Last year I had $224,225.77 in business expenses.
That's a metric fuck ton of cash for a small business to be throwing down, and probably more than my mother ever made in her entire life. And yet, I've never been so pleased and here's why:
When you do it right, your expenses aren't expenses. They're tools.
Most people are afraid to spend money. They're afraid it won't be worth it. But, is that what they're really worried about?
When you're deciding whether to invest in a new web design, hire that contractor, go the extra mile in the name of the experience (or even your integrity), or host twenty people in Central America, there are two questions you need to ask yourself:
1. Will spending this money make me money?
2. Now, soon or later?
The first question is important, because spending money in business should always make you money in business. ROI is not just for people who like math.
The second question is about how you prioritize the order in which you spend money. I prioritize spending money in the order of what produces an ROI now, soon and later. Because having a quick turnaround on ROI now will help you reinvest more money for later, enabling you to do bigger things—and enjoy bigger returns.
But notice the question “Is it worth it?” doesn't appear here. Because it's always worth it if you're doing it right. It's always worth it if your expenses aren't just mere expenses, but investments.
Could I have taken two hundred grand and bought a really fucking fancy foreign import car that made me look like hot shit? Yeah. But the road stops there. Pun emphasized.
Have the foresight to stop masturbating with your money.
Even if you're barely scraping by, save SOMETHING to reinvest in your business—even if it's only $5 bucks a day. You can afford $5 a day. Don't be a slave to yourself for the rest of your life. Working for the sake of it is a fool's errand.
Investing in your business is really an investment in you, and it is worth it.
The only problem is now you've got a new problem: Not whether it's worth it, but whether you can handle having no more excuses, no more “somedays,” and no more fooling yourself that you just haven't made it because you haven't really tried. Because then it'll be time to perform.
And that's what really prevents most people from spending the money necessary to make this thing work. Because making it work means making them work.
Good thing you aren't most people.