Friday, August 21, 2009

Definition of Business for the Techies

I do business with a great number of people, from "Whose turn is it to buy ice-cream?" all the way to classroom training sessions and major upgrades to applications.

During a bad spell eight years ago, my accountant spread out my annual figures, both sheets, and asked me "How's business?". "Great", I said, I'd never been busier!".

He paused, started at the sheets in front of him and said "Where's the money?".

I started off on my litany of stuff, phone calls, letters, Christmas Cards, enquiries, proposals etc, and he cut me short:

"Business is the exchange of two pieces of paper, ONE of which MUST be a cheque."

Duh!

I walked out of there elated at this new-found insight, across the street to get a haircut (those were the days!), and fell into despondency, for Patrick cut hair on a cash basis. I brightened up as he tucked a paper serviette into my shirt collar. Patrick and I are exchanging two pieces of paper, one of them a ten-dollar bill. We are Doing Business.

I felt so pleased I decided to get the bus back home instead of walking nine bus-stops home. On boarding the bus, I dropped in my metal token and received a (paper) transfer.

Now I'm Doing Business with the TTC!

As I pondered my good fortune I grew exceeding happy, and jumped off at The East Mall, dove into Dominion and bought a celebratory four-litre tub of ice-cream. The cashier gave me a receipt.

Now I'm Doing Business with Dominion A&P!

Trivial examples, I know, but daily they serve as a reminder of the ultimate aim of technical work in any enterprise – to receive a cheque in exchange for a deliverable.

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