Facing the hard facts of a life in business

Running a small business can take a horrendous toll on family and private life.

It has only been in the past year of the five years since husband and wife team, Cassandra and Jeff Stipanicev, bought confectionery manufacturer Walker’s Candy Co that they have been able to take the weekends off.

“Not every weekend necessarily, but more often than not. Up until three and a half years ago, I don’t think we had any time off,” Ms Stipanicev said.

Melissa Romano and Izzi Messina, both in their early 20s, work seven days a week in their franchised Gelatino ice cream operation – five days in the office and the weekends at their Fremantle shop.

“We have to do that to drive the business, but later on we know we will get time out and be rewarded,” Ms Romano said.

“We do that now, while we are young and able to.”

Tony Westall made the decision “to bleed for three years” to establish his specialised security, safety and risk management company, Gone in 5.

“Everything that was important in my life, with the exception of my marriage, I was prepared to put them on hold for that time until I had built a platform. That’s the price you pay,” Mr Westall told the SME forum.

The business has been running for five years and is still only a one-man operation, but it is a different shape than what it was five years ago.

“Now, if someone wants me outside business hours, that’s negotiable, but it is my decision,” Mr Westall said.

For the sake of her husband and two young children, Icon Business Solutions’ Deborah Pitter has become highly protective of her after-hours time.

It was for the flexible working hours that she and business partner, Paul Reed, acquired the WA Icon master franchise in the first place.

“I find that if you set boundaries and deliver a good quality service, people respect that. It is when you don’t deliver that they then have an issue and that’s fair enough,” Ms Pitter said.

Relocations West Pty Ltd’s Pauline Pietersen and her husband, Leon, have been in businesses of their own for 23 years.

“When you are young and very gung ho, you work 14 hours a day in the office, then carry on talking about it in the evening, Ms Pietersen said.

“But there comes a time when, either you have kids or you decide enough is enough, that you actually have to make a conscious decision to separate business from private life. It is a discipline thing, the proper arrangement of your daily diary.

“I would say we’ve managed that at least for the last 10 years, unless we are setting up a new business or going through a particular phase of a business.”