Powder Boutique

Catching Up

    Well, that was a longer break than I had wanted to take!  A lot has happened in the past month, and I can't wait to share what's been going on! 

    First of all, I finished my NxLevel business plan classes.  I turned in my business plan and received my certificates.  I'm now qualified to... work on my business plan some more!  The draft that I turned in still needs a lot of work, and I need to firm up my numbers, but having the basic plan done is a great feeling.  I now have everything mapped out and know where I need to go from here.

    Once I finished my plan, I entered it in the Community Business Partnership's Business Plan Contest.  I attended the awards luncheon and was able to meet local entrepreneurs and catch up with people from my NxLevel class.  The business plans were judged by professionals in the local community.  Lawyers, bankers, accountants, and other professionals judged the plans based on the quality of financial information, market research, and ultimate feasibilty of the business idea, along with many other criteria.  Although I didn't win a prize, I got five of my business plans back and they were full of feedback.  That's a prize in itself and I'm so glad I entered the contest.  It's just so helpful to get an unbiased opinion!

    After the luncheon I flew to Colorado for a friend's wedding, mother's day, and some much needed time with my friends.  I'm back to work now, though, and I'm ready to get back to the grind.  I hope to have some exciting news in the next month or so!

Monday Morning

    Happy Monday!  I'm frantically trying to get the business plan done by Wednesday because that's the date that it's due for my NxLevel class.  If you don't turn in a business plan you get a "course participant" certificate, and if you turn one in you get a "course completion" certificate instead.  I think that loan officers will look more favorably on the latter, so that's what I'm shooting for.  The only thing is... it's hard!  The plan is pretty much finished except for all the financial information.  Currently I'm working on estimating all the start up costs and I'm finding that section to be a lot of leg work.  I need to get prices on insurance, technology and professional services, paint, flooring, fixtures, equipment, and the list goes on.  This section is undoubtedly one of the most important pieces of the whole plan, so I really want to get everything just right. 
    Today I'm planning on going to get some insurance estimates, flooring estimates, and spending some time in Old Town researching the costs of store fronts for lease.  The plan for tonight?  If I can get everything on my to-do list done today, Dave and I are meeting some friends for pub trivia.  I'm excited to go because I've never gone before and everyone says it's tons of fun, so that's good motivation to get everything done. 

Mission Statement

    A couple of weeks ago in my NxLevel class we were working on writing our mission statements.  A mission statement is supposed to be one sentence that embodies everything that your business strives to become.  I've been working on my mission statement for a while now because it's just so important.  I want my customers and employees to be able look at it and really get what I'm trying to accomplish.  I've been playing around with different words and this is what I have so far:

    Powder Boutique's mission is to become a shopping destination that allows women to purchase     practical, functional, and high-quality clothing in a comfortable and inviting atmosphere.

    I don't know... I keep changing my mind.  Some days I like it, other days I don't.  I think my biggest problem with it is the word "allows."  It just doesn't seem to fit. 

    I'll keep working on it until I get it right, and of course I'll update it here.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

NxLevel

    Hello again!  Pardon my absence- I've been writing a lot but not on this blog.  I've been working on my business plan (yes, still) and it's kind of taking over my life.  The reason?  I'm taking a business-plan -writing class held at the Community Business Partnership called NxLevel. 

    NxLevel is a 13-week course that is designed to detail how every part of the business plan should be approached and successfully written.  The class is held on the same day every week for three hours.  The first part of the class is devoted to the instructor's lecture, and during the second part of the class local business owners come in and share their experiences.  Hearing about other entrepreneurs' start-up ventures is so helpful and I've found that most small business owners are anxious to share what they've learned. 

    The best part about the class?  Homework.  Seriously.  Every week we're asked to bring in a completed section of the business plan.  The instructor looks over it and addresses any questions or concerns.  When I first started writing my business plan on my own, before I started this course, it was difficult to determine where to start writing.  NxLevel took the guesswork out of the process and just made me start writing. 

    Some things I've learned during NxLevel classes:

• Your business plan should be as long as it needs to be.  There is no perfect length, just write the plan that your business requires.  I think that my plan will end up being about 30-40 pages, but I really have no idea right now.
• The business plan is never "finished."  As is reiterated in just about every class, "the business plan is a living thing."  In order to accomplish your business goals you need to know what those goals are and the business plan will tell you how to accomplish them.  For example, a short term goal (under a year) of mine is to open the boutique.  A long term goal (1-5 years in the future) is to reach a certain level of sales revenue.  Both of these goals will change over time, and thus my business plan will change.
• The only way that you can have a successful business is if you have customers that will pay you.  This sounds like common sense, but it struck a chord with me.  I'm going to really have to focus on buying inventory that my customers will buy, not just things that I want to buy.  For this reason, customer service and effective merchandising will be my biggest concerns in the boutique. 
• Being self-employed and being a business owner are two different things.  Are you starting your business because you want a job?  Or are you starting a business because you want to start a business?  I realize that, at first, the role of business owner will be intertwined with that of unpaid full-time plus employee.  When the boutique is successful, however, I will step back and be more of a guide for the business.  My idea for Powder Boutique was formed while I was job-hunting, and as I half-heartedly searched the job boards it became more and more evident that I didn't want to throw myself back into the corporate world.  I just... couldn't do it.  I realized that starting my own business would give me the independence and the creative outlet that I couldn't get sitting at a desk all day.  Scratch that- I don't mind sitting at a desk all day, but it has to be my desk in my store

    I could go on and on, but I should probably get back to the business plan.  If you're looking into starting your own business I fully recommend finding a NxLevel program in you area.

*I'm just a satisfied NxLevel customer and this is not a paid endorsement.

Administrative

      Do you ever have those days where you spend the whole morning on the phone taking care of stupid stuff that needs to be taken care of, and then having nothing to show for it?  I’ve talked to 4 different companies today and pretty much nothing has been resolved.  I called our bank to find out where in their confusing website they’re hiding our 1099-MISC.  This was actually my most successful call because I located the statement, but couldn’t print it out, so it’s just saved on the desktop.  After that, I called Subaru to try to fix a nasty service issue we’re having.  I talked to somebody that told me to leave a voicemail for somebody else.  Which I gladly did!  Because I hate talking on the phone!  The bad thing about leaving a voicemail, though?  You still have to wait for that person to call you back.  Then, I called Washington Gas to try to resolve the fact that we paid our bill to the wrong account number and could I please get our money back?  The guy told me that a check had been cut and that we should have received it- which, of course we haven’t.  I asked if the check had cleared since we didn’t receive one and he put me on hold…He came back and started his sentence with, “I’m afraid I can’t give you any more good news.”  Wait… what?  That seemed like a very dramatic way to tell me that the “system” they use to look up checks is down.  I said that I’d call back tomorrow (because I seem to enjoy this particular brand of torture) and he said that I could try, but that the “system” might not be up, also insinuating that the “system” might never be up, which makes me think that there is no “system” and that he just put me on hold to ask his supervisor what to tell the stupid girl who can’t read account numbers, and the supervisor said, “use the ‘system is down’ line.”  And that wasn’t even the end of it yet because then I had to call our HOA in Colorado to see if I could pay our bill over the phone and was told that I couldn’t.  Why won’t businesses just take my money?  I seriously have this problem all the time.  Like waiting at a counter to pay for something because the employee is too busy talking or folding shit to ring me up.  Take my money!  Aren’t we in a recession?  Don't you need this green stuff?!   Those four calls wasted two hours and one pot of coffee.  Mornings like this make me want to sleep all day. 

      So it's almost 10pm.  I wrote all of this this morning and have been waiting by the phone (the beauty of cell phones) all day for Subaru to call me back.  I just saw that Cox, our cable company, charged us twice this month for internet.  So tomorrow morning will be much like this morning- full of phone calls, caffeine, and misery.   I promise not to write about it though!  I'm sure everyone else out there has days just like this and doesn't need to relive the pain.

Vegas Pictures

I got so excited that I was finally posting something that I forgot to add the pictures.  Typical.

This is all of us at Lawry's for the annual Christa and Vanessa birthday dinner

And here's me with the Happy Birthday sign thing they put on my dessert.  I couldn't help tasting it before the picture.  They made the thing out of chocolate- it's completely unrealistic to expect me to wait for a picture.

Oh- I guess that's it for the pictures.  For some reason I thought there were more.  I'm terrible about taking enough pictures.

Vegas

    Wow... time flies!  I can't believe that my family's annual Vegas trip has come and gone already, but it has.  Every time I leave Las Vegas I'm conflicted.  Part of me wants to stay there and keep having fun, but another part of me can't wait to get on that plane and back to normalcy. 
    The trip out to Vegas was pretty stressful.  I was flying stand by early in the morning because that way I could catch the VRE from nearby the house instead of having to park at the airport or take a cab to the Metro.  I had to run (with my bags) to catch the train because, of course, I was late.  I was frantically jabbing my credit card in the ticket machine when the train pulled up.  Once on the train, I noticed that nearly everyone was sleeping.  Do you have any idea how much noise those roller bags make in the aisles of the train?  To everyone on the 6:00AM train last Tuesday, I'm so sorry about the noise.  And I'm sorry about all the shoulders, elbows, and knees I smacked.  I found a seat in the back of the train and about 5 minutes after I got situated my stop was announced.  I didn't want to look too inexperienced at the whole train travel thing, so I waited until we started slowing down until I stood up and made my way to the doors, instead of freaking out and running to the front like my brain was telling me to.  Do you want to know a fun fact?  Not all of the doors on the VRE open at the Franconia Springfield stop.  The train came to a stop and I waited for the doors to open... nothing.  I started to panic, thinking that the train would start going again and I would be stuck on it without the right ticket and they would throw me off.  Forunately, a very nice woman came up to me and told me that the doors closer to the front of the train, you train-novice idiot.  That last part was implied.  I shot out of a string of thank yous and speed-walked with my suitcase banging behind me (and getting caught on seats and falling to the ground and making as much noise as possible) all the way up to the magical doors and got off that train and I doubt anyone was sorry to see me go.
    After that ordeal, I got on another train.  But it was the Metro this time, so at least that was a little more familiar.  That trip was pretty uneventful and I made it to Reagan in time to catch my first standby flight.  And then!  I caught my second standby flight!  That never happens- I was convinced that I would be spending 8 hours at O'Hare waiting for my confirmed flight.  All of this stress to arrive in Vegas 7 hours early.  Oh well- it was totally worth it.  We all had an awesome time and it was so nice to catch up with the family!

What's in a Name?

    I was getting very antsy during my business registration class earlier today.  We were talking about reserving and trademarking our business names and some of the things (all bad) that can happen if you don't.  I, um, haven't reserved the Powder Boutique name yet.  That didn't stop me from getting a website and printing business cards though!  Needless to say, I was in a big hurry to get home and find out if another business was using my name (or the other way around.) 
    A couple of web searches during my naming phase a couple months ago indicated that Powder Boutique probably wasn't being used in the US (I say probably because I learned that Google isn't the only way to do your due diligence- who knew?) but that the name was being used in the UK, and I figured that didn't matter.  But I think it didn't matter to me because I liked the name and really wanted to use it for the boutique.  I like getting what I want- show me someone who doesn't! 
    Ok- moment of truth time!  I'm going to check with the Virginia SCC...  Yes!  Powder Boutique (or anything close to it, for that matter) isn't being used in Virginia.  On to check the Patent and Trademark Office site... and... the connection timed out.  Trying again... and I'm in luck!  No Powder Boutiques have been trademarked!  Powderfish, however, is off limits. 
    Well, that's good news!  And you can bet that now I'll be paying the $10 to reserve my name with the state.  Now if I could only figure out a way to stop giving myself heart attacks in class I'll be all set!

Vision

    I'm back!  I know I said I'd post during my vacation, but I didn't.  Bad Vanessa.  The trip to Chicago was certainly a whirlwind.  We stayed with two of our best friends and had a great time.  Lots of food, drinks, friends, and family.  I tend lose all structure when I'm away from home, and this time was no exception.  Not that I have all that much structure at the house, but it's just easier to get things done at home.  Now that things are settling down it's time to get back to working on the store.
    I have a class coming up this month that will teach me all I need to know about registering the business.  I hope to have Powder Boutique all registered and official by the end of this month!  Another goal for this month is to narrow my vision for the store. 
    At Christmas I found it kind of hard to articulate to family and friends exactly what I see for the store and the kinds of things I want to sell.  Basically, my idea is for the store to have a "Colorado" vibe.  I loved living in Colorado and I loved the people, so I want to bring those memories and atmosphere to Alexandria.  I'm not necessarily going to carry things that one would wear in Colorado, rather I would carry things that remind me of the lifestyle: laid back, comfortable, functional, and active.  Alexandria is lacking a store like this, so I feel like it's the way to go.  
    As for the interior of the store, I want it to be done in natural colors.  Exposed brick would be ideal, but we'll see if a space with brick opens up in my price range.  I want to incorporate a lot of large, wooden tables and hutches to display clothing.  The walls will be a cream color, and there will hopefully be a lot of natural light.  I'm going for "Colorado," but not Western or kitschy.  Like the clothes, I want the mood in the store to be comfortable and functional, not cluttered and loud. 
    Since customer service will be one of my biggest concerns, I'll be bringing the laid-back Colorado approach to that too.  I want to be accommodating and helpful, but not at all pushy and certainly not hovering.  I hate that!  I never buy anything from stores where it feels like I'm being watched like a hawk.
    So that's that.  I have some more ideas and I really need to get to work on narrowing them down,  but hopefully this will give you an idea of what I'm trying to accomplish.  Does anybody out there have any suggestions?  Anything you love or hate about a store? 

Countdown

        Is it Christmas yet?  It seems like we've been preparing for it forever.  Dave and I are spending Christmas Eve and part of Christmas day here in Virginia, and then flying to Chicago for the remainder of Christmas day and staying there through the new year.

        I always end up throwing a ton of food away before we go out of town because for some reason I buy too much even though I know we can't eat it all.  I hate wasting food and money, so I made an effort to not do that this time.  This means that I'll be having a cheese sandwich on loaf butts for lunch.  It also means that last night's dinner was an interesting medley of leftovers.  I had cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, half a sweet potato, half a butternut squash, and tofu that I had to use.  My husband's a lucky man, I know.  I threw the tofu, tomatoes, and mushrooms on the grill.

Blurry picture, huh?  The sweet potato and squash went into the oven to roast.  We had all of this with some leftover brown rice.  Oh- and leftover mashed potatoes and gravy because, really, something had to taste good.  Not the best meal I've made but at least we're not throwing so much away this time.

        Besides cleaning out the fridge (which I know is an interesting topic) I've also spent too much time wrapping presents.  I finally got them all finished, but now I'm afraid to move them.

        You see, every year I do this- I come up with a theme (this year's theme is... a lot of red?  I guess?) spend a ridiculous amount of money on supplies, and then put the wrapped presents in a bag to take to the family's house where, inevitably, almost all of the handmade bows come off or fall apart.  And then I try to put them all back on the way they were, ripping wrapping paper in the process, until I just don't care anymore and put them under the tree anyway.  Seriously- this happens every year.  I can't stop it. 

        I'll be posting some while we're on vacation, and I hope to talk more about the store in the next couple posts.  I have a lot of ideas and can't wait to share them here!