We have about a foot of fine powder on the ground. That is a lot for the area of Wyoming where we live, usually a snowstorm just drops a few inches. Before those of you in snowier areas start scoffing, you must realize that while Wyoming does not get a LOT of snow in this area, Mother Nature makes the most of what does come down. A little goes a long way… Literally. We joke that snow in Wyoming buries cattle in Nebraska.
The snow blows into drifts, and when the wind blows hard, it creates a “ground blizzard”. You’ll be lost in a blizzard even though there is not a cloud in the sky, because of the snow from the ground that is blowing up into this dense fog. It does some other interesting things too.

So what does that have to do with business? We have a property management contract, where we are repairing some long-neglected houses and cottages. It is a good contract, but this is a hard time of year to make progress. The owner lives in another state (we document progress with reports and photos), so we do the work that needs done to clean up the property, seal the leaks in the roofs, repair broken windows and doors, and get the units ready for rental. It has been neglected for so long that it is a long term project, and we are having to progress one task at a time – first weatherproofing the buildings to stop further decay, next getting the three best buildings rentable by spring. Later, more intensive repairs and modifications on the other buildings, one at a time.

Anyway, he began the purchase in September. We hoped it would go through in time to get in a little late roofing so that the major buildings would not have further water damage. The title transfer did not complete until November. We had a fairly warm fall, so we continued to hope that if we repaired the roofs in a little bit of a non-standard way, that we’d still be able to do it this year. Otherwise we’d have to wait until late spring.

We got one of the large roofs done, and we had gorgeous weather for the week it took to do it. Then it got cold, and the snows hit. We’ve had storm after storm and have barely been able to begin work on the second large building that needs roofing done. It has been so cold that the other work that needs to be done is also going very slowly. There is no power on yet, so no heat, so we cannot work there long in the current cold.

Our business is pretty flexible most of the time, we have many things we can juggle around, so if his stuff is on hold, then there are other things to do for other clients. If they are also on hold, we have plenty of our own sites to develop. But working on our own sites means deferred income – work now, get paid a little each month for years afterward. So it also means we have to juggle finances if we have to juggle clients.

We certainly will have a White Christmas though. No doubt about that – unless the wind picks up between now and then, and blows it all to Omaha!

Odd, but web design business with my particular clientele is SUPPOSED to slow down around Christmas. It has not. Contracts that had slowed have picked back up, new options have come in, and I even landed a new contract yesterday – a rush job for a couple that wants to be well positioned for the local tourist season.

I’ve launched a total of 4 new sites (including this blog) within the last three weeks. We’ve also been working hard on a local property management contract – out of my usual scope of work, but what the heck? The owner is great to work for, the work is something we are skilled at doing, and the job needs doing.

Our town is also on the verge of change – Changes that are surprisingly, making national news headlines. And no offense to any environmentalists, but our town is overwhelmingly in favor of the changes (if you wanna know more, just do a net search on “Medicine Bow Coal to Liquids” and see what that gets you). Alternative energy is a hugely hot topic right now, and a lot is riding on this project.

Anyway, locally it means that I have found myself right back in the middle of the economic development arena. In a way it feels like going backward instead of forward, because I’ve been there before. During my first stint as Web Admin for the town, long before my youngest son was diagnosed with cancer, and before our daughter’s condition, birth, and death swept us into a different reality.

This time things are different though. The first time I went in, blythely unaware of what I was getting into. Locals were obstructive rather than helpful, organizations that were there to help scoffed at me, and it all fizzled into a discouraging battle that I just did not have the energy to fight alone.

Just a little background to make sense of that, I live in a town of less than 300 people. Big town politics got nuthin’ on small town pettiness. People here will fight for their tiny chunk of power in very aggressive ways. And someone can get elected just by who they know, not WHAT they know.

So here I am back in the middle of it again, only this time there are people who want to work together to make something happen, and the outside organizations are offering support. I’ve even been asked to present a speech at an ecomonic development event – on the topic of using the web to benefit small businesses. It is a great opportunity since it is county wide, and will have many state organization reps there.
I’m still not sure I want to be the one to take up the drum and make it happen, but it is something I know won’t get done if I don’t get behind it. There just aren’t enough people here with an interest and knowledge who CAN lead any kind of citizen’s group.

All of those factors though mean that I am being pulled in a lot of directions. Hoping I can organize it all and balance my time so I don’t lose sight of my kids, or neglect my clients who are my first business priority.

I joined the Laramie Area Chamber of Commerce as well, so there are things in that membership that are taking me outside my comfort zone. In a good way, I think, but none-the-less intimidating!

Surprising position to find myself in actually. Sort of outside my image of myself.