Bummer - Part II

OK, so the day started out pretty well!  Let's focus on that first!

I made an early morning trip (before 7 am) to Old Town Alexandria to look at another potential space at Prince and Union Streets.  It was so nice to be out at that time of morning before the traffic picked up and the day got warm.  The only people on the streets were joggers and people walking their dogs.  After looking at the space, I ducked into the Starbucks on Union for an Americano.  Bliss!  After I arrived home, I emailed the broker with more questions (surprise, surprise).

I also had an email this morning from Cori, outlining our plans for communication with Lisa, the Zoe Girl illustrator (of course, this is Lisa's claim to fame!  Just kidding)  and talking about our collateral planning.  I also had an email from Amy regarding the web design/development and provided her with feedback on my time.  After responding to both emails, I went to Costco to pick up some things for the store based on the list I created over the weekend.  I had a very successful shopping trip and was feeling pretty good about the day.

I had an afternoon medical appointment in Arlington and, when I exited that appointment, had an email from my broker saying that the landlord accepted another potential tenant's letter of intent.  When I asked him if we knew why they didn't accept ours (because I really want to learn how to position myself appropriately), he said they didn't give a reason but that several people had sent in LOI's the same time I did.  This is definitely a let down as I had grown excited about this space as had Jim.  I need to think and pray on it tonight to decide what to do next.  But I've learned one lesson - I always feel better in the morning and can see God's hand in the plan.

Details are the Name of the Game

This week, it is all about the details.  Today, I met with the company that is going to do the build out of my cabinetry in my space (if that ever gets settled).  We had a great conversation, I reviewed their portfolio, and we discussed next steps.  I feel comfortable that I've found the right fit for Zoe's concept.

And, as silly as this may sound, I spoke with the company today that will be providing the water for my site.  I want to offer customers water but not bottled water.  And I don't want to have to deal with the mess of a water cooler with a 40 pound bottle on it!  And, I want it to be environmentally friendly.  We are meeting on Thursday afternoon to discuss pricing and options.  I am also researching biodegradable cups for use with the water cooler as well.  Jim has taught me a lot in this area as they often deal with companies who make both plastic and the biodegradable cups.

I heard from my broker today.  We should have an answer on the LOI for the King Street space sometime tomorrow.  He has also put another space out for me to review (I am going to look at it early on Wednesday morning) and I've asked him about another space I saw on King.  We've decided to hold off on the West Street space.  The landlord wants to meet with me, which my broker says is a little odd.  The LL is probably annoyed with all of my questions...

And, I am going to venture into the frightening world of Costco tomorrow.  Check back to see if I survived!

Follow Your Bliss

On Labor Day, this seemed like a perfect time to share a link to a beautiful blog about following your bliss.

On Sunday evening (as you can probably tell, I work at different times on different days), I was making a list of all of the things I need to begin purchasing now as I plan to open the business.  I was dividing the list into back office type items and front (store) office type items when I all of a sudden had an epiphany of sorts around the design for my space.  And that wasn't even what I had even set out to do with developing the lists!  It will require some investigation this week (I don't want to give it away quite yet) but I like the way it helps to define the mission of the business a bit more.

Colossians 3:23 (New International Version)

²³Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men

Who Knew One of Our Founding Fathers Was An Entrepreneur?

On Saturday, Jim wanted to take his vintage BMW out for a drive to take advantage of the beautiful weather! We first drove down to Old Town Alexandria so that I could show him the two new potential Zoe spaces.  He really enjoyed looking at each one and hearing me explain the pluses and minuses for each space.  No word on the LOI yet on the King Street space but I would expect to hear something this week.

After we left Old Town, we drove down the George Washington Parkway to Mount Vernon and then continued on toward Mason Neck.  In the course of our drive past Mount Vernon, we saw signs for Washington's Grist Mill and Distillery.  Neither of us had ever been there so we decided to stop.  The grounds are open from April - October and it is very interesting and educational.  Signage on the grounds talks about Washington's role as an entrepreneur but an excerpt from this article in Reason magazine summarizes it well:

Washington's political and military exploits are of course well-known: He was a member of colonial Virginia's House of Burgesses and a delegate to the Continental Congress; he led the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and won a hard-fought victory for independence; and he served as the first president of these United States.

Yet his business ventures are impressive in their own right. During America's time as an English colony, Washington ran a fishing operation that processed 1.5 million fish per year and sold them throughout the 13 American colonies and the British West Indies. The mill he built ground 278,000 pounds of flour annually that was shipped through America and even exported to England and Portugal. In the 1790s, during the last years of his life, Washington built one of the largest whiskey distilleries in the new nation. No wonder he ended up first in the hearts of his countrymen.

Scholars have documented that Washington's life work was as enthralling as that of any of the Founding Fathers. Whereas Franklin built gadgets at his homestead, and Jefferson built fancy buildings, Washington built was a series of integrated businesses. It may be time to think of him as Steve Jobs 1.0.

It is fun to combine my love of history with business!

The Website and More

As a follow-up to my lunch meeting with Amy yesterday, she provided me with an excellent group of questionnaires that I should use in specifying what I need for Zoe's website design.  Right now, I'm working through answering The Client Survey, The Maintenance Survey, The Communications Brief Worksheet, and the Expanded Tech Check, found at this website.  She has also provided a recommendation for a designer and I've had the chance to review his portfolio on-line.  Just like Lisa the illustrator, he seems to be a perfect fit for what I am projecting with Zoe!

My mom and Jim both reviewed the Zoe Girl designs with me last night and I very much appreciated their thoughts and feedback.  I have selected my "finalist" and, based on email conversation with Cori today, we have a very slight change to her but are very close!  I am a bit biased but my "daughter" is beautiful!

I don't think I mentioned this earlier in the week but I had started looking at the website for Yelp!   Honestly, reading some of the reviews really stressed me out!  It made me really worry about making sure I hire the right people and treat everyone who walks through my door wtih the utmost in care and respect.  I'm trying to take what I learned from all of the negative reviews and, rather than letting it worry me, take it to heart as things I want to thoughtfully address as I hire for the store.

No additional news on the LOI status but I didn't really expect it with the holiday weekend.

When it Rains, It Pours

And we never know when it is going to rain, do we?

This morning, I spoke with an old friend who had been following Zoe's progress but had recently gotten caught up on the blog.  He laughed at me and said "You are such a control freak, I know the ambiguity is killing you!"  What could I say?  He is pretty much right!  But I've been doing better.  My patience levels are improving drastically!

There are many great things happening all at once!  Before I left for my lunch to talk web strategies, Cori sent me an email from Lisa with 5 possible update designs for Zoe Girl!  She is absolutely perfect!  I have no idea how I'm going to make up my mind.  This is definitely one I'll have to sleep on.  But we can look forward to a new unveiling very soon!

My lunch meeting with Amy was fantastic.  She has a wonderful understanding of both the requirements for web design as well as the technical aspects.  She had a number of great questions for me regarding my vision for the use of the site and will be send me a questionnaire to outline all of it as well as any additional details.  She has someone in mind that may be a good fit for me as far as a web developer/designer.

And, my broker sent me the draft LOI for the King Street location!  I went back to him with questions (when have you ever know of me NOT to have questions??) which were quickly answered.  I have given him the approval to submit it to the landlord for review.  Here comes the roller coaster again!

More LOIs on the Way!

The tour of the King Street space went well this afternoon and the broker was also able to provide me with answers to my questions on the West Street space.  We agreed to prepare Letters of Intent (LOIs) on both spaces to start the leasing process.  In many ways, the two spaces could not be more different but each has it's own pluses and minuses.  I have a lot of thinking to do!

My broker confirmed for me that the Henry Street location is no longer an option.  I'm sad but it means it wasn't the right space.  Better to know now than later.

Yesterday afternoon was spent reviewing many, many websites to determine what I like and do not like about each one.  This is in preparation for my lunch meeting on Thursday.  Last night, I also did some research on apparel businesses for sale in Virginia.  There is a site that shows general information on the amount of inventory, furniture/fixtures/equipment, cash flow, and selling price and, frequently, the reason the person is leaving the business.  It is very educational to see what others have experienced and I may ask to look at the books for some of the businesses just to compare to my own business plan.  My financial advisor had suggested this and I believe it would be a worthwhile endeavor.

I am also considering trademarking the logos and name of the boutique and spent some time reviewing the process on the Patent and Trademark Office site.

Had a delightful lunch with my friend Wayne today, who tells me he is living vicariously through me.  No pressure for me to succeed, eh Wayno?  :)