Q: I own an event planning business that is 10 years old. Over the past couple of years I have lost quite a bit of money mostly because of small oversights. Just when I think I’m coming out of a financial hole something happens to cause a setback. Last week I quoted, both verbally and in writing a printing price to a company for an event brochure only to discover that the printing price was actually $2000 more in cost than I told my client. My client has informed me that they will only pay my written price. This means that I will have to cover the extra cost. This is the kind of thing that has happened several times in the past couple of years. How can I get my life into better balance?
- Trisha

A: $2000 misquote can wreak havoc on a small business. This situation sounds less like being out of balance and more like the need to pay attention to detail and focusing on your work. Think of focusing as walking on a balance beam — slow and steady concentrating all of your energy on staying on it while moving ahead.

When I was about seven years old, I watched an older kid in our neighborhood hold a magnifying glass over a pile of newspapers and start a fire. Of course, the other kids on the block were awed and fascinated by this stunt. I tried endlessly to duplicate the feat, but nothing happened. One day my grandfather noticed my frustration and walked over to me, as I was sitting on the sidewalk. He explained that the fire wasn't igniting because I wasn't focusing the lens on the magnifying glass steadily over the newspaper in line with the sunlight. At that point, Grandpa placed his hand over mine, and we held the magnifying glass near the edge of the papers. Because of this focused action, the sun's energy intensified through the glass, and a fire started. Needless to say, my popularity soared among the other kids. Thanks to Grandpa, I had learned the importance of being focused.

One definition of focusing is "point of concentration." This is exactly where we need to be in our endeavors - a point of concentration.

A laser is one steady stream of light with the force of many beams concentrated into that one stream. This, too, is focusing. This kind of focusing should be applied to your work or anything you want to accomplish well. All of your energies must be concentrated into one energy for you to do your best thinking, your best creating, and your best decision-making.

It is important to learn the art of focusing and remaining focused in order to accomplish your goals and make your business profitable. If you practice paying attention to detail it will lead you into a concentrated focus and will help eliminate these problems you have faced.

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