Treating Your Household Like A Business Isn’t Rocket Science

Anybody can run a household like a business, but to do it effectively you first have to appoint a household CEO in order to get the job done. Of course, the best candidate for running your household is always … you.

For those of you who are already having doubts about taking on such an important role, stop it. After all, getting your financial house in order is not rocket science. And you can trust me on that one.

Rest assured; you don’t need to know anything too complicated. You certainly don’t need to know many mundane things either, unless it’s stuff like how long should you keep financial documents.

For instance, here’s a bit of wisdom that the good folks at the Wharton School of Business will never give to their prospective students: You don’t have to have an MBA to be a successful corporate CEO.

In fact, being a CEO for a Fortune 500 company doesn’t require a college degree — just ask Bill Gates. It may be hard to believe, but I assure you that anybody who is armed with a toolbox of basic principles in hand has most everything they will ever need to handle the job of CEO, whether they are running a Fortune 500 corporation or a household of one.

Think I’m kidding? I’m not. According to USA Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, only one-third of all American CEOs could claim to be a holder of an MBA.

After all, it’s not as if the holder of an MBA can say with any certainty that he or she will make a top-notch CEO. For example, the late Kenneth Lay, infamous ex-CEO of Enron, held an MBA as well as a Ph.D. in economics.

I’m not trying to bash people who hold MBAs. But I am trying to stress that if multi-billion dollar companies can be run by people without all of the studying and training that is required to earn an MBA, then it certainly follows that it doesn’t take a lot of hokey financial theory to be an effective household CEO either.

Why? Because the job of household CEO really only relies on your understanding of a few basic principles, a bit of common sense, and a commitment to becoming financially free — regardless of your household income.

A good household CEO understands the power of these four principles:

• The consequences of fiscal irresponsibility
• The difference between a want and a need
• The importance of personal responsibility
• The power of compound growth

Once you grasp those principles, then you’re well on your way to being a successful household CEO and gaining your financial freedom!

Hey, if a guy like Bill Gates can successfully build and run a company like Microsoft for decades without ever having taken a business course, then you can run your own household without an MBA.

Being a household CEO isn’t a tough assignment. Childbirth is tough. A double root canal is tough. But running your household …

I think you get the picture.

Photo Credit: Ell Brown