Friday, October 27th, 2006
It’s been like Christmas at my house because every so often I’ll come home to a big box waiting outside my door. Pretty soon, I’ll have to open the store in my house if it doesn’t get done being built! A few days ago, I received my MudPie order. The website doesn’t show much, but it’s some really cute baby gifts!
Today, I received a UPS notification that a package will be delivered today at my office! It’s my Precidio order! This is a bunch of cool kitchen goods that are not only stylish, but are very functional too. They even beat many of the pampered chef products in terms of creative uses and functionality.
Wow, how am I ever going to not end up coming home with half of my store because these products are so neat! If the store isn’t ready for me soon, it’s going to be nearly impossible!
Monday, October 23rd, 2006
Dove has a pretty powerful ad campaign going on right now. I’m sure you’ve all seen it…the “love your skin” commercials with average women dancing around in their underwear.
This is the latest…watch the video on the company’s homepage: http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/
Here’s another to play with: http://demo.fb.se/e/girlpower/retouch/retouch/index.html
This, of course, makes us graphic designers look terrible. Believe me, I know exactly how that transformation happens. I’m guilty of it myself. Do you think that the photo on my “about” page is straight out of the camera? Hardly. We could all use a little digital face-lift. I find myself wondering who’s fault it is…the designers or the magazine executive. I’d be tempted to say it’s the mag execs. who are telling the designers to “make her skin look better…make her eyes pop, etc.”
Frankly, I don’t find anything wrong with a few touch-ups here and there, but it’s the effect it has on young girls that is so sad. On the Dove page, click on “Inside the Campaign” and then the “Listen to the voice of little girls” video and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
Bravo, Dove, for taking such a stand on this. Of course, I have to wonder what the true motivation for Dove is…increased revenue and PR…but nevertheless, Bravo!
Friday, October 20th, 2006
I always feel like I have to post with someting new and exciting to tell. I guess that doesn’t have to be so - unless, of course, you’d rather not read unless there’s excitement. Let me know, will ya?
Well, there isn’t much today….just the same old, same old. I’m busy trying to please clients who don’t know what they want and juggling new projects. It’s a curse and blessing being someone who can get most anything done. The most often asked question in my office is, “Can you do this?” My answer, of course is, “Yup, no problem” - because it’s often something that I can whip out from underneath my hat in no time. Of course, it never happens that way. I run into technical issues, or they come back with the same task over and over again when it would have been quicker for them to learn how to do it themselves. My biggest challenge with this is finding the balance between just doing it as quick as can be and not billing them because then they’ll expect perfection. This way I can always say, “Well, I didn’t charge you for it, but if you want me to look into it further, I can bill you.” However, I don’t like to do business that way, so more times than not, I end up doing it gratis without billing, but I end up doing it to perfection because that’s me…Mrs. Perfectionist. I should just start billing them. Then, everyone wins.
In store news: I’ve been looking into getting a big outdoor sign made. I’m awaiting a quote from someone. It have no idea how much to expect…we’ll see. I also looked into furniture. Everything I saw said it would take 4-6 weeks to come in. Yikes, I better get ordering it because it’s been a week since I signed the lease. The space is going to be ready for move-in before I know it. I’ve been thinking about posting a sign in the office saying, “Office Hours by appointment until further notice” so I could just do store things until it’s up and running. What I really need is a clone of myself. One to be in the office running the more profitable end of the business - the design aspect, and the other getting the store open. If only I could afford to hire a full-time designer who could be here. What a dilema!
Monday, October 16th, 2006
My first set of inventory arrived today! It was waiting for me at my doorstep (the store is still under construction, so I can’t have anything ship there.
The first product to arrive is the Zip-it bags. They come in a variety of sizes and colors, but basically, it’s one long zipper that zips into a handy, stylish bag! How’s that for creative?
Be sure to check out the store when it opens to get your very own Zip-it!
Wednesday, September 27th, 2006
This is where my inexperience shows. When I’m big and famous, I’ll have my best friend, Awna write a biography of my entrepreneurship trials and I’ll comment to those wanting to start their own business…”It NEVER HURTS to be 10 steps ahead of where you think you need to be.” I’ve purchased a house before, purchased a car, entered into a lease agreement, and done many other things that seem to be the closest in terms of working with a ton of papers and signatures to what I’m doing with Ekcetera, but apparently this is the point in which I don’t have enough experience to realize how much work is indeed involved in opening a store. This is NO typical mortgage, lease, or loan. I thought I’d have to jump through the typical hoops and lose my mind while doing it, but after that’s over…I’d be ready to roll. NOT TRUE.
Case 1: What happens when I do in fact have the loan papers signed, and the money in my not-yet-existing business bank account? Then, I have to be ready to spend some of it. When I first looked into the lease I’m currently sitting on for the store location, it said that I had to have the store open within 60 days before I started paying rent. I was thinking, “no problem, I’ll probably be quicker than that.” Well, I haven’t signed the lease yet, but as soon as I do, I haven’t done much beyond that. It’s time to step up and move beyond these steps. Otherwise, I’ll be lucky if I have one paint chip by day 60.
Case 2: I got a phone call today from a lady who sells flooring. I had requested some samples. She’s interested in sitting down with me and talking about what I need, etc. This took me by surprise…! I’m not ready to actually choose flooring yet? I haven’t even received my loan payout, let alone signed a lease! But, after I thought about it for a while, I decided that I better set up that appointment because if things happen like they usually do, I’ll have the other items closed and out the door in no time and I’ll be sitting on a huge hunk of concrete, some bare walls, and flooring that is backordered. (knock on wood)
Case 3: The loan underwriter would like to see proof of insurance on my business. What? Insurance? You mean I have to insure the business BEFORE it actually exists? I think there might be a misunderstanding there that this store is a NEW division for Ekcetera and nothing exists as of now. But, again, it got me thinking that if this lease-signing experience will be anything like the last, they’ll want to see proof of insurance THE DAY I sign the lease. I find it odd that you can take out insurance on something that you don’t even occupy yet, but I guess what company wouldn’t take your money if you were willing to give it to them? So, I better start shopping around and find a policy so I can be ready to present it when I sign on the dotted line. WOW
So, my list of things to keep me 10 steps ahead includes:
- Designing the store layout
- Research furniture and equipment
- Choose paint colors
- Research contractors for electricity and such
- Find an internet/phone provider
- Assign my eager husband to design furniture we will build together. (He’s a mechanical engineer so he’s itching to use his CAD software and make me some unbelievably technical diagram of the shelf I need on the wall. THAT’S WHY I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!)
I definitely have an idea of all these things in my head, but just haven’t been challanged to put them down on paper yet. So, if I can have these items completed by the time I sign off on the loan and lease, I should be on track. Crazy, huh? Let’s call this lesson 1000 because it’s significant enough to get a number and the first 999 I’ve already encountered would require lots of hard thinking in order to recall in a moment’s notice.
Thursday, September 14th, 2006
Last week I posted that I was going to make an announcement at the craft fair last weekend. Well, I did and I have to admit that although I said all the details would be pounded out by then, they aren’t. That’s ok though. They’re progressing and there’s a chance that everything could fall through, but I don’t think they will. (knock on wood) So, drum roll please…..
Coming in 2007, Ekcetera Productions will be opening a retail creative store featuring creative workshops, a creative computer lab, DIY photo studio, home decor projects and ideas, and so many more creative products and services! I am SO excited to embark on this venture and have received much enthusiasm from everyone that I have spoke with about this project. I am working on obtaining about 2800 sq ft of space to house this creative DIY studio. What a dream space it will be for me and hopefully others who share my passion!
This has been in the works for a while - taking care of all the preliminary details to see if such a store would be a possible undertaking for my husband and I. Thankfully I have received nothing but support from family and friends. They have been amazing at supporting my dreams. The entire process, to be honest, feels a little unorganized and hap-hazard at the moment, but I’ve read and studyed enough about successful entrepreneurs to know that businesses that start out like this and succeed are often founded by a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants gal (or guy) like me.
Who knows if this will be a success? I sure don’t. MBA school (affectionately called “B” school [standing for “business”] in the industry) teaches me that I must have ample research and financial calculations before taking on a project of this proportion. However, entrepreneurship school teaches me that I don’t have the money or resources to make such caculated decisions, so often times my gut is what counts. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve certainly done my homework - I’ve tested my idea and run so many financial projections your head would spin. However, I’m taking a gamble that I have an equal amout of both knowledge and gut to make this work. Maybe some day I can look back at this blog and say, “Wow, I was so young and stuipd, but at least I followed my gut!”