Weekends and MBA's

The trouble with starting your own brand is that  you find yourself going to bed at 3am and up at something like 10am - if you are lucky! However when the weekend comes you think there is a break...no there is not! Any respectful business savvy minded person's brain is on super-drive 24/7. There seems to be no rest. You see ideas from a simple thing like a band-aid or a car tire. You are constantly thinking of how to make your company work better. You are constantly creating. I spent this weekend fighting the urge to sit down and "Create" but I could not help it! So I at least I checked in on my blog and my social networks - quickly. No matter what weekends are shot. I am forever bound by my brain that won't stop thinking!

Today I was supposed to go to the SBA office but I had to reschedule for Wed. Today was also the first day of school for Little Paw and we focused on trees and how they grow and why they are important. We went around the property taking pictures of trees for his assignment. I started to think of the company as a tree and this process will be called the ROOTS. This is where the brand will get it's source of life, water and nutrition. However it has got to be firmly planted. What I spent this weekend thinking was that the creative aspect of this venture comes naturally to me but there is the importance of understanding the technical business aspect of fashion and it's industry. For the many years that I have been a designer - I was working for someone else. Someone else built a business plan and model for success. Someone else raised funds to support the business and it's representatives, travel, trade shows, marketing. Here I am doing it solo - for the moment.

And don't get me started about the issue with family members that do not understand what you are trying to do. Why is that always there? It is a struggle and a hustle but being from Brooklyn, NY - that is what I know best - the hustle. The hustle to make it big - or at least to make it. Littles, Leo, Tech & Bird will be my testimonial to the hustle and struggle. I am ready for it because I want to support my business, I want to help raise funds and develop the model that people will grow to respect admire and love. This is the thing that makes folks give up because it makes the finish line seem much further than they thought. It is very admirable to develop your own business. Even if people don't get why you want to go through such a task. I along with my husband and immediate family and friends and colleagues are up to the challenge. I am looking forward to my SBA meeting on Wed. and going through the motions. I was quoted a business plan development price of anywhere between $5K and $10K. That sounds like a lot of money. But if you expect to gain a healthy amount of money for your investment - then it is a serious investment to have your business model written down on paper by a professional. Preferably one with an MBA. So at this point there is a list together that has "money for business plan" written on it. I wrote a biz plan years ago and I do not think that I am up to writing it for LLTB. I believe that I have key information that is needed to develop it but not the skills to deem it a multi-million dollar investment for potential investors. With that said - does anyone know someone with an MBA that is willing to help develop a business plan?

 My brain hurts now...
 
tg