Successful Saturday

Oh man, so much to say, so much to update on. Where have I been?

Darling and I have had the keys to "our" house since the first of the month, but we've been sleeping here for less than a week and I've spent almost zero time here except to sleep - and not much of that. We purchased a super-comfy inflatable mattress that has worked astoundingly well. Maybe camping for several months straight gives one an appreciation for such things, but really I think it's more comfortable than some mattresses I've used. We've purchased some groceries and Darling is master of the house: keeping up with dishes and laundry and forcing me to sit down and eat during my precious free moments before passing out.

And I have reached the level of exhaustion at which passing out is a serious concern. The Saturday before last R and I set up at the artist market and sold three guitars. I was dumbfounded to see one go, but three?! We only had nine to begin with, so this fantastic success was immediately followed by the realization that we have so much work to do.

We didn't even have enough product to make the next Saturday's market and determine if our first market was  a fluke. I've been working like crazy trying to get the next batch of instruments finished by this Saturday. The entire time I'm wondering about solvency. Could R and I actually do this for a living? How do I find out? I took a couple of instruments to a family member who has been building violins, guitars, and cellos professionally for about forty years, and he told me our instruments were of fantastic quality and under-priced. I couldn't believe my ears.

But I can't just walk away from the diner and hope a brand new business achieves solvency before next month's rent is due. In order for the business to succeed, I need enough stock to give it a chance. Which means many hours in the workshop. In order to continue buying groceries in the meantime, I need a reliable source of income. Which means many hours waiting tables. So I'll do both.

Today I was lucky: only one eight hour shift in the workshop. Yesterday was a little more challenging: eight hours at the diner, seven in the shop. Never mind the commute. I have five instruments on the bench I'm desperate to finish by Friday. I'm pretty much deciding not to sleep this weekend at all, but I am looking forward to a 24-hour period of rest early next week. Then I'll do the accounting and find out just how far away the business is from paying off the initial (sizable) start-up costs and producing an actual income. Depending on how we do on Saturday, we might actually be quite close!

Crazy April

This has been a completely insane month. I knew by late March that I would be overwhelmed, and pretty much looked forward to its conclusion from day one. Don't get me wrong, this April has been absolutely fantastic. In the past thirty days I have...

...celebrated my birthday, my Dad's, and my Aunts at an awesome party.

...started learning a new craft that has forced me to also learn musical theory, which I managed to largely postpone for most of my life so far, and attended my first craft fair as an artisan.

...accepted my first job as a sort of independent contractor and was treated like an actual carpenter, more so than when I was paying mad dues at the union.

...quit the full-time job that I sometimes loved and sometimes involved fearing for my own safety.

...gone on stage to deliver stand up comedy for the first time. It went went TERRIBLY, by the way, so much so that I'm actually looking forward to my next go. There's no way it could ever go that poorly again!

...Quit drinking. Um, mostly. After bombing last night, I did trade in my free drink ticket for a Shiner. But that was it.

I also dealt with the financial emergency that was Darling's shingles, paid May's rent early (so we're broke and ahead at the same time), and was offered a serving job at one of the busier-but-still-chill-and-not-as-corporate-as-it-could-be local diners in town. Oh, the bikes came in the mail! And there was probably some other stuff that has slipped my mind.

Heck, I even did everything on last week's to-do list, with days to spare. Including catching up on my sleep. What are the chances? Well, technically I didn't do well at open mic, but there's no helping that now. Here's what's on my plate for the following week:

- Renew my TABC and Food Handlers Certification

- Put my mountain bike back together/pick up Agni's old bike that's still at the co-op and get it functioning so I have a quick little road bike for my upcoming commute.

- Update my net worth, monthly tabulations, wall chart, and other YMOYL stuff

- Get my debit card from my credit union in order. I opened the account a few weeks ago with some cash, and pretty much left it at that.

- Learn one song on the guitar. I can play the dulcimer relatively well, but the chromatically fretted three-strings are still a mystery.

Frugality For The Fun Of It

Tonight is my last shift of full-time work. All afternoon today was spent sanding, finishing, and polishing some instruments. Tomorrow is more of the same, plus some drilling, gluing, and fastening, from the moment I get home at around eight a.m. to whenever we finish. It's equal parts fun, stressful, and instructive to be working towards our first deadline.

Sunday is my first craft fair. I know it will be one of many and every venue will be different, but I still feel like this fair ultimately determines whether R and I will sink or swim. Yet I don't really have the energy to be nervous about Sunday because I can't stop thinking about Monday.

Do you know what happens Monday? Not.a.thing. Nothing! Actually, I'm getting together with friends that evening to see a comedy show I have free tickets for, but officially I have no obligations for Monday. No more job, no emergency instrument building, possibly a little cash in my pocket if Sunday goes well...I can sleep in and spend my day however the mood strikes me. I will play some guitar, maybe finish my first water color, finish reading Down and Out in Pars and London (such a good book!), blog, do some laundry if I feel like it, and maybe prep the boxes for our next batch of guitars.

Actually, I might just sleep for sixteen hours before the comedy show. That sounds quite appealing. Maybe go swimming.

And then the remainder of April will be a matter of rebuilding my new standard of living. By May fourth I want to sign a lease for an apartment, which means, as I've mentioned before, having a lot of money in my pocket. I think I can get that money, and fast, via pedicabbing, so by Tuesday I should gather the paperwork for that. I'll be earning good cash by next weekend :)

I cancelled my dental appointment on Monday because I just couldn't cope with being broke within three days of getting my paycheck for the dozenth time. I'm so over that way of life. It's just too disheartening to put gas in the truck, pay the phone bill, and then have one medical expense/rent payment/whatever and then spend the next eleven days saying, "Yeah, I'd like to go out with you, but I really don't have even $5 to help pay for parking and if I have exactly enough gas to get to and from work every day this week!"

Yeah, over that. I'm totally earning more than enough money to get by from now on. No more scraping and scrimping. Frugality For The Fun Of It might just be the title of the next chapter of the challenge.

Moving Along

Not much in my life stays the same for very long, it seems, and blogging has felt almost like a retrogressive process because, the moment I publish a post, my best-laid plans have shifted tangentially off-center and I find myself heading in a completely different direction altogether!

R and I are still in business. I'll consider it a serious business after our first sell, which we've been putting off for the sake of accumulating inventory for our first fair. By the end of this month we intend to have about $2,500 worth of product. That's product, not profit, but I still like the look of our numbers. Thank God for our League of Investors, who have so far covered much of our tool and material expenses. It's amazing to have friends who really believe in me. It kind of takes away my right to not believe in myself.

I let myself hate my job a little more every day. It's still a non-profit, still the closest thing to doing no harm than I've ever gotten paid for, and still in the service industry, which I'm good at. The problem is that my position forces me to say "no" to people who would like to take advantage of me and my workplace. In fact, I have to sorely disappoint a shocking number of people who feel completely entitled to totally screw me and my employer. I actually miss waiting tables, where my job is to say "yes," and maybe commiserate on the rare occasion that my "yes" isn't magical enough to make everyone's dreams come true. I hate saying "no." I hate having to judge people, too. Because so many people are given the opportunity to endanger my workplace, I have to recognize those risks the moment they walk through the door and guard myself accordingly. Having dispelled what little romantic idealism I ever had in Detroit, the once soft-edges of my accepting and forgiving nature are growing ever sharper, ever more cynical. The time to step out of this environment is long overdue! Just seven more days, and it's just me and R and the shop!

In the meantime, Darling has a side job and has agreed to pay rent on the apartment we're hunting for. We've fallen in love with a particular neighborhood. It's a series of quiet cul de sacs located behind a grocery store, next to a comic store, across the street from a fantastically beautiful park, on a particularly useful bus route and along a great bike path. It's a twenty minute bike ride from the workshop, and close enough to central Austin to get decent work. Yet it's far enough south that rents are extremely reasonable. I can get a two-bedroom apartment here for the same price a studio goes for in my old neighborhood. One unit will be available in May and another in June. So the current Big Scary Question is do we move in two weeks, which feels way too soon, or in six weeks, which feels far too distant? If we go for the May deadline, we basically need the deposit this week. And then we will need rent in two more weeks. Which is insane. But I haven't had an insane short-term money goal in a while, and I really miss my privacy...

Coming Soon:
*  Will we make any money at my first craft show? Will we be a hit? Or laughed out of town? Will I have to get another job to survive, continuing my never-ending journey towards total burn-out, or is self-employment an actual possibility?
* Will Darling and I move into an apartment just weeks after leaving my full-time job/sole source of income? Are we really that stupid? What on earth will we do with two bedrooms and next to no possessions?
* Will we find a decent dumpster from which we can stock our refrigerator? Work part-time at a farm? How will we meet our needs on a part-time job and a fledgling crafts company?
Stay Tuned!

Diary Of A Gig

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted about my personal "chef" ad on craigslist. Although my potential client did not fit my target audience, he and I agreed that I'd cook for him as long as we both felt good about the situation. Basically, I wanted to cook lots of food for lots of money, and he neither wanted to cook for himself at all or go hungry. We acknowledged from he beginning that our priorities were a little asymmetrical, as he didn't want to devote much money to the deal

I went out of my way and worked on the cheap for J because I liked him, his energy, and his kitchen. But his price range was too little to replace my waitress income. I had to juggle both jobs, totally neglecting my non-work life in the meantime. By Thursday I was torn, tired, and mad with guilt. Taking the counsel of my friend R, I e-mailed him a letter to resign, but offered to come in one last time Friday.

Without R and Darling's encouragement, I never would have offered to do that. I felt guilty and shamed: like a failure. Loved ones insisted on proffessionalism, but I didn't see anything proffessional about the situation. I felt like a dumb kid who bit off more than she could chew and wanted out. I was convinced there was no way I'd actually go in for my last day after quiting, but somehow I did. I did the job like I had all week, with special care and consideration and yes - extreme enjoyment - because I really liked the gig.

And J took it really well, listened to my honest expalanation and seemed to totally understand and appreciate my position. He then mentioned that his bed and breakfast - located in New Zealand - is lacking the "breakfast" bit and he would love to have me and Darling help rectify that, if we should ever want to spend time there.

So in the act of admitting my limits and honestly acknowledging my needs, I may have landed a great job in a beautiful foreign country. I told J to keep in touch, my husband and I might be planning an extended trip upon graduation. In the meantime, I should work on further developing my domestic skills.

The Bright Side: Opportunities

Last week I received a response to my craigslist ad offering home-cooked dinners. The wife of a very pampered and wealthy man is leaving the country for two weeks and needs someone to feed him three meals a day five days a week. The past 72 hours have been a flurry of physical and mental activity as I worked to arrange meetings, menus and transport for this gig. Everything seems to be coming together nicely. I'm basically hired, I just need to learn stick (for the car I'm borrowing while a friend is at work) and remind myself I do in fact know how to cook.

I've also been asked to interview at a posh gym cafe downtown. The pay rate isn't too exciting, but one of the perks is a VIP gym membership. I just need to arrange time for an appointment between my new client's meals. I know I have this job already, I've never been denied employment after an interview. A nice morning job at a gym during the week would compliment my weekend waitressing nicely during the restaurant slow season.

I haven't been this busy in years, and it's wearing on me a little, but it is so exciting to be reminded of how many opportunities are available if I just look.

A Great Start

I've finally caught up with my classwork, and my grades are decent overall. Over the weekend, we also caught up financially, having barely scraped the edge of not making rent last month. The past several days I have barely had a moment awake at home, much less online. I worked out our Net Worth, which is slightly lower than last month's. I'll do an official post on that soon.

I feel very confident about this month. As of next Tuesday, I will be a qualified (though not certified) drafter. At the same time I am doing pretty well in school and am looking foward to a potential promotion before the end of Summer. Not only am I doing well in school and my current employment, but today I recieved an e-mail from a woman in North Austin interested in my help creating weekly freezer meals! I haven't responded yet, as I've been in a state of shock and fear, but I will by...ah, soon. Definitely by tomorrow morning.

Hope everyone else's August started off so well!

2nd Business Update

Home Business Update:
Ideas are easy, action is hard. For some reason the most exciting and worthwhile pursuits can feel dumb, dangerous, impossible, and boring when it comes to making the first step. These feelings worsen with the second step, and then the third...In my (limited, but valid) experience, great ideas feel like crap ideas until you actually start making money and/or generating praise for yourself. That's probably why everyone wants to be the mythical "Idea Person," who never has to work past the daydream.

This is a very lengthy way of explaining that I did not want to "work for myself" today. I wanted to spend time at my real job. I couldn't get anyone to give me their shift, but I did hear a rumor that my employers are experiencing difficulties that might result in massive layoffs. That had me running home and posting an ad for my services on Craigslist! Then I made breakfast, balanced the checkbook, washed the dishes, made lunch, and blogged. I keep thinking of things I need to do, getting sidetracked, daydreaming, and worrying. I have experienced these feelings before, and understand they represent a transitional period in my life. Which is good, but disorienting.

I will create a webpage soon (now? Maybe), to post my menu. In the meantime, many people have said they would pay for the services I am willing to offer. How much would you pay? A basic dinner package would include a beverage such as fresh squeezed juice or mint tea, salad, bread rolls (choice between garlic, corn bread, or butter and honey), an entree (anything from egg rolls to pizza to quiche), two sides (mashed potatoes, vegan "chicken" nuggets, steamed veg, etc.), and dessert. I would serve the food to clients on a set table (providing my own table cloth and cloth napkins for convenience), package leftovers, wash dishes and clean the floor behind me. I'm hoping clients will purchase their own food, but am prepared to do the shopping if necessary. I expect to feed 4-6 people/meal. Keep in mind I won't be selling food by the serving, but the whole. Clients will receive entire pies rather than a slice, a pot of chili rather than a bowl.

What would this be worth to the average middle class family tired of fighting traffic and dinner crowds, eager to conserve gas and eat a healthy dinner in their own comfortable setting?

Business Update

Yesterday I worked four hours on my new business project. I created a dinner menu and wrote a press release of sorts that may go into a flier or website or both. My menu has 3 beverages, 3 types of bread, 5 salads, 10 entrees, 10 sides, and 3 types of dessert. Many items have gluten-free and/or vegan options available. Since food would be produced and served by the pot or pan, not by the plate, there doesn't need to be as large a variety as many restaurants serve. And of course I can produce so much more than what's on the menu, which just needed to be a good overview of options.

Next week Darling and I will take some photos to decorate said flier and/or website, create flier and/or website, and advertise.

Seems simple enough, right?

Dreaming

This morning I sifted through a large bag of garbage (of the soon-to-be-rotting food variety) to find two tiny lost hearing aids, and didn't receive so much as a 'thank you' from the frantic and angry mother of the kid who left them in his crumpled napkin earlier that day. That pretty much sums up my weekend :/

All further encouragement to try out the "kitchen helper" business idea, along with that of my lovely readers (y'all have no idea how much good you do me!). I think I'll work on the website this month (probably a blogger.com site), and start actively seeking clients in August or September when I'll only be taking classes a few times a week and can take unlimited time off from my current job. I'm still not sure exactly what services to offer, especially since I don't have any official certifications besides TABC. My most basic idea is to offer a "date at home," during which I would provide a healthy organic meal (chosen from a menu in advance, possibly prepared in clients' kitchens), serve it at the table at a set time (including fresh bread, appetizers, entree, salad, desert, even beverages such as sugar-free lemonade or even wine), and clean up after myself and them. For romantic dates, I could provide nice tablecloths, candles, and flowers. For family meals (though I wouldn't feel comfortable serving many more than six) I could provide sneakily healthy side dishes for children, such as pureed kale hidden in tomato sauce, or nutritional yeast hidden in macaroni and cheese. I'd like to offer the services of a maid or personal chef on a non-pretentious, affordable level to people who are used to spending loads of money eating out at expensive and unhealthy restaurants.

And I would love IT! This is a service I have provided to friends on a weekly basis for years.

Over the next few weeks, I will iron out the details, work on the site, discuss set-backs and resolutions (will I need a totally new wardrobe?! Will the yuppie population let a "clean" hippie cook her herbs in their homes? What sort of legal precautions do I need for this sort of thing? Yikes!) and ask readers for advice and support. I talked about operating a business before, but the cookie company felt too heavy from the beginning. This feels perfect and laid back, (besides the fear of someone accusing me of giving them food poisoning!!!).

A Brainstorm Session

Unexpected expenses have us frowning at our Money Tracker; we're $126 behind, and that's a number that increases by 55 every day! I might work during the week after school, but Darling and I agreed that Friday afternoon will be my official freelance work day. I will be checking out Melinda's recommended E-lance.com and trolling about on craigslist.org. I might make bids for small CAD projects on websites like this, or I might try my hand at free-lance journalism. I'm beginning to look at traditional employment as an unpleasant habit. I'd rather be a personal chef or cook than work as a server at someone else's restaurant.

(Oh, wow, is there a great business idea in there? I know loads of healthy, vegetarian and vegan and gluten free dishes and desserts. Could I offer my services as an "occasional cook" or kitchen assistant? I could visit clients' once a week and bake a week's worth of bread and pasty, offer a menu of lunch and dinner options, help write healthy and affordable shopping lists, cook freezer meals..?)

So, ah, the brainstorm begins.

Baking Buddy Follows Up

Baking Buddy and I had our first meeting today during a work break. We discussed a number of topics, including our views on corporate responsibility. It's a relief that she feels the same way I do: businesses should be as environmentally friendly and supportive to their community as possible. The last time I considered starting a business, someone told me that you either do it for the money or it's a waste of your time. It is my opinion that the opportunity to produce a truly worthwhile product can be more valuable than money. So many companies cut corners on quality and even morality in the name of profit, I don't want to be a part of that. Maybe we'll fall off the side of this flat Earth, but I think we'll be in good company.
We're taking off work on the 9th to attend a local businesses support group called Small Bites Austin. Hopefully they'll be able to answer our questions about legal steps we need to take. In the meantime we've found a local commercial kitchen for rent. Until the 9th we're going to focus on experimenting in our own kitchens and dreaming, make sure we actually have a worthwhile product.

Serendipitous Connection

A year ago I was desperately seeking out someone who would help make my dream of owning a baking company possible. A friend and partner who could offer me fresh perspective and inspiration. Obviously Darling is my best friend and partner in everything, but when it comes to business one needs a bit of distance come the end of the day.

This was all brushed aside when we moved to Austin and away from the one shop that sold my cookies. Yet a series of coincidences led a co-worker and myself to believe that we might be interested in starting a baking company together.

She has been warned that I have a lot on my financial plate right now, but we have yet to discuss my attitude on debt. Still, it won't hurt to sketch out a potential business plan and see if this yuppie town has anything left to offer its young idealists looking to share the wealth.