End of the Week

The week has come to an end with no word from the zoo regarding the part-time position. However, the application deadline isn't until Monday and they did say it could take 3-4 weeks after that to hear back so I'm not exactly sitting on edge expecting to hear anything either way anytime soon. I'm trying not to let myself become too excited about the potential opportunity even though I know I could do an absolute bang-up job for them. But then I remember that about a zillion people are out of work and my resume is probably in the pile along with the former Chief Marketing Officer of a Fortune 500 company and probably some 19-yr old who's dad knows someone who knows someone who once worked for someone who happens to be on the Board of Directors for the zoo. So I am still hopeful but I'm trying to also be realistic about my chances in this economy. We'll see what happens, in the meantime I have some more volunteer training to do with the zoo so I'll keep myself plenty zoo-busy with that.

On a different note - finding the zoo posting via a random internet search on Craigslist now has me addicted to checking out Craigslist's part-time listings. Not for another job, but just to see what sorts of things are listed there. It's absolutely fascinating what you can find on there! Do you want to be a weekend sign waver? Perhaps you want to donate your eggs (I'm apparently too old)? Maybe you'd like to be a telephone appointment setter? I just find it all fascinating. Craigslist is like a great little pod of anthropological research.

With regards to my own business, I did stumble upon a new idea yesterday that actually has me really really excited. Let's see the best way to explain this without giving away too much...
It is a brand extension into a new market but still within my industry. So, for example, if I made handmade sweaters for pet bunnies then this would be handmade hats for pet squirrels. Like that example, this new idea is within the same "industry" and targets a slightly different group with a very similar - but not identical - product.
It's something that can be made by hand so it fits with the brand I've already developed and also fits with what is important to me for the company (handmade, all-natural, etc).
This specific market is relatively heavily saturated but I think that this new product of mine could be differentiated enough - heck, just the fact it's made in the USA is one large differentiator! - that it could do well. Plus I have an idea of talking to some channel relationships I have who don't have a product like this which I find surprising so I think it could be a great offering to their clients and a great way for me to tentatively test out the idea.

I am excited...still need to so some more research and actually make a prototype to see if it'll work. If my cost estimates are right, this is very inexpensive to make - at least initially - and provides some good margins. Still lots of work to be done but I am excited about it.

So I'll send you off to your weekend now with thoughts of squirrel hats and bunny sweaters. Sweet dreams!

And No...

Since I didn't hear anything today from the market research folks for the market research study taking place later this week I'm assuming that I'm not a viable candidate. Apparently I didn't answer their survey correctly. Oh well, who wanted to go eat free M&M's, gain free consumer data, and make $125 for two hours worth of telling people my opinion anyway?

Sigh...it's probably a good thing anyway since I'm trying to go a week without chocolate (payback for making my husband go a week without meat last week). I think I'm experiencing severe withdrawel symptoms and a bowl of free M&Ms would likely be more then I could handle.

C'mon! C'mon!!!

Once again I was screwing around on the internet tonight and somehow found out that a local market research company (a legit company, I checked) needs women for a 2hr market research study. So I filled out the survey and it's very apparent that the market research study is about my specific field. Course now I'm doubly hoping I'll get picked. If I can work 2hrs this week for a market research firm and not only get paid for my time but but also get some free consumer industry info out of it - that's fantastic!

A Funny Thing Happened

A funny thing happened this morning on a stroll through the internet. You know how you start out looking for...let's say, beet juice recipes and next thing you know you find yourself looking at car reviews? That's sort of how I found myself today suddenly trying to frantically find a resume.

Let me back up in the story for a moment though. The background you need to know to enjoy this story to its fullest is that I'm currently going through the volunteer trianing program at my local zoo. It's an impressive zoo to say the least and does a ton with regards to conservation and education so it's absolutely up my alley. And they have a very flexible volunteer program with a lot of different options. My hope in going into all of this was that I'd get to be part of their Family Farm program which is essentially a miniature farm full of miniature goats, sheep, two mini cows, chickens, bunnies...basically all the animals I'd love to have in my own backyard if my husband and the city zoning committee would allow it. Since I don't really stand a chance of changing either my husband's mine or the zoning laws anytime soon, this volunteer opportunity sounded like the perfect way to help out in my spare time and get my animal fix.

While going through their comprehensive training program I learned a lot more about what the zoo does behind the scenes to help out other communities with their conservation efforts and basically came home and told my better half that if the opportunity ever presented itself at the right time I could totally see myself working for the zoo as their mission is totally aligned with what I believe.

Which brings me to today. I was actually about to get on here and write a post about optimism but, as often happens to me and the internet, I got distracted and somehow found out that the zoo is currently looking for a part-time, temporary marketing assistant. I hesitated for just a second as the thought crossed my mind that I am going to take my very expensive MBA degree and apply it to a position that is really meant for someone a year or two out of college? But then the smarter half of me stepped in and I told myself that:

1. elitism doesn't look good on anyone...be glad that you have the opportunity and skill set neccessary for the position
2. this is a way to work at the zoo (in addition to volunteering)
3. this is only a part-time gig which great b/c I don't want anything fulltime since I do still have a business to run
4. that this could lead to bigger/better things down the road if I choose to let it and
5. this this a great way to test-drive the actual business side of this organization to see if I like it should that bigger/better thing actually come along one day

Yes, I had quite a little conversation going in my head. And that's how I ended up frantically trying to find a resume since it's been at least two years since I last wrote one up (thankfully I found that one on my old computer and was able to use it after a few short tweaks). So I applied for the job. I think it's still a long shot that I'll get it cause it's not like there's any shortage of folks looking for jobs these days, and I fear that my 10 years experience in marketing might make them think I'm too overqualified and wouldn't be a good team player. But I tried to explain everything clearly and succinctly in the cover letter and hope it's enough to at least get me called in for an interview. We'll see. In the meantime though the highly immature part of me is thinking how cool it would be to work in a zoo!

Farmers Market

I mentioned in another post that I was planning on applying to a local farmers market. The application is FINALLY done. Seriously, it was a more comprehensive application then I've ever had to fill out for any other events like wholesale shows. I'm impressed with the level of detail they want but it took a lot longer to get everything pulled together then I initially thought it would.

It's a long shot that they'll even let me in since my products are a bit "different" from the normal farmers market variety, but after spending the last three summers wondering if I should get into a farmers market I figured I should at least give it a try now that I have some products that can be sold by the piece rather than pre-packaged (by the piece works much better for farmers market customers).

The Farmers Market I'm applying to also has an option of only participating in one market a month rather than a weekly commitment. Since I'm not sure if my type of product will do well or not in a Farmers Market, the biggest thing that had kept me from applying to a market in the past was the fact that I didn't want to commit to sitting there week in and week out even if my products weren't selling. It's far easier to think that I'll just have to sit there for 4-5 markets rather than 20. If things are slow I'll just knit.

My first hope is that I get into the market and that if I do that those 4-5 markets would net enough to let me pay for a few months of my workspace rent. Summer is historically really slow from a sales standpoint but busy from a production standpoint so it's when I usually start to run a deficit on the business bank account and have to draw from the business savings. If these markets could help out by throwing a few extra hundred dollars into the checking account every week it would help cover my rent and hopefully give me a little breathing room before I had to dip into savings.

The application is headed off today so I'll let you know how it turns out. In the meantime, my business turns 4 today. It's very easy to remember the day I signed all the gov't papers to make my business a legal entity since I left the lawyers office and couldn't figure out why the nearby bars were so full. Ah yes, St. Patricks. Here's hoping there's some luck of the Irish with you today. And a little luck of the Irish goes with my Farmers Market application.

Learning To Be Still

This is the time of year that is traditionally pretty quiet. It has been for the past few years and while this year I have more sales going on, it's still pretty quiet especially when compared to third and fourth quarter. This is also the time of year I start to get antsy about how quiet it is and worry that THE END IS NEAR. And when I think the end is nearing I start spending money on marketing ideas - some of which do and some of which don't pan out - in an effort to keep the end at bay.

Since I'm committed to cutting costs another 27% this year (after most of the 'easy' stuff was cut last year) fretful spending to try and drum up business is just no longer an option. Instead I need to just enjoy the quiet time.

Trust me, it's far harder then it looks. When was the last time you faced an open week with few appointments? Don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of little stuff that needs to be done for the business - and even some bigger stuff - but there's now time in the day to sit and read a book for half an hour if I choose. Sounds heavenly, doesn't it? When you're used to being on the go 24x7 though it feels very wrong and very unnerving. I'm like a little hamster going through crack withdrawel (there's a visual for you!). I'm just so used to going at a manic pace that when I try to slow down I find myself twitching and itching to get back to work.

I'm trying to take this as a positive that this is an opportunity to relearn how to be still and be in the moment atleast 50% nonworking of the time by doing things like reading for that half an hour or knitting up yet another hat (keeps my hands busy but my mind quiet). The other 50% of the nonworking time I'm devoting to the giant list of home spring cleaning things that need to be done. Things like touch up paint throughout out the house, make our wills, plant and try not to kill strawberries. I figure the 50-50 breakdown of being still and getting things done might be the mix I need to keep me from going beserk that things are quiet with work.

In other news, I'm applying for a spot at one of the local farmers markets. I'll explain more later as it's a drastic switch from my business strategy up to this point but in the meantime keep your fingers crossed for me, will ya?

Viva la Mexico!

Lest you think I've abandoned my post here in the Pacific Northwest for the warm beaches of Mexico I figured I should update the blog and let you know that I did infact return. And the people of the Pacific Northwest should thank me because it appears as though I brought the sun back with me - at least through the weekend!

First and foremost, the Canadian order FINALLY got ok'd to come through by customs and I got the order on my last day in Mexico. They need it by the end of the month and it's basically done, except for the price tags they're sending me to put on, and then it will go out the door. Unfortunately the final order was reduced by about 50% given how much time it took to get everything organzied but I hope this means there will be no problems - and bigger orders - later on this year.

While I was away I did get an email from a friend and fellow entrepreneur in my workspace who has decided to "take a hiatus for 6 months." I don't know if this is a temporary or will turn into a permanent hiatus - especially since historically the summer has been her busiest time.

It's sad as she's not the only one I know closing up shop. Another entrepreneur in my space, the only other person who has been there as long as I have, is also shutting up this month. That really only leaves two of us who are "full-timers" and then there will be an influx of the summer market folks who join us for the next few months. The new energy of the exciting summer market people will be good and probably lift my spirits, but I'm really really sad to see the other long-timers go. It's sad to see other entreprenuers decide that it's just too much work and not enough return. Not enough of a paycheck, too much time away from family, too much worry and stress, to be worthwhile.

To make matters worse, it's something I contemplate from time to time. In just a few days I will have had this business for four years and while I've made strides every year and learned a ton, I'm still not in the position I niavely thought I would be when I started out. Sometimes I worry if I'm making a mistake. On the flip side, the good news about the economy being so sucky right now is that it's not like I could shut down the business and go easily get work elsewhere so I might as well keep plugging ahead and keep trying to make this work. And it will work, I do truly believe that, but if it could start working sooner rather then later I would greatly appreciate it.