It's a Beautiful Morning

A beautiful Saturday morning in May- what beats that? The kids have already been outside blowing bubbles and making muffins and mischief.

I have been scouring ads to find other stay-at-home moms that perhaps want to sell some stuff on consignment. Still also working on budgeting and inventory. Probably will take a break for awhile before the kids get to restless.

My big regret is that one of my best friends and I were going to start our own line of children's stuff- mainly slings before the popularity of slings took off, but due to life circumstances were unable to do it at the time. I hope with the new start of the store we are able to get in some of our own merchandise and ideas, even if we have to find someone else to do the labor part because of the time crunches we have. However, the name Fresh Picked came from then and the idea never left which I believe has brought me here today.

All for a reason right?

Another Step in the Right Direction

Fantastic. Fabulous. But yet real work.

Things are coming together amazingly well. The Fictitious Business name has been officially filed and now I can post it in the paper as soon as the bank check clears because also... the bank account has been opened. The first part of the lease is signed. The second part is ready and can be sent out with the security deposit and first (almost second) months rent. Another great part of the story.

Next is insurance (which I'm in the process of getting quotes for), a Tax ID number or as referred to in the business world an EIN number, a Seller's Permit and actual business license. I hope to have all these completed within the next week. It has all been started but I was waiting for the approved DBA name and Bank Account. We are officially Fresh Picked!

Tags have been designed and ordered. The colored fasteners have already arrived and this excites me. Everyone has clear. Don't they know for the same price they can spruce things up and pick a color? There is nothing clear about me or my fasteners.

I have a small arrangement of merchandise I am beginning to inventory. I am researching every brand and the original new prices as well as average resale price. This is a much lengthier process than I thought it would be, but a necessary one for sure! I love it all no matter how hard I am working and planning. There are fliers made so I can try and get the word out to get more merchandise. I am setting up a meeting to look at tiers and racks and all that good stuff. I'm going to do this with as little start-up costs and overhead as possible so I can pass the amazing deals on my soon-to-be customers.

My retail space was moved and I panicked at first. And then I learned how much better and amazing this new space will be (in the same building, just better). Excitingly attached to the basement of a Wholesale Wine Shop (Vintage Winery) with a better entrance, cool paint, a back office and space for a register. Next is planning the layout so there is no thrift store crowding, the children's play area is far enough away from the front door and the new merchandise (such as Melissa and Doug) are located just right.

This is new and fantastic and frightening all at once. Just like my life. Like children and all new things, hard work is required and the rewards will be unimaginable. Those who have put down my dream will watch me succeed and understand the reality that is my life. And those that have been huge in supporting me will benefit from knowing they put their heart and soul into mine and I did not disappoint them.

I have a great after-hours idea also. I am looking for people to sign up to run classes or parties either on the days we are closed or after hours. We can do a commission split (like a consignment) and perhaps a discount on store merchandise after the seminar (or activity). What a great way to not only utilize the space during closing times but help out others that need an area to work in. Lactation Seminars, "Green Parenting", Nutrition, Facials, etc. I am open to it all and cannot wait to see what I can actually book. So far there has been a lot of talk but since we don't have an opening day yet, nothing is set in stone.

Sometime in June we can set up, move in and possibly open. The store will be in full motion by July 1st and I better have worked my butt off to get customers in! See you on Miramar Road

Logo

We have our logo! Isn't it adorable?

Finished the rough draft of the Business Plan and the Business Policies and Procedures. Secured a location with the right price in the right area. Hired a great friend and former co-worker and her son helped us design our logo so now I can get started on the tags, labels, flyers, business cards, signage, and all that good stuff. Now, hopefully the store will make enough money initially to cover a salary! A little scary but isn't the whole thing both scary and exhilirating? So bipolar, I love it.

The landlord is working on finalizing his version of the lease for us to look at and hopefully the first draft will be agreeable to both parties. I'm pretty open to whatever considering he is willing to give us a six-month lease. That way if I fail (which I WON'T) I can sell the rest of the merchandise out of the garage and hopefully at least pay my mom back her (small but very important) investment.

This economy is great for resale and with my fashion sense and love of shopping I just know this will go great. It will take a long time to decorate and get the store to look like I imagine because we just don't have the funding to actually "design" the store. But I have lots of great funky ideas to make it work without putting up a lot of cash. I figured that out in the projected income and expense report. After we start making a profit, money can go into actually getting the right racks, hangers, bags, or whatever the boutique needs to look as hip as it will be.

The craigslist local community has been great and I know I will have luck at mom's groups and through my preschool as well. I hope after all this I'm able to give back what good is coming to me through this store. I think this is the opportunity I needed to put a positive spin on all the things I went through the past three years- especially the really tough last year and a half.

I'm meeting with a (free) mentor on Friday through SCORE to look over everything which is also very excited. I really would like a 3rd party opinion from someone who has been there before. I hope to finish designing the tags and ordering thoses this week. I also want to re-do my income/expense report with a little more thought. I can put that with the final draft of my Business Plan and the Policies and Procedures and I will be ready for Friday. I need to include more of my start-up brainstorming on a low-budget in my Business Plan because I really should have expanded more on that end of it.

I also want my listing of brands and average prices completed by the end of the week and the Customer Cards so I can start buying by offering store credit as well.

Maybe I can get an hour or so of sleep each night? Or is that setting my expectations way too high?