think part of me still thinks something will happen to save it. Note I said 99% sure. So I've got some of that.
2.) Anger - I am really angry at our old partner for taking far more out than he put in to our company, for turning down work, and for working on enriching himself through other business ventures while Chris and I were full time and more trying to build CommTech. And he doesn't care a lick about keeping the business going, he just wants money that isn't there. And I have some anger for resellers who used us to help them win business and then didn't honor their committment to us to staff the projects we helped them win. And I even had some anger with Chris for taking a full time job rather than finding another contract. I had job offers back in November that I turned down to stay with CommTech thinking that in the long run it would be better for everyone. But I understand that he is making the best decision for him.
3.) Bargaining - well we tried bargaining with our old partner, but he wouldn't listen. And I keep thinking, maybe if I do X, Y, and Z, it will give us six months. Maybe I can close CommTech Professionals, LLC and start CommTech Professionals, Inc. Maybe I could find new partners. And so on. But the reality is that at this point, my X, Y, and Z should be things done to find work and income for me and not for CommTech.
4.) Depression - I've definitely had this one. I know I'm a wreck emotionally. I'm not sleeping well. I have frequent periods of overwhelming feelings of doom and dread. My shoulder is acting up, my neck hurts, and I've got new pain in my other shoulder. And I've been losing weight faster than what I can attribute to exercise alone.
5.) Acceptance - I'll let you know when I get there. I mean, I go through periods of acceptance, but I quickly slip back to step one and repeat the cycle.
That's it for now on this topic. More news next week, I'm sure.
posted by Eric Soderstrom at 5:09 PM
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