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!