Your Own Business Part 1 by Walter Biscardi

[Rick Dolishny]

This forum is the single most useful thing on the COW.

And this thread I may have to read on my way to the office every single day. Maybe use a hundred little post-it notes on my walls too.

[Rennie Klymyk]

I remember one time when my landlord decided to renovate the entire building I was in. The attic would be removed and 20′ ceilings would ensue with a mezzimain in the back. As I had a small studio there I spoke to the contractor about putting the mezzimain in the front where my reception and office was and where the clients entered off the street. This would leave me with a high ceiling in the studio space. The contractor thought for a moment and said ” yes it is feasible and wouldn’t be a biggie for him to do”. He thought at most it may run into an extra couple hundred bucks but in reality it was just a reverse process given the layout of the building. After taking my request to the owner I found out the architect had a $1000.00 minimum fee for any changes to the blueprints. Architects have it figuered out.
That said, I will bend over backwards for regular cliens or clients who are reasonable regarding costs, who pay their way and who don’t try to squeeze me for a cheap deal. Like Walter pointed out above, our work is not cookie cutter products that we merely stamp out and sell. Each one is one of a kind, like a Picasso. I think even Picasso would never really know when the piece was actually complete. As long as it was still on the easle (timeline) he could always add a touch of color here or there.

WHAT HAPPENED?
As I was expected to move into a completed unit around the corner (that had no lease hold improvements like carpet and paint) for 3 months and then move back into the completed unit next to mine afterwards because they already leased my original space. (I was to take the next unit beside my old one, so new address, stationery etc. etc.) I ended up moving a few blocks over with a new landlord where I stayed for 12 years.