Building the Next Business

Our family is starting a group of family businesses. We are in the process of developing our independence. There are two businesses we have started to make that happen for our family. One is the website we are planning to launch this spring. the other is the greenhouse. We will be growing mums and poinsettias because of the blessing of the greenhouse. Which is truly a great and wonderful gift. The thought of the greenhouse meant a great deal to Bill, the owner, myself and to our oldest daughter.

Lyndsay can see the idea of promise of the greenhouse and the possibilities of the future of the greenhouse. For her the greenhouse is another way to explore her love of flowers and plants. It is a way to make our family grow like her flowers and all the things she loves to make grow. Because she is older, she can see the bigger picture of having a family business. She sees how the family business means that we can work from home. Her enthusiasm for the project was contagious with every one of the girls.

The first needed step was to move the greenhouse. There seems to be one problem. The greenhouse is a behemus!!!! About 27 feet by 70 feet with only one actual end with a door and the other part is attached to a garage that we are not actually moving. Although there are no actual pieces of glasses, there is a frame for what should be multiple panes of glass from one end to another. The whole idea of moving it from its original space to our small 5 acre farm sounded simple enough. But I am told I am beyond optimistic.

The greenhouse sits on the land where Bill, the orignal owner, is trying to sell his house. It is not considered by most prospective buyers as a sellng point. Moving it becomes important to the sale of the houses. Having it on the premises as the house is being shown complicates the sale. It would help to have the building moved. That puts another layer of pressure on the project. Another point of frustration in the project management of the household and the movimmng of the family businesses forward.

The greenhouse originally was covered with heavy plastic sheeting, which had a few significant tears. But each of the sheets seemed to have a salvageable portion for use once it was moved to its new location. Mother Nature had another consideration. Shortly into the new year, there was another strong wind storm. This storm lifted long streamers of plastic off of the wooden frame to dance in the wind. Multiple shreds of plastic hung in declaration of the rough storm of the night. It was another set back in the moving forward of the business plans.

When Barry, and the crew arrived to begin to take down the greenhouse. Barry began the project with some hesitation. He felt overwhelmed by the massive frame and yards of plastic. He wanted a blueprint for the move. Something to make the complex task more simple. To be honest, I had hopes that once the tear down began the enthusiasm to move it and have it set up would fuel the process. I said I was optimistic.

A good friend of ours, Phil, had arrived and began to plan the order of events and the ultimate way to move the greenhouse. Phil has a way of making each project, regardless of the work, a can-do thing. The two boys, Sam and Kyle, worked with the two men to make the dream move forward. Phil and his good humor gave the project a nudge. Despite the conflicts of work schedules and practices of other children, the work moved on. They worked until almost dark.

We, girls were at home working on things at the house. Well, to be honest, I had actually spent a good part of the day lying in bed with a headache. During their time away we worked to do laundry and plan dinner.

Laundry always seems to steal time from all other projects. Two or three loads were run through the cycles. Clothes folded and put away. Rooms were dusted, and floors scrubbed. Dishes washed and put away. Dinner was planned. Okay, dinner ultimately became carry out pizza- but it was a plan.

The sky slowly darkened and in they came, cold, tired and frustrated with the work. Barry looked to me, and told me the work was far from done. His frustration written on his face. He knew how much the moving of the building meant to me. He knew that the plans for our family seemed to hinge on the building. The thought of working for days to tear down the building in order to move it to our place seemed somewhat useless. My optimism was soon slowed with the reality that one entire cold and windy Saturday was spent primarily in the removing of the plastic and planning the order of unscrewing of the frame. Not nearly as far as we hoped it would be. Barry grumbled that I had no idea how much work was left. Most likely he was right. But it needed moved.

Kyle came in tired and cold, not anxious to return to the site to move the building. He supported Barry's thoughts of how much work remained to be done. Kyle was also frustrated that he had other things that needed to be done in the barn, and chicken coop. This was not where he wanted to place his energy. Not where he would choose to spend his time.

It was Sam that was excited about the project. Sam told of taking off the plastic, unscrewing the plastic from the frame and having the opportunity to work with his dad at something important, shown brightly in his eyes. His excited face spoke volumes of what the experience meant to him. He was suddenly near grown-up as he recounted his day to us.

Only Sam seemed to be interested in doing more. He somehow felt a part of the project. He wanted to help make this happen and make it happen very soon. For being 10 years old, he seemed to understand how important moving the greenhouse was to me.

A few weeks later, the greenhouse still stands on its original spot. We had hoped for good weather. Instead this week we had snow - in April! Another slow down in moving the business forward. A delay in the finishing of the first step in the plans.

A call came in and theBll's house is being shown to prospective buyers. The greenhouse needs to be moved even faster than before. His daughter called to say the buyers were interested in the house. Another push to make the project happen.