Friday, April 30, 2010

Goals are a good thing

Some of you know my plan to spend Christmas in Hawaii this year. I just got off the phone with a travel agent and found out two great things. It's affordable at three thousand dollars, and there are no days at sea which I hate. You fly to Hawaii and board. You spend a lot of time on the islands and I am now excited to be standing on my paddle board in the ocean on Christmas day. I think we can makes this happen.

Here is goal #2

I am still working on this one, but this baby will be mine, bought and paid for never a payment.

Sales

I have hired a sales woman-this could be good or bad since I am not so fond of dealing with women in my business. All my contractor’s are male, and since they are not employees I can do that. I have high hopes for this woman as she comes extremely recommended, owns a couple businesses of her own and loves the one thing I don’t…People (or people in this state I should clarify).

I get to spend all day today and this weekend revamping my rate sheets, and writing a detailed job description and what my business is all about. Things I should have already had done. Sales people are great, I am not so bad at it myself but very much prefer to remain in the back of the business. With out sales people we would not have a lot of companies, most actually. I am excited, nervous and everything in between.

Here is where I sound like a hypocrite. I think women should help other women in business; we should support each other and help hold each other up. The second business I am in the midst of launching does just that. I know I said I don’t like to deal with women in business and I don’t, but I like to deal with women in their businesses. There is no way to come out of this looking good. It is what it is. Most of you women know exactly what I am talking about, right?



(Updates)
The site is progressing, I have two big clients that I am calling anchors-I am still having a lot of issues with my web guy. I actually interviewed a firm here locally and when it was over my web guy called. How do men just know to do that? It’s like he knows he can push me so far and test a bit farther each time. I have one foot off the ledge jack so watch it.
I am starting a package business that offers women a packet of information on the how to do it, or another where I will step in and do all the incorporation, the Federal, the contrasts, research and website for a fee. I will also provide them with a great directory of useful information and other great business owners that can help them on their journey. Everything I wish I would have had both times starting out in my ventures. This is a work in progress and I have no idea how it will work out. I do have my first appointment Saturday with a woman looking to launch a new company.

For now I will focus on how to train my sales rep, look for another, and hope with all I have this finally starts showing more of a profit.



On a positive note-I quit smoking cold turkey six years ago today and we have had our puppy, Ruby, one year today.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

New space & things could be looking up~

What a difference a space makes. When we moved into this house ten years ago we bought a cheap $19.00 desk from Target. Ten years, a growing business, wear and tear and the desk was just not cutting it anymore. With a new desk being the furthest expense from my mind, imagine my surprise when one of my husband’s co-workers decided to move to Florida and sell everything in his house for next to nothing. Today I got a like new in mint condition workstation with a hutch that has built in lights and a matching table/filing cabinet that makes for a perfect L. All for the great price of $30.00.


If I had to guess I would say new this light wood set was over $200.00 with an added $75-100 for the additional filing table. Now, I just need to figure out how to readjust everything so it feels cozy to work here. I am so happy with my new very nice and inexpensive work platform. Space is awesome and I was so sick of tossing stuff on the floor when there was no room on my tiny desk. It drives us neat freaks crazy.



Cool thing #2-My business phone was ringing this morning and oddly enough I answered it. It was someone wanting to buy an ad and his friend, too. Before I even had my morning coffee or changed into real clothes I make a few hundred bucks. Not bad for a gloomy Saturday.

Friday, April 23, 2010

What the???


April showers bring May flowers~  Taken at 1:00 pm today.


What about April snow? What does that bring? School closings, headaches and outright disgust, that’s what.
I was okay with the current rain flow, but then, without warning…snow. I thought we were possibly done; my puppy thinks it snows just for her and couldn’t be happier. Heavy wet snow. YUCK!

Monday, April 19, 2010

RANT

This time of the year pleasantly brings on my allergies and a sinus infection. I know when I have them and the protocol. I had to make an appointment to see my doctor today as I have reached that stage of protocol.


Apparently, family doctors are not only busy on Monday’s, but crabby, less attentive and quicker than a fast food drive thru. I interviewed all around town until I found this doctor, now I get to do it again. A nurse told me it is better for adults to see internist since they don’t typically see children and are less stressed and have more time. Hmmm, could have told me that months ago.

I know I have swollen lymph nodes, no peak at the nose, a quick listen to my lungs, no blood work to check out where the white count is sitting, but I was given antibiotics and a handshake and out the door he went.

I pay $700.00 a month for insurance for service like that. Nice huh?

Sunday, April 18, 2010

.
What is it about starting a business that makes you lose all your intelligence? I have gone into fight or flight response recently and my first thought was- flee. Run, go someplace nice and never look back. I am a fighter so here I stay, my brain powering draining, my smarts evaporating, what little patience I did have is gone. I doubt myself constantly, my decision making sucks and I have now taken on another potential project.

I am not a fan of money going out and not coming in and that seems to be what is going on right now. I am frugal and hate seeing my bank account get angry. I have a set failure limit on this business. That was the smartest piece of advice I got. Set a limit, if you start to go over that limit with out seeing a return. STOP. I am a few hundred dollars away form that stopping point.

In the meantime I think spring may have arrived. Two weeks in a row we were able to do yard work with no snow. Aside from hurricane type winds here and there I think the better weather is on its way. I woke up one morning last week, as I was picking up my paper I noticed my neighbor’s tree had blossomed over night. It has all these pretty white little flowers. My paths where I walk are starting to bud and the daffodils and tulips are up. I enjoy my walks much more when the trees have leaves and flowers are in bloom.

Sunday, April 11, 2010


I am running in too many blank directions with my business venture. It is causing me issues, like I don’t have enough already.


My web guy said to me: Second guessing kills. Don’t do it. A sweet statement but he has never lived in the mind of a woman.

With so many setbacks I am hoping this is a full throttle week. I was invited to a huge networking meeting on the 22nd and would like to have gotten much further in my site by then.

I still don’t like that everyone prefers to do business electronically. I get sick of waiting for replies, waiting for changes, phone calls, text messages, all of it. People’s manners are just as bad electronically as they are in real life, so why not just do real life?

I am slowly collecting a small group of people to work with. Issues aside I like the web guy. My copywriter has a great personality, she is super prompt and does great follow up, and she kind of impresses me. It is great when you can find people that match your personality and so far I have been lucky enough to grab some smart and witty people. I am still looking for another sales person. So much so, that I tried to steal the guy in customer service for a magazine subscription I have. He would have been so good. To bad he was in Iowa.



The health front-

I had a kinesiology specialist come over and I have a great training program to use for a few weeks and then it will be changed again. I am also thinking of buying P90X. I have seen some insane results on people who use that.

Just over four months to go until the big day. Since I hope to be in Chicago at the Jazz fest with my people, I would like tank top arms and a tight rear. I am doing 300 lunges a week and slowly moving to 500. I am determined. Six days a week on weights, seven on the walking and three or four running. My knees were killing me and a doctor friend of my suggested fish oil 4 grams a day. It has been over a week and my left knee has stopped hurting. I hope it is the fish oil.

With this turning 40 deal I have started sunscreen my neck and chest area daily and moisturizing like crazy at night. I even found a wrinkle in my forehead that if not from sleeping may get Botox. I said I would never ever do that, but I think I may just be vain enough to get rid of that line. A girlfriend of mine said “Vanity will start creeping in after 40”. Wrong, it happens a few months before.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Where do they come from? Really, does anyone know?

Last week and this week I posted ads for Copywriters and Sales people. I know I shouldn’t be shocked by the responses, but I am.


Copywriter from Florida didn’t know what it meant to write copy. Had never worked on a website, but he liked commercials and thought he’d come up with something (somethan is what he said) catchy. He would even toss me up a couple for frees (yes he said frees not me). I didn’t hang up on him which was a proud moment for me, but I couldn’t stop laughing. He actually sent me something that said Have it your way with us for 20% off. Isn’t that a BK commercial, minus the 20% off? My favorite will remain the guy that sent me the samples of his writing on the message boards, he is the great winner, but was not hired. In the end I went with a really smart magazine and web writer in Buffalo New York, and imagine my surprise when she knew the lingo, sent the work right over and didn’t get all perverted. One down two to go.

I received four resumes this morning, one girl had her name at the bottom of the page and had Objective---her statement—Qualifications. All in one sentence and all bold underlined. The whole resume was underlined. Claims she has a bachelor’s in English, but works at the candy store in Boulder, stocking shelves and decorating.

Another that was sent to me I assume was an email written resume in all lower case, no caps what so ever and in a single column all the way down the page.

Another that is currently a home health aide; she states she is great with people and listed changing elderly diapers in the job description. At the end of her resume it said…wait for it…collowdge edacated…NO KIDDING!

Maybe these things are meant to humor me and humble me. The humbling part is not working. I just need two good sales people who just have to be good at sales, not even Collowdge educated.

Friday, April 2, 2010

 For anyone that actually knows me in real life, you know I live in my own world. Things in the real world don’t always seem to work out like they play out in my head. For me, this is a problem. While I have been living in my business bubble things have been cheery, amazingly successful and the money has been wonderful. I have my Mercedes SUV, I travel monthly, and I am expanding business and starting a few new ones. Who would have thought most of this could be done in pajamas with bad hair? When I am sore and bored I get a massage and a Pedi and all is right with my world again, or, at least until I come back for my visit to your world.


In real life, however, things have not been going the way they are playing out in my head. This leads me to believe once again the book The Secret was a load of crap.

In the real world, where most of you live and I just choose to visit from time to time, this is what is really going on:
I have been greatly slacking on my duties after complaining about Mr. Web guy, who has been doing his job and mine all week long.
I have been dealing with “I feel like an idiot copywriter guy” who is still embarrassed over his drunken mouth.
I have failed to get a schedule going, writing done, more advertising in, and sales reps hired. I apparently have loads of time to sit and think about all the stuff I need to get done, making several To Do lists daily. I think I tossed forty out this week alone.

What am I doing about it? I am making more to do lists, that’s what. I have put out ads for other web copy writers, and the resumes and response has been insane and some of these people are down right…they leave me speechless. I had someone actually send me links to where their writing was, and it was public posting boards, yes, really! Bad spelling and grammar, I have enough problems with that myself, I don’t need to correct someone else’s that wants to be paid. A public posting. I finally got to putting in ads for sales reps, and have my fingers crossed that I get some bites. Which means I will have to turn my legal brain back on, and have all the contracts and IRS forms I need for an Independent contractor, as well as coming up with commissions percentages and incentives, fun fun.

I have hours and hours of work to do, but yet I sit and daydream about all I could have and not working to try and get it. Fear of failure strikes again. I tried to make Friday (Good Friday) productive and good, and got basically nothing done. There is always hope for Monday.



Today’s mood is daydreaming…still