Bare Bones Business: Business survival skills ... for inmates

A … prison?

I found out the order was placed by Randy Mackenzie who, with his wife, Shirley, owns a commercial cleaning business specializing in restaurants and drive-through banks.

Near their business is a medium-to-maximum security prison, owned by Corrections Corporation of America.

The prison offers educational opportunities to the inmates. And when prison officials decided to add a commercial cleaning class, they asked Randy Mackenzie to teach it.

Mackenzie agreed and started teaching technical cleaning skills to his students. He found out right away that most of these guys know how to clean.

“I was supposed to teach them how to buff a floor,” Mackenzie said. “There were a few guys in my class who could work a floor with a buffer in each hand.

The problem was that once they got out, they might find a job cleaning floors. But a minimum-wage job is not going to cut it. They can’t survive or provide for their families with that kind of job. So I started teaching them what I knew about business.”

Mackenzie teaches inmates how to read financial reports, price products and devise business plans.

Survival training

What about his superiors? Mackenzie was hired to teach tech skills. How does the warden feel about this class and his expanded curriculum?

“The warden is a good man. Security is his priority,” Mackenzie replied. “He also believes that some of these guys deserve a shot at rehabilitation. To that end, I also include survival training in our commercial cleaning class.”

Really? I asked Mackenzie to expand on that.

“For many of them, getting out of prison can be a big challenge. What are they going to do that first day, the first 24 hours, so that they don’t get into trouble? If you don’t have a support system … your options are pretty limited.

“So, I teach them how to wash windows, in a professional way. When they get out, they can make it through the first 24 hours if they get themselves a motel room so they have a place to sleep that night.

“Next, go to Wal-Mart. Buy a bucket, a squeegee, a scrubber and a small bottle of Joy liquid detergent. Then go offer their window-washing services to someone. Make some money, and you can buy yourself a steak dinner and pay for your motel room for the next night.

“One of our inmates did this and his first week out he made $1,200. That got him going. Now he and his wife have a power-washing company and are pretty proud of what they have accomplished.

“Once they survive the first day, the first week, their chances of staying out of prison improve. It isn’t just about surviving, either. In class, we listen to Dale Carnegie, Steven Covey, Zig Ziglar and other motivational speakers. We practice sales techniques. I want these guys to thrive in their lives outside of prison.”

Hiring a convict

Even in the best of circumstances, business isn’t for everyone.

What other options do his students have? Is hiring a convict ever a good idea?

“Drugs, addiction – these are the big problems. We talk about this in class,” Mackenzie said. “I asked the guys to come up with guidelines for hiring someone with a criminal record. They came up with a really strict policy.

“They recommended drug testing upon hiring and frequent surprise drug tests. If you want to stay clean, you can’t work around people who are doing drugs. A zero-tolerance policy is good business. They also included indicators that would let a boss know when an employee was slipping … coming in late, looking sloppy, missing work.

“Also, if you are considering hiring someone with a record, call their references from prison.

“I will tell people straight up what I think about one of our inmates and how great a risk he poses to an employer – or what a good employee he could be.”

Hiring someone with a record may not be a good move for you. However, a lot of people make mistakes. They hang out with the wrong people, get caught up in drugs, make poor choices, and sometimes they get caught.

Some who go to prison end up worse for the experience. Some use their time to plan a better future.

Those folks are well served to have Mackenzie as their mentor.

Ellen Rohr is an author and business consultant who offers systems for getting focused and organized, making money and having fun in business. Her latest book is “The Bare Bones Biz Plan.” She can be reached at ellen@barebonesbiz.com.[[In-content Ad]]