I've been in the direct marketing industry for 30 years and in all that time I've never taken a non-working vacation, nor have I taken a vacation of more than 5 consecutive days. The reason for this is mostly because I was either a commissioned sales person who didn't earn when I was out of the office, or a business owner who was needed in the office (or so I thought!)

But times are changing! My kids are getting older (as am I) and vacation time with them will probably end soon. So from time to time I'll be taking a few days to enjoy my time with them, without the constant checking of email and working late into the night. Technology is a great thing, but at times it integrates itself so deeply that it overtakes and interferes with what should be life's simplest and purest joys. This is my attempt to take back and prioritize the hours of each day. 

Why no back-up? Thanks to our government's policies, taxes and penalties, it is no longer advantageous to grow a small business. Having employees adds so much to the total monthly expenses, that the government has made it a determent to hire. I've come to realize that it is not worth spending so much time dedicated to increasing profits and growing a company just so you might be lucky enough to keep 50-60% while the government walks away with 40-50% for doing nothing.

At this point, I would much rather work less, earn less and give a smaller group of clients our top level service, knowledge and products. My main focus in business was always to do whatever was needed to give my clients the absolute best overall service. The best way for me to do that today is to handle each customer on my own and offer my 30 years of experience to every client. At the same time, reduce overhead so that we can still offer the highest discounts from the best lists on the market.

The drawback is that there will be times when I'm limited or not available for short periods. I will keep clients up to date of my schedule through email and on this web page, and in most cases I will monitor email and still reply to requests within a day or so. I fully understand that there are times where a client needs answers or products on a rush basis. I will do my best so that no one is ever without my service or able to contact me when time is of the essence. 

Every client, regardless of their budget, is very important to me. I've made a career of offering all clients, big and small, the same top level service. Many companies try to appear larger than in fact they are...I'm pulling back the curtain and showing that we are truly a small business because I feel it is a huge benefit to customers. Would you rather work with a business owner, with 30 years experience, who has a vested interest in his clients success...or would you rather work with a large company, where you are one of many and probably deal with a list broker (or sales person) with 3 years or less of experience? I know which one I'd choose, and I'm betting you'd want the same. 

I hope everyone understands, and in the end I'm really only talking about a few days throughout the year. I've always been so dedicated to my customers, and have set a standard of responding to emails within minutes, so I felt the need to explain. 

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around for a while, you could miss it" - Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Sincerely,

Joe Borelli 

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