Taking the Plunge - Start-up Inventory

I've finally taken the financial plunge into the entrepreneurial pool. I have posted here about the ups and downs with self-doubt and lack of confidence, but the one thing you need when running your own business, is confidence. Selling yourself and your product takes a strong person and to be doubtful about the saleability of your product, well, you might as well just stay home. But a few nights ago, I went out to gather some supplies around town when I happened upon a deal that was almost too good to be true. I text my husband, asking his advice, and as always he said, "Go for it!" When he opened the door to his beaming wife, he knew that I had finally taken his advice. Tonight I visited the same spot and cleaned off their shelves. Piles of start-up inventory now lives in a room that was suppose to become the library...but that (along with a list of other things) will have to wait. 

I must say that I am beyond giddy with excitement, anticipation and nervousness. But it gets me revved-up in the morning! So revved-up in fact, that I am jumping out of bed at 5am so that I can get a couple hours of work in before the kids wake up. That is happy!
Things are going slowly but surely and I will have a boatload of spectacular wreaths on the market for the Spring season. Check out my Shop button for a gallery of goodies (coming soon!) I am also in the process of adding a shopping cart right there so you can browse and buy all at the same place. Hope to see you there! 

Has anyone else recently taken the plunge into a new business? Or have you followed through with another big resolution that you are super giddy about? Maybe you are wishing you could start something but you feel you're just not ready...I am here to tell you, if I can do it, so can you!

Cheers!

Positive Thinking and Heaps of Inventory

Hello, hello, hello!  Recently, things have been changing very quickly in my life. Everything from my children growing up, to my business building momentum and my least favorite, little lines appearing as I push closer to 40 (Yikes!) As I bolt forward, I am realizing more and more that positive thinking means everything. 

As I started losing weight in January 2012, friends and family would ask what diet I was following. My stock reply was that I wasn't 'dieting',  just eating better quality food, less of it and moving more. No secret there. But as time went on I found that there was something more.  Understanding that each time I consumed food, it had calories, fat, nutrients, etc. Being conscious of that was the key for me. Knowledge is power, and so I started studying my food labels and reading up on replacements for high-calorie components in my food plan. Starting to view food as fuel became the turning point in how I consumed calories and burned calories. When I was hungry and discovered my hand slipping into a cracker box, I would pause and think 'how many calories do I have in my hand?' When you take that moment to look at the side of the box and calculate that 4 of those little crackers have 140cals (and your big mitt has at least triple that!) you will begin to understand why you became overweight. Being conscious in those little moments throughout the day made a difference, a big difference, a 53lbs loss difference.

I find myself constantly fighting with negativity. That I'm not good enough,  not talented enough or smart enough to succeed. That I am being selfish, starting this business when I have responsibilities to my husband, house and kids. Even days when I am full of energy and ready to tackle the world, my mind is full of self-doubt and stress. Unhealthy I know, but that's my reality.  I am one who is used to going full speed ahead until I crash. But as I get older, the harder it gets to live this way. That is why I am taking this year to motivate myself and practice 'conscious' positive thinking. If I can do it with my eating, why shouldn't I apply it to the rest of my life? Training myself to believe and take risks without fear of failure. Believing that making myself a stronger, more confident, more successful woman, will benefit my husband, home and children, not take anything away from them.

I have already taken a few steps this past weekend towards my new business. I have started expanding my website to include a gallery of my wreaths. And most significantly, have taken a financial leap by investing in a heap load of inventory. Ask my husband, this was not an easy 'leap' for me. I nearly drove him crazy! He told me that I needed to make these decisions on my own, but he knew I could succeed at whatever I set my mind to. After a few minutes of pouting and few stomps of my feet, I headed off into the sunset (my Visa in hand) and invested in my future. Yeah me!

"Where is my Furniture?"

Good Morning all! I hope everyone is up and raring to go! I personally was up late last night working on my new website, and then up early to start on my blog. So I am in desperate need of extra caffeine this morning! As I sit in my living room club chair, snuggled up in a blanket writing this post, I am reminded of a few things.

1.  I am so tired! I am still in a deep fog from the Christmas rush. We traveled for a week between Christmas and New Years' with blow-up beds and a young family of 7 looking for any relative along our journey to take us in. It was a great time, surrounded by friends and family, but exhaustion doesn't even touch the way we feel.

2. Where is my furniture? I don't know if any of you have been hit with the bug...the Kijiji bug (Craigslist for you outside of Canada.) I had a major clean-out when we first moved into our new house a few months ago. Stuff from previous houses that just didn't work in our new spot, kids toys that they no longer played with, clothes, books, games.  I happily said goodbye to paintings, furniture and tons of kitchen stuff.  Oh my, to say I was an addicted salesman is an understatement. I loved my phone buzzing at 2am with questions about a queen-sized bed I was selling, people dropping by to pick up the 'new-to-them' items, and of course the spare change that was left in my wallet for my hard work.  But one weekend while my husband was away, I convinced myself that my living room was just not right and to get rid of the furniture to make way for something new. I'm kind of an act now, think later type person. So now, here I sit, months later in an empty room. Two club chairs, an old sideboard(in need of a redo) and a television.  

3. Why now? We live about 7 hours away from our hometown and family. Rarely does anyone travel this way, so it is usually us who packs up every few months and goes visiting. Luckily we have a true Canadian family of hockey players that will travel to the ends of the earth to play. So next week, in the midst of all this craziness and disarray, my sister has asked if her family of six can stay with our family of seven for a long weekend hockey tournament! This rare opportunity doesn't come along that often, so I am trying to work towards the answer, "of course you can stay with us!" Many things come to mind when one is expecting company, but for me it is EVERYTHING! I have lists, upon lists of projects and repairs, cleaning and cooking...utter chaos. But anything for family, right?

Yesterday, I started my post talking about New Years resolutions and took a slight detour to the health and fitness side of things. Today, I wanted to refocus and go back to talk about resolutions that deal with personal goals and achievements. As mentioned above, in the "Where is my Furniture?" segment, I mentioned how much I loved my Kijiji experience. I have always loved retail. Have studied it and worked it. I have always wanted to have a small business, but with 5 small children, time is an issue. But I finally decided that my passions were worth pursuing. So, while traveling over the Holidays, I picked up this book "$100 Start-Up" by Chris Guillebeau.

 

It was recommended by Leo Babauta from zenhabits.net whom I follow faithfully(and savour every word!) Anyway,  I read this book cover to cover in less than a day. My mind never shut down for a minute after closing the cover! Brainstorming ideas, merchandise and challenges. As soon as we walked through the door from vacation, I fired up my laptop and started searching for an inexpensive website to start my business. I figure if I can do the majority of stuff online rather than a storefront (to start), I could manage my home life a lot better.

I am excited and scared all at the same time. But I know I am full of determination and passion. If anyone has any insight on starting an online business, I would appreciate advice and/or experiences.

Have a great one!