You drive these incredible sports cars that I love working on, you never seem stressed or rushed, you're always taking trips away and doing things just for fun. And money, you never seem to be short there either. How the heck do you manage it?

Before I could offer any opinion, Charlie caught his breath.

Here I am, a damn good mechanic, I work my backside off six, sometimes seven days a week, and yet I barely make enough to have any leftover for fun. And even if I did, when would I have the time to enjoy it?

I didn't think the dramatic monologue was over. He didn't let me down.

I think I'm doing all I can. Each month I place ads in the local paper, I do mailbox drops, and occasionally I even do spots on radio.

It seems like things pick up when we do a spurt of advertising, but it's often followed by a trough, and at the end of the month it can be a battle to cover the overheads.

Charlie wasn't the first person I'd met with this affliction, a person working for himself, but really just owning a job.

It quickly became clear that just like our conversations had been one-dimensional in the past, so too had Charlie's perception of how to make a business more profitable. His mantra was simple: Throw a few ads here and there and then let's hope enough people pick up the phone or walk through the door to make it all worthwhile.

He was certainly telling the truth about his craftsmanship. Charlie is a first-rate mechanic. I always feel totally comfortable entrusting my repairs to him.

As for the business, well to me, it seemed to have great potential. More than just your average garage, he also had a small spare parts division and a detailing service. All together he had four people working for him.

I waited to see if he was finished. He opened his mouth, but it was just to accommodate a big sigh. 26