This being out on your own thing is interesting. It’s pretty easy to sit on my butt and do nothing. It’s pretty easy to mentally beat myself up for sitting on my butt doing nothing. Writing a business plan is a fairly significant challenge. At least it is for someone who has never done one before. So many things to think about. So many things to worry about. So many things to get sidetracked on or stalled by.
The fact of the matter is, there’s a huge change happening in my life. I’m just getting my head around the idea that I don’t ‘go to work’ anymore. I don’t have some big corporation out there that is going to pay me money for some perceived value that I bring to the organization. Disassociating myself from the culture and habits that have been drilled into me for the past 5 plus years so that I can define my own work ethic and work habits is an interesting process.
The corporation is formed. Smittie & Company, Inc. is now an official legal entity in the state of California. Next is to open a business checking account so that Smittie & Company can spend money. Then, Smittie & Company is going to spend a bunch of money. We have a number of things to buy pursuant to opening the coffee shop. However, we want those items to be owned by Smittie & Company and we don’t want to go through the hassle of transferring those things from personal ownership to the corporation.
I’m still struggling with writing the business plan. The more I think about the details of what I plan to do the more I wonder what in the world I was thinking when I started out on this venture. I know jack about business and I know only a little bit more than that about coffee. A business plan asks for so many details that I can’t see how you can possibly know before you open the business. There are lots of times when I am scared and want my mommy. As I read other business plans I think, well shoots, that doesn’t look so difficult. I can do that.
In the end, I still believe that the coffee shop once open, is going to be great. I really think it will be successful. I think it will offer service and product that is not available in Santa Cruz or even in the greater San Francisco bay area. I just have to get the place open.
aloha