Update Part 1: Excitement
I can’t believe it has been so long since my last post! So much has happened since then. I feel like I was sucked up into a tornado and then spit out in a totally foreign place, life, and situation that I don’t recognize. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Except I have no ruby slippers to send me back home, so I’m forced to make a new life for myself in this strange, new land.
Although, while I do sometimes wish I had a Wizard or a Genie or a time machine to transport me back to my old life, I don’t know if I really want to go back. I left my old life for a reason. The easy way isn’t always the best way, and I’m up for a challenge. There’s no turning back now!
But this update is long overdue, so let’s get started:
August 2012 – After deciding that I wanted to start my own business, I had to figure out what type of business to start. One idea kept popping up in my mind. I took that as a sign that it was the right idea. My new business would be: A medical spa! Since that was completely different than anything I had ever done before, the first thing I needed to do was learn as much as I could about my new industry.
I decided to enroll in the best school I could find (actually more of a training program), which involved travelling and staying across the county while attending daily lectures, classes, exams, clinical observations, and working on patients at the school’s own medical spa. After finishing the program and receiving my certification, my reaction was… eh. On a scale of 1 to 10, my excitement level for my new career field was maybe a 3. I found it slightly boring and definitely not as mentally stimulating as my previous career in tax and accounting had been. But I hoped that starting my own medical spa would be much more exciting than working at someone else’s, so I trudged forward with my plan.
October 2012 – Due to state laws and regulations for the medical spa industry, I wasn’t able to start my new business in the state where I was living. However, this fact was more exciting than it was problematic. I had been wanting to move to another state for a while, so I decided since I’m changing career fields, I might as well change home states at the same time. Sure, why not?! (Hence the Dorothy comparison!)
I sold my house, packed up my car, and headed out on a road trip across the country to my new life. I felt like I was a character in a movie, acting out a life that wasn’t mine! This was much more excitement than the average accountant sees in their day-to-day life! I was really living now! (If only I was getting paid the salary of an actor in a movie… but more on that later.)
When I arrived in my new state, I got a small, run-down, over-priced apartment for my new home. Definitely a change from the nice, new, spacious house I had left behind, but lots of great movies start out this way, right? If I’ve learned anything from movies, it’s that taking a risk and chasing your dreams almost always results in success and happiness (and usually some adventure, hijinks, and hilarity along the way)! Oh, how I wish my life was a movie right now, so I can count on that happy ending.
November 2012 – Now that I was settled, the only thing left to do was… work. I put in hours and hours of work planning, researching, budgeting, doing paperwork, and making phone calls before my new business even officially existed. After the legal documents and initial preparation was taken care of, and I got the green light to start the business, the only thing left to do was… more work. At least this work was (slightly) more fun. Now I had to decide on website design, business cards, logos, office design and furnishings, services to offer, pricing for services, and business location.
Business location is a very important consideration. I believe it can make or break a business. It affects how potential customers can find you, the type of clientele you will get, and how much direct marketing you will need to do. I had two options. First, I could get my own store-front business location. With this option, I would get drive-by and walk-by traffic, I could design and display my own signage and advertisements, and I could control the appearance of my store to potential clients, but the overhead cost (rent, utilities, etc.) would be much higher.
The other option was to share a space with an existing business. With this option, overhead costs would be much lower, the start-up would be much easier, and I could piggyback off of the existing business’ clients, but I would have less control over some aspects of my business.
December 2012 – Primarily due to cost and ease, I went with the second option. I found a new salon that was about to open in a relatively new, very busy shopping area, near higher-income neighborhoods. It seemed perfect! I met with the owners who told me they expected the salon to be fully occupied with hair stylists, nail technicians, estheticians, and the like, and they offered to rent me a space within the salon.
They were excited about the new services that I could bring to their salon, and I was excited that my new business would be exposed to dozens of potential clients every day who came to the salon for other services. The owners planned on having a grand opening to attract new clients from the area as well as spread the word to existing clients of the new services that would be offered. It was perfect… on paper anyway. But hindsight is 20/20, and I digress. I paid my first month’s rent and moved in. I was officially a business owner!
Over the next month, I purchased furniture, supplies, and, most importantly, the equipment I needed to perform the medical spa services that I would offer and that would ultimately generate the income for my start-up business. I was open for business!
Now what??
Month 1: Money Spent – Half my Life Savings
Money Earned – NONE
Excitement Level – 8
