Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Helping the Economy

My credit card is on fire this week as I'm buying in massive (well, massive for me) amounts of packaging right now. I seriously put it off as late as possible but the time has come and I'm spending like a champ right now. I shuddar to think what next month's credit card bill will look like. At least I'm getting miles...sigh...

I'm also helping the employment figures as I've hired on a part-time staff person to help out for the next few weeks and, if things go well, the next few months. This person has worked for me before and is an absolute rock star of an employee. I wish I could hire her fulltime but that's just not in the cards right now. Seriously, she's so good that I've given her keys to the workspace and she'll be in there by herself while I'm at the upcoming tradeshow. I'm still dreaming of the day I can afford to have her in there more then me. It's a goal I'm working towards. In the meantime, it's both of us working our little tails off.

The reason why things have gone to warp speed lately, and why all my cash is currently headed towards packing and employement taxes, is that I've been invited to do a sales promo with a very prestigious online company (no, not groupon!). The company takes a portion of what sells but the costs still work out in my favor. The event will take place mid-September and I'm really hoping it goes well so that I can get some much-needed cash flow out of it (to pay for all that packaging and employement taxes) but also so that I can be invited back to to a holiday promotion which is when my stuff typically really shines.

Here's the catch, the online promotion happens to coincide with the last day of my tradeshow. So, if said promotion goes really well - which is what I'm hoping for - it will basically deplete me of my entire inventory stock and I'll be headed into the busiest few months of my year without any inventory. I realize that's a wonderful position to be in if it happens, but it's a little nerve-wracking at the same time. Then top it off with the fact that yesterday I got an email from one of my BIG clients wanting to reopen discussions on their holiday order and "how soon could we get it" may mean that I end my tradeshow in the red with regards to inventory if this BIG client gets me a purchase order between now and then. Again, all good problems to have but it's got my head spinning just a bit.

In the meantime, I need to walk the dogs and get to my own part-time job this afternoon. Yes, things are a tad crazy around here right now. But at least I'm helping the economy!

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