It's heeeere!

Holy schmoly have I been busy!  I can't believe it's Thursday (or March for that matter) already.  I'm in a bit of a rush, but I wanted to get this out today so apologies if it seems a bit disjointed.

There have been several milestones since my last post, but the biggest is: that not only have I gotten my merchant account but I have USED IT.  That's right, Manifest Joy (actually it's still Genuine Joy until I get my trade name approved) is officially in business as of this week. 

There are a couple of things that are a bit behind like logo and website, but I've just had to surrender to getting things done as I can.  We still have a presence on the Still Point website and a link from their home page  http://stillpointmindandbody.com/ so I feel like we're good.

The next big milestones are:  getting the trade name registered, getting the logo created and then having the website up and running.  I also really need to get some practitioners in so that I can grow (and continue to pay the rent!) so keep an eye out.  I'm willing to pay referral fees for good candidates who join the practice.

On a personal note, I have to say that it has been an incredible and surreal experience.  I am humbled  by the amount of support I've had as well as the excitement that folks have about it.  I don't know about anyone else but it is truly bringing me joy already.

One of the things I realized this week was that it takes a good bit of time to find quality resources as you are starting a business...especially if you want to create a solid foundation and a heart centered business (not to mention working within a budget).  Therefore, it is my intention to share the best resources that I find.  So in that vein, I have two faves for this week:

1.  logomaker.com

I found this as I searched for logo samples online to help me get clear and ended up spending a couple of hours on it.  It has around 10,000 images on it and an easy to use tool to create and customize a logo.  You can create and save up to 6 at a time.  If you create one that you like, you can buy it for just $49 (if you've priced logos, you know this is a deal).

I created 8-10 sample logos which allowed me to try some stuff that got me in the neighborhood of what I wanted.  Because I'm in a hurry and I didn't have time to "play" too much more, I have since turned it over to my designer but there were a couple I strongly considered using.

2.  Georgetown Insurance Services--Pat Keightley

www.georgetownins.com 301.681.5790 x225

Turns out that business insurance is not quite as simple to get as I anticipated it would be.  The nature of my business makes it a little more complicated than many and apparently there is not a lot of profit to be made for an agent (at least up front).  As a result, the first folks I spoke to (including the woman who the former owner has her policy through!) were suprisingly dismissive and in some cases rude.

Now, it is important to note here that I am a big believer in building relationships with the people I do business with.  In fact, I am willing to pay a bit more for good service.  It constantly amazes me, especially in the current economic climate, how indifferent people are to taking on new business and or taking the time to find out what a client/potential client's need is.

Pat did just that and was quite lovely in the process so if you open a business in the Silver Spring area, I highly recommend him.

OK...gotta run.  Work weekend is on...should be there most of Saturday.  Workers, well-wishers and looky-loos all invited to come by.

More soon!

This week!

OK...so I had this idea that the next post would be a "what I'm doing" post to let everyone know...well....what I'm doing and THEN I would start blogging and updating.  However, since I started that last week and have not yet posted it, I'll go with the current events and add that when I get a chance (lest this be a 1 post blog!).

Anyhoo...I had an incredibly productive week and had several things that I have been working on or holding on come to fruition this week which is very exciting.  My beloved teacher always says...you don't get blessed for what you do, you get blessed for what you complete.  This was definitely a week in which I was richly blessed.

For starters, I am finally an official LLC (according to the state of Maryland).

I have a federal employer id number.

I have not one but two business accounts with a bank that I swore I would never work with....and it was a LOVELY experience.  (If you've never had a business account, you may be suprised to know that more goes into getting that than being able to open a business in your state).

I found a web designer that I really like, is thus far easy to work with and is reasonably priced.  My website is finally in the works!

I spoke with and met with several potential practitioners who were quite lovely and would make great additions to the practice.

I applied for my sales tax account and my merchant account (so I can sell stuff and take credit cards).

I set up and trained on my new appointment booking account.

I saw two new clients, re-started with two "old" clients...AND had my 45th birthday.

The business is moving right along and while it may be a bit tight, it is right on track to be mine by March 1st. 

Thanks for reading and for your prayers, well wishes and support.  I will endeavor to put up a post about the vision/mission and what I am doing soon.

In Joy,

Laura

By the way:  for those of you that are local and would like to support, I am tentatively planning to have a "work weekend" at the space on March 2-3rd.  I'm not yet sure whether we'll be painting and putting down the floor yet, but I'll be there moving out the old and moving in the new.  Let me know if you're interested in coming out (or just come out).

Manifest Joy!

OK, if you're reading this, you more than likely know that I am in the last throes of labor with Manifest Joy and are what I refer to as an "interested party." Whether you are a practitioner, investor, friend, supporter or general well-wisher, thanks for coming by. This will be a place that you can check in and see what the latest happenings are, check out my wants/needs lists and get information about how to plug in and support should you so desire. (AND it keeps me from having to write bunches of emails to disseminate information).

I'll do my best to do daily updates, so check back often. I'll post more later about the current status but I wanted to get this up so that folks could start to follow.

Thanks for your support and interest!

In Joy,

Laura