# Taking the plunge



## craftychick (Nov 11, 2013)

Later today I will be signing the lease on retail space in the lower level of an upscale coffee house.

I make a variety of items and this space will be a perfect location to showcase them. The best part is I will also be able to hold classes down the line; showing others how to make everything from wood decor to soy candles to decorated cakes. This coffee house is very much into promoting creativity so the owners were actually just as excited as I was to have me move in.

I will move in later this month & be open for business by March 1. There is so much to do, thankfully I already have my sales tax & use licenses. But there's insurance, supplies like bags, tags, etc.
The shop is a color I can live with for the next few months but I have the right to paint it when I get tired of green. :dance:

When I figured out my time management, it looks like between my paying job and this new business, I'll be putting in around 75 hrs a week.
My hope is that sometime later this year, I can reduce my hours at my paying job IF the new business is successful enough to allow me to work 4 days a week instead of 5. 

I am a bundle of emotions right now ranging from floating on a cloud to thinking "What did I just get myself into". :fussin:

Wish me luck.


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

Well, GOOD FOR YOU!

I wish you good luck. It sounds fabulous.


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## MoonShadows (Jan 11, 2014)

craftychick,

Congratulations and best of luck with the new shop. Keep us up to date on how it goes for you. I can feel your excitement from your post.

Jim


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## jcatblum (Dec 15, 2009)

How awesome! Just a suggestion, since you are able to have classes, reach out to your local homeschool group. Find out what kinda classes they need & see if you can work your schedule into their existing coops & such. Usually homeschoolers don't like to spend a bunch of money but will show up by the masses!!!! Here the local ballet studio offered classes for $3 each, I think there was a $25 enrollment fee & she had 30 girls for ballet at 10AM on Wed mornings. $90 a wk for an hour long class, not bad at all!


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## craftychick (Nov 11, 2013)

Thanks for the good wishes and the suggestion about reaching out to the homeschoolers.

I took a bunch of pictures so I could decide where everything will go in the shop, plus I've decided that green just may be a bit much for more than 20 minutes. So painting is going to be on the list of things to do.

I ordered my merchandise tags, shopping bags, tissue paper & other shop accessories, they should arrive by Monday! :dance: I already had my business cards but now I'm going to have to have a second printing with the new shop address instead of my home address. The nice thing is I can include one of the original business cards in with any out of the area or online orders so they won't be wasted.


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

jcatblum said:


> How awesome! Just a suggestion, since you are able to have classes, reach out to your local homeschool group. Find out what kinda classes they need & see if you can work your schedule into their existing coops & such. Usually homeschoolers don't like to spend a bunch of money but will show up by the masses!!!! Here the local ballet studio offered classes for $3 each, I think there was a $25 enrollment fee & she had 30 girls for ballet at 10AM on Wed mornings. $90 a wk for an hour long class, not bad at all!


Now that is thinking outside the box!

I knew of a candy store that offered class tours for $2 per kid. The kids got to see how one type of candy was made and got a small treat while they were there. The owner told me that they paid all of their monthly overhead with the class tours. When you think about it, at $2 a kid, times 100 kids in a 3rd grade class, that is decent revenue when your store would have been dead as a door nail!


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## RubyRed (Sep 24, 2011)

Good luck!! How exciting!!


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## rusticfarmer (Sep 23, 2013)

It's exciting starting a new path in life! Stick with it and you will do fantastic.


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