9. Chapter Nine
Chapter nine
R yder
I went out to the truck and grabbed the folder I kept all my receipts in and brought it into the house.
I knew I needed a better method than this, but I was typically in a rush, so I figured the fact that I wrote the customer’s name on top and managed to keep them all in the same place was about as organized as I could expect to be.
I sat down at the dining room table and divided out the receipts based on the jobs, then opened up my laptop.
Invoices really weren’t that hard to put together.
Hell, I had a software program that did most of the work.
All I had to do was enter the data, but that was the part I hated.
I liked working with my hands and building things, not entering numbers in spreadsheets and making sure everything adds up.
Exactly and that’s why you hired Brennan, I reminded myself.
I wondered if it would make me a horrible person if I left these for him to do when he started next week.
I gave it a little thought and decided that no, it wouldn’t, that’s why I was paying him.
Besides, my time would be better spent getting him an office set up.
I had two spare bedrooms upstairs that could be offices, but I didn’t want him having to go upstairs all the time, so that left two options.
The dining room or the family room. I had a kitchen table and rarely used the one in the dining room for anything but paperwork anyway, so that made the most sense.
I looked at the paperwork all piled on my table and sighed.
This room could make a really nice office space, but it needed some help to get there.
With the French doors that opened out onto the side yard that I’d turned into a patio, it got lots of natural light.
All it really needed was the office furniture and equipment, and he’d be all set.
I checked the time. If I wasn’t doing the invoices this morning, I should have time for a trip to the office supply store.
But if I was going to buy him a desk and move this table, I was going to need a hand.
I called up Cooper to see if he’d help me get everything situated before time for our ride.
It took us the rest of the morning, but by the time we were done, Brennan had a nice office all set up. “I wonder if I should get some filing cabinets. Do you think I need filing cabinets?” I asked.
“I think the two filing cabinet drawers under the desk should be enough, but if not, you can always get one later on.”
“That makes sense, I guess. But this is his first job, so I want him to have everything he needs.”
“Do you even know what his job is?”
“Well, answering the phone, of course, and setting up appointments for estimates. Then preparing the invoices and stuff like that.”
“Stuff like that?” Coop asked.
“We’ll figure it out as we go. I’ve never had an office person before, so I’m not even sure what kinds of things he’ll do. Getting all the invoices done and getting things organized the way he wants should keep him busy for a while.”
“I think you got pretty much everything he could need. He has an entire drawer full of office supplies, a brand-new computer, not to mention a brand-new desk and an ergonomic chair. I think he’s all set. Are you sure about this, Ryder?”
“You just spent the whole morning helping me get everything all set up, so I think you know I am. Why?”
“Look,” he said, sitting on the edge of the desk. “We’ve been telling you for months that you needed to hire someone to run the business end of things and free you up to do the part that you love.”
“Exactly, so what’s the problem?”
“I didn’t say there was a problem. I’m just wondering why now. You hadn’t seemed to be in a hurry to do it, even though you knew you needed to, until Brennan came along and needed a job.”
“I guess it just made sense, you know. I needed somebody. He needed a job.”
“We all know how important your business is to you, so I guess it just surprised us you’d hire someone who didn’t have any experience.”
“He has a degree in business management, Coop. I’m pretty sure he can handle answering my phones.”
“I’m sure he can. I just want to make sure you’re thinking with the right head where he’s concerned.”
“It will be fine. He’s going to be answering the phones and creating invoices, not running my business.”