What a waste...

Sorry, small rant...but man oh man do I feel like a waste of life right now. I can't do a freaking thing and spend half the day flat on my back. I'm not used to this and don't deal well with this. To top it off I'm watching MTV's My Sweet Sixteen which is making me feel even worse for 1. watching it and 2. that like them I'm laying around all day (in all fairness, the DNC is pretty boring during the day though I was watching it last night). I can manage to sit just long enough to get the work done that needs to get done and then it's back to the couch to sink into my stupor. 12 weeks of this crap - I'm going to go out of my mind!

Some Things Have to Change

It's time to make some changes...sad as it may be to say. I used to pride myself on the fact that my company, unlike some of our competitors, would get orders out the door within a day or two and we would basically answer the business phone any time day or night. That's no longer an option. I'm still going to do everything in my power to get orders out ASAP but right now I can't do work in my workspace so I'm afraid that our inventory is going to dip down pretty low and that will increase the lead time necessary for me to get orders out. However, I'm going to do everythign I can to continue getting orders out the door quickly because that is something people have positively commented us on as opposed to some of our competitors.

However, the biggest change is that the business phone now has actual business hours. It's just not possible for me to be picking up the phone when it rings at 7am - especially since 7am finds me trying to carefully manuveur the stairs on my rear since that's the only safe way to get down our staircase. So to save my sanity I've decided we're going to be on a strict 8:30-5:30 business phone time. The good news though is that we're about 48 hours away from releasing the new website that has a really fance wholesale section to it where retailers can log in anytime day or night and pretty much get all their questions answered as well as place secure online orders. So hopefully that type of immediate access will mitigate the fact that I'll no longer be picking up the phone at all hours.

OK, Let's get organized

Enough sitting on my a$$ in a percacet haze...it's go time for the business so it's time to figure out the best workable situation to get and keep the business running smoothly for the foreseeable future.

Step one was figuring out some sort of organizational system that will enable me to sound like I'm still someone you want to do business with. Figuring that since about 60% of my day is spent with the assistance of percacet the number 1 thing I needed to do was get a little bag together that would hold my phone, a pen, an order writing pad, and a notepad so regardless of where I am (aka - asleep in the chair) I can still sound chipper and with it when people call. Perhaps even more importantly, I can also remember what they've actually told me after the fact!

I've also called in the reinforcements and next week my dad will be coming to town. Little does he know that in addition to helping me get around to a variety of doctors appointments, he's also going to be helping me with packaging and helping me figure out the best setup so that when I get back from the first tradeshow I'll be able to package up orders and get them out the door.

My mom is coming in the next week - or rather she's meeting me at the tradeshow - and will help out there as well as the second tradeshow in October. She may also come help out afterwards.

But it also dawned on me yesterday that I need to realize that I can no longer do absolutely everything. Yes, I thought I could, but it's just no longer possible and I need to rally around a large enough army (paid and volunteer/family) to help get through this busy season. This is also a very rude wakeup call as to why I need to get at least one other person on board with the business who knows it like I do and can run it in my abscence. Trying to be a one-woman show is just too hard - if not impossible - at times like these.

A Funny Thing Happened...

A funny thing happened on the way down the trail my hubby, dogs, and I were hiking on Saturday. Last good hike of the summer. A popular hiking trail that even six year olds can get up and down without a problem. It took me a little more effort.

Long story short, broken left leg...really broken to the point that it now has a rod in it. Had to sit on the mountainside staving off panic for a good four hours while waiting for the angels known as search and rescue to come get my broken body.

Surgery, nice new steel rod, and what's looking like 12 weeks on crutches - at least six weeks of which are non weight bearing. Have I mentioned that my company requires me to stand for long periods of time? Have I mentioned that my two biggest trade shows are in the next month? Have I mentioned how utterly helpless I feel right now?

I'm surrounded by great friends and family who's strength I draw from but I'm really worried about how this is going to impact my small little business. But I guess...them's the breaks! (sorry, I couldn't help myself)

Bye Bye Freight

This is an exciting picture of what the back of my car currently looks like. Riviting isn't it? But to me it's pretty exciting because it's all the boxes that are going to the two Fall tradeshows. Later this morning I'm taking them to a friend's warehouse and we'll be packing up a pallet for freight shipment. Again, riviting isn't it!

This is actually a pretty decent size step for my little company though. The first tradeshow I ever went to I shipped three or four boxes to friends who happened to live in the same city as the tradeshow. I also crashed on their couch for the week because I was broke and cheap. Then last year I handcarried everything down to the first tradeshow (this was before airlines were charging your first born for any luggage you may want to bring) and then handcarried it home. Unfortunately the boxes were just heavy enough that they were awkward to carry and helped lead to a slew of rude words while trying to manuveur a cart that weighed more than me through the airport. Fun times!

Even though my booth space size has stayed the same, I've now actually gotten to the point where there's just too much stuff to carry. Part of this is due to the fact that I've realized it's cheaper to buy some items - like floor tiles - and bring them to the show rather than pay the exhorbinant fee charged by the exhibition hall for carpeting (and of course you are required to have some sort of floor covering or you're fined). As you can tell from the picture though, I still don't have a tremendous amount of material which is why I partnered up with another small manufacturer who is also going to the fall tradeshows and she and I are going to split a pallet...and split the cost of the shipment. In addition to the boxes already being in our booths when we get down to the first tradeshow, they will also go automatically to the second tradeshow four weeks later, and then automatically come back home to us. If it all works seamlessly it will be a dream come true.

For the record though, I am still broke and cheap but unfortunately the friends I mentioned earlier have moved so I'll be staying in hotels this time round.

When In Doubt...Eat Something

A wise person once gave me this important piece of advice prior to an Iron Distance triathlon: If you start to get into the "black hole" of your mind, eat something. Chances are it's simply low blood sugar. Of all the advice I received before the race it was without a doubt the best I ever heard and got me through the day in flying colors. In turn I've shared it with other triathletes - one of whom is preparing to race this Sunday. As this triathlete wisely noted - that advice is not only good for racing but also good for life. How right she is!

Normally I really like my workspace and while I talk about getting my own retail/workspace, one thing I'm worried about is potentially working by myself. However, there have been some...shall we say, "personnel changes" at the workspace lately and I can't say I'm happy with all of the new personalities who have joined us. One woman in particular has a way of getting under my skin. She's one of those people who constantly tries to one-up you. "Oh, you ran a 5K - I did a 10K!" "Oh, your kids got into that really good public school - well mine are in the city's best private school." "Oh, you got a new car - I got a newer and better car."

Yeah, she's one of those so I've determined that my best course of action is simply not to engage her in conversation. But, just like that irritating person in "cubicle world" who has a tendancy to hover and swoop down on unsuspecting coworkers (you know the type!), she has a way of asking a question in such a way that I feel obligated, by normal social graces, to respond and then she swoops in with the backhanded compliment and I momentarily consider throttling her.

Today was worse than normal. The workspace was a mess when I got in there, some personal equipment appears to have gone walking, and this woman was back from vacation. After a few hours of this trifecta, my blood pressure was at an all time high and I seriously considering calling it day despite the huge to-do list. Turns out all I had to do was go get something to eat. Food didn't necessarily make the problems go away, but having a decent lunch (after having skipped breakfast - problem #1) definitely made everything a little easier to deal with.

And the best news, I'm working from home until Monday so I don't have to deal with her again until next week!

New Hire version 2.0

Apparently I once again have an employee. After last week's debacle I called the other "short-listed" candidates but everyone already had employment. Creek...no paddle. Today though one of the candidates called me back and is now able to work for me since the days/times I need her apparently work better for her. She's a really great girl but I would be lying if I didn't say that I'm taking a "wait and see" approach. Not because I don't think she'll be great - just that I'm a little skeptical that she'll show up on Day 1. Don't get me wrong, she seems really responsible. Guess I'm just a little skeptical after how New Hire version 1.0 turned out.