GROWTH OF A BUSINESS

5/31/2012   DESTRUCTION AND DEVASTATION


Within the last 48 hours, we in Oklahoma have had a very stormy weather pattern.  It all started the day before yesterday....

Weather stations had been predicting "scattered thunderstorms" for portions of Oklahoma on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Nothing out of the ordinary here!  In the ten years I've lived in Oklahoma, this exact weather prediction comes up at least 100 times a year (I know...exaggerating just a little!  But that's how it feels!)  I have also learned that in Oklahoma, you never actually believe the weatherman until you see it come to pass, as weather patterns change here by the minute!  Literally!

So, I spent most of Tuesday afternoon working on jeans skirts to boost inventory.  I work out of my home (actually bedroom!) so space is a little tight.  I had my stock of denim laid out on the bed and had the little table I use to sew on spread with the jean skirt I was working on.  Boots had told me to keep track of the weather.   As we don't have cable, we do have an antenna hooked up so that I can get the local station to follow weather reports.  Boots feels this is especially important for the "stormaphobic" that I am when he's not here to protect me from the weather (or from myself!  Who knows which, really!)

As 6 pm neared and Boots was on his way home, I turned on the local station to check weather......AND LOW AND BEHOLD....weather doomsday predictions were all they could talk about!  I have to admit at this point I kinda' sneered...it was just fine outside my kitchen window!  What was all the fuss about?

Dinner was prepared, eaten, and cleaned up after and around 7 pm, I decided to check the weather again......doomsday still happening!  Outside my kitchen window, a little more wind, but otherwise just fine!  What WAS all this fuss about?

Boots started taking notice of the weather around 7:15/7:30 pm.  When this happened, I started paying attention with one ear/eye (you know what I mean!).  Boots is an "Oklahoma Lifer"....lived here all his life and can tell you what's happening with the weather while sound asleep if need be!

When we first got married, if there was a tornado in the vicinity, Boots loaded the boys and I into the car and we would "out run" it....crazy, huh?  In Illinois (where I'm from), bad weather is dealt with from the confines of your basement...preferably under a mattress away from the windows!!  (Unless, of course, you were my dad or uncle....you would then deal with bad weather or tornados by sending your family to the basement and then standing out on the back porch while watching it come across the cornfield toward you until your wife couldn't handle it any more and demandingly screamed from inside the house "John Brady, GET IN HERE BEFORE YOU GET KILLED!") 


A few minutes after Boots took over weather watch, my tension level rose and my "stormaphobia" kicked.  "Honey, is it ok?"  "Yes, Laura, it's ok!"  "Honey, where is Kingfisher County?"  "Just to the west of Edmond."  "Honey, did you see that hail line?"  "Yes, it's gonna be ok."  "Honey, he just said it's gonna be in Edmond in 30 minutes!"  "I know.  I heard him."  "Honey, do you think we should move Tyler's car under the tree on the street to help slow the hail down if needed?"  "Probably."   At this point, I go get Tyler and have him move his car from the driveway to under the trees across the street.  Tyler's vehicle is the only one that is not garaged.  

"Honey, Tyler moved his car."  "Ok."  "Honey, that's getting worse!  Look!"  "I know.  Have Tyler take his car to On Cue and park under their awning until this passes."  OK....I have to stop here and explain!  Panic is now in my throat...about to erupt!  Boots doesn't do this if he doesn't think we're seriously in for it!   I RUN into the other room, grab Tyler, explain loudly and hastily what he's to do, explaining he has about 15 minutes before this hits!  GO, GO, GO!!!  Tyler takes off for the On Cue gas station and I run back inside to the safety that is with my weatherman, Boots!

In a few minutes (while Boots is now intensely monitoring the weather!), Tyler calls to say he's at On Cue and it's packed, but he was able to get his car under the awning.  "Completely under the awning?"  "Yes, Mom, completely under the awning."  "Ok, you stay inside the station until we call and tell you it's ok to come home."  "OK, Mom, I got it!"  "Did you hear me, Tyler?  Stay INSIDE the station until we say it's ok to come home."  "OOOKKK, Mom!  I GOT IT!"  "Are you inside the station yet?"  "Yes, MOM!  I'm inside the station."  "Don't get an attitude with me, Tyler.  I'm just trying to keep your car from being damaged!"  "I KNOW, MOM! I'll stay inside til you call me."  "Laura, leave him alone.  He'll be ok."  "Oh ok, love you, Tyler!  Be safe."  "Ok, Mom!"

And within a few seconds of hanging up, we heard the hail starting to blow in along with the intense rain.  Cocoa runs for cover under the bed, loudly barking to let us know that bad weather is approaching!  Thank the Lord again for good security!!

As Boots starts putting his shoes on, the lights go out!  "Honey, where's the flashlight? I know it's here somewhere!  Where's my phone?  Have you seen my phone?  Honey, do you hear that?  I'm scared!"  "Wait a minute and let me turn on my flashlight."  A small stream of light appears from the general vicinity of Boots.  "There's the flashlight, Laura, on my desk.  I think the weather radio is in my nightstand drawer."  I grab the big flashlight, the weather radio, my small pink flashlight, and my cell phone.  I wanted to grab Cocoa, but he's not leaving HIS safe place under our bed!

As my hands are pretty full, I hand Boots the weather radio so he can wind it up and get it working.  As I follow Boots down the hallway from the bedroom, Boots has the radio station on with the minute by minute play on where the storm currently is.  The noise from the hail increases and it's VERY scary by now!  Even for Oklahoma standards, this is a very serious, scary storm system!!

"Honey, shouldn't we go to the boy's bathroom now?"  (That's our safe room!)  "I'm gonna check outside."  WHAT?!  It's my dad all over again!!  What's up with men and the urge to SEE what's about to KILL YOU????  So being the stormaphobic that I am, I follow closely behind Boots to the front door.  Boots opens the front door (even with the hail intermittently hitting it!) and with weather radio in hand, watches the storm firsthand while listening to the play by play. 

I can't take it anymore....I walk into the living room with Boots still in my line of vision, and I proceed to walk in circles while calling on the Name of the Lord.  "Jesus...JEsus...JESus... JESUs...JESUS...JESUS!!!"  I have no other way of explaining how I deal with scary situations.  Since childhood, all I know to do is to call on the Master of the Wind, Maker of the Rain, the Calmer of the Storm.......Jesus.  So for the next 20 minutes or so of the worst hail storm I have ever been in, I continued my crop circle pattern while praying for protection!!!

FINALLY....the hail moves out, the rain turns gentler, and the winds quiet a little.  Aaahhh.... we did it!  Made it through another nasty Oklahoma storm.  Boots opens the front door to go out and survey the damage and continuing storm......I call Tyler...."Tyler, are you still inside the station?  Is the hail there yet?  Are you ok?"......


5/30/2012   DOUBLE TROUBLE


Someone once said "Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion."  I'm laughing hysterically with tears streaming down my face about now then! Sleep deprivation is also probably a factor at this point, too!

I know that a certain amount of frustration and exhaustion come from owning your own business, but who knew it would affect me?  In my mind, I'm a small business owner Super Woman.  I can cook, clean, do laundry, pay bills for my household all the while sewing, pinning, cutting, and patching for byLAMDesigns.   Right?  Wrong!  I have found myself not sewing as much as I would like too.


I have had to spend some of my time lately in learning new techniques.  These are important to the growth of my business, but slow down the inventory process.  And let's face it, without inventory...I'm not gonna be selling anything!  If I'm not selling anything, I'm not making any money!  And if I'm not making any money....ok, I think you get the picture!


So, how to balance the continuing education, with the steady stocking of inventory, with the running of a household?  For lack of a better idea, I'm thinking cloning! (That's what you were thinking too, right?)  One Laura to learn new techniques and one Laura to sew 24/7!  For those of you who know me well, I'm sure at this point that you're dancing with joy!  Sooo excited at the prospect!     

DOUBLE TROUBLE

Just think of it!  What a productive day I would have!  First Laura gets up and gets Boots off to work and Tyler off to whatever he's up to that day.  Then she can clean, do laundry, straighten the house, run errands, etc. and then meet up with the Second Laura in the afternoon to do continuing education for byLAMDesigns!  Second Laura can then be free to get up in the morning and immediately start sewing!  Why Second Laura wouldn't even need to stop to let Security out to potty (see previous article for clarification!!), or call Boots to see how his day is going, or to do any "household" type item!  


Why stop there?  The list of possibilities would be endless with 2 Laura's!  I can see it now....my house would always be spotless, Boots and Tyler well taken care of, gourmet home cooked dinners on the table (on time even!!), birthday/anniversary cards for friends/family would be mailed to arrive on the very day! (not a couple days, weeks, months later!), laundry would always be caught up, and byLAMDesigns would always be well organized and stocked!  Where, oh where, do I sign up?  *Sigh*


But as with all good dreams, reality sets back in and I'm once again exhausted (and disappointed to just be 1 person!)  There really is not a "fix" for this problem.....it's probably always going to be a balancing act....and I'm not all the coordinated!  That whole "balls in the air" thing isn't for me!  So I'm just gonna take it one day at a time (Sweet Jesus!) and do the best I can with the gifts God's given me!




5/04/2012   CAN DO STRESS

Today I read 2 articles in the news....the first was titled "145,000 New Small Business Started Annually" and the other was "Managing The Stress Of Starting Your Own Business."  It was after reading these 2 articles back to back, that I decided to stop cruising for helpful articles on starting your own business!

Starting your own business IS very stressful.  There's time management, product availability, material costs, and you don't actually make much money your first couple of years.  A lot of new business owners are risking it all for the true joy that comes from being your own boss.  Failing is not an option for most of us!  So I guess the question would be....why do 145,000 people do it every year?

My guess would be for the independence of it.  I mean think about it.  You get up every morning (at a time YOU set!), you prepare yourself for the day and even if you are running late you don't have the stress of worrying about getting yelled at for it!  I mean, have you ever seen anyone standing at a mirror, pointing at themselves, and yelling that being late was gonna get you fired?

In my case, I work out of my home so there are days I spend most of my morning and haven't even combed my hair yet!  (Did I say that out loud? hmmm....)  Who's gonna know?  Boots and Tyler are at work and school....the only other being in the house but me is our security guy, Cocoa.  His hair looks worse than mine most days, so why would he call me on it?

And then there's break time.  In the 9 to 5 world, breaks are strictly regulated.  I even worked for an insurance company that made you clock out using your phone before you could leave your cubicle!  I would hate to see a printout of my comings and goings now from my desk/table/work area...it would be longer than a lifetime crooks rap sheet!  9:30 am arrived, 9:40 am bathroom break, 10:00 am munchy break, 10:15 am let security guy out in the backyard break, 10:40 am thirsty break, 11:00 am call Boots break, 11:30 am pre-lunch break, 12:15 pm lunch break (return 2:00 pm!), 2:30 pm let security guy out in the backyard break, 3:00 pm bathroom break, 3:30 pm check Tyler's "headed home" text message, 4:00 pm call Boots break, 4:30 pm quitting time.  Wow...to actually see that in print kinda' makes me want to call myself into my office and give myself a lecture on the rules of good time management!

The scheduling of vacation, personal and sick days are a lot easier though!  When you own your own business there is no stress from trying to juggle you and your spouses schedules, or playing the office "first come first serve for special days off" game, etc.  It's literally a 5 minute decision!  Take this morning for instance...I'd had a rough night and woke up hurting and feeling lousy.  I dropped a few whining comments about not feeling well (for verification if I was called on it later!) and there...sick day scheduled!  Piece of cake!

So for me, the jury is still out on whether the perks of owning your own business out weigh the stress of owning your own business.  In all seriousness, I'm a lot luckier than most new business entrepreneurs, I don't have the soul responsibility of family income....I have Boots (see previous articles!) 



5/01/2012   BUDGET TIME

Budget...did you flinch?  You did, didn't ya?  See, I am not the only one who cringes when facing the daunting task of making a budget.  The "self-help" industry makes millions each year on helping people create a budget, how to stick to the budget, how to get back on budget, how to manage debt, and the list goes on and on.

There are thousands of conversations every year about the federal government and individual states when it's budget time.  Where do you spend?  Where do you cut back?  How do you foretell how much your gonna need in a specific area?  And the difficulty of making a budget is very evident as I've even seen media, politicians, spouses, etc. get into fights when talking about a budget!

So...byLAM Designs is now faced with making a budget (see..you flinched again, didn't ya!) and I'm dragging you along with me (kicking and screaming, I know!  Deal with it!)  Sooo...to help with this process, I have a computer program that Boots lovingly installed on my computer for me.    Step 1...open program!  Double click on the little icon and.....loading....and ok, here we go!

So...now I have to enter my budgeted expenses for 2012.  (Bored yet?  Snap out of it and pay attention!  You're in this with me, remember?)  Well, let's see...I'll just go down this list...shouldn't take very long...."salaries" $0 (nobody works here but me and since I haven't sold anything yet, I don't get paid!), "utilities" $0 (since I work out of our home and since Boots pays the utilities here...I can skip this category!), "rent" $0 (again, Boots pays the rent for us and I know he's not gonna charge me to work from home!), "office supplies" $0 (again, I use Boots' stuff...you know 'what's his is mine...' it was in the marriage vows! or at least implied in the marriage vows!), let's see what's next...."materials" $0 (since Boots has been buying me stuff over the years, I could probably sew for 6 months and not have to buy any new materials!), advertising $0 (Facebook...free!, blogspot...free!, webpage...free! for now anyway!), and last but not least, "income" $0 (haven't sold anything yet!).

Well, hmmm....that was relatively easy!  What's all the big fuss about?  It took about 15 minutes to work through all the small business budget items and input our projected costs and revenues.  Then all I had to do was hit "calculate" and....BOOM!  BALANCED BUDGET!

Wow!  I think I've just solved all of the budget issues for the federal and state governments.  I and I alone have found the answer to the easy balanced budget!  I'm gonna be a millionaire....forget that!!  I'm gonna be a buzgazillionaire!!  I have the answer that all those college educated, years of financial experience guys and gals on Capital Hill have all been struggling to find!  byLAM Designs is gonna do just fine because I have the answer.......want to balance your budget?  Just have a nifty computer program to figure it all up and absolutely no income or expenses!  Oh, and after re-reading my own budget....you're gonna need a Boots!
                                                             

4/30/2012   SUPERWOMAN OF THE "TO DO" LIST

I'm learning that starting a new business is a game of Multitasking.  Now, I've taken the time to do my "homework," and I've discovered that neither Parker Bros, Hasbro, nor Milton Bradley produce this game.  I've played all the board games made by man (Yes I have....I'm pretty sure!).  I'm prepared to buy large lots of land, sell or rent them to anyone who lands on my property, all the while holding on to that "get out of jail" card in case my cunning opponent pulls some sly move on me!  I can also go from "start" to my "home" in record time while counting little squares, dodging my opponent and apologizing if I land on their square and send them back to start.  I can also roll a "full house" or "Yahtzee" as needed (of course, that's if I'm not playing my mom!  Our family thinks she's cheated at Yahtzee for years, but we can't seem to prove it!!)  But with all this preparation by board game that I've done all my life, I never practiced for the "To Do" list.

This has never been more evident than while starting my new business.  I find that while making lists doesn't seem that hard, finishing one is almost impossible!

TO DO LIST SUPERWOMAN

Take this morning, for instance.  I get Tyler off to school and Boots off to work, then it's "to do" list time.  I take out that coveted piece of paper (yes, Tyler, I know you installed Post It Notes on my phone for this, but I still don't know how to use them even though you've shown me several times!  Please forgive me!)  and I take out my favorite pen (yes, Boots, I know it's actually your pen!) and I sit down to organize my week!

Now...Monday....#1 laundry...ever wonder why we have so much laundry?  I mean there's only 3 of us in this household now so how do we produce so much laundry?  Hmmm...am I out of laundry soap?  I saw a coupon somewhere for a new laundry soap that looks like the dishwasher soap we have!  Hey, are we out of dishwasher soap?  I'd better check that out! Hey look, I have a can of Ravioli in my pantry.  I haven't had Ravioli for a long time.  I am a little hungry.  Maybe I should eat.  STOP....I SAID STOP!!!  Focus, Laura!  To do list, remember???

Right!  Monday....#1 laundry, #2 new blog post.....hey, have I decided what to put on my blog today?  Hmmm...I don't have the foggiest....hey, look....here's the new hair accessories that I did yesterday.  I wore the black & pink one to church last nite and got rave reviews.  Hey, I wonder what one would look like with feathers?  Do I have feathers?  Oh look....here's some froggie buttons; aren't they cute?  I wonder what I could use these on....maybe a denim purse?  Hey, I've got some left over denim I could use....where is it?  STOP!  STOP RIGHT NOW!!!  PUT DOWN THE DENIM AND BACK AWAY!!! To do list, remember?

Ahhh, yes, the to do list.......as it stands I have "Monday:  #1 laundry, #2 new blog post..." But wait a minute...it's already 3:25 and Tyler is on his way home....I'd better get this mess cleaned up and put my sewing stuff away and start preparation for dinner.  What are we having for dinner??  I have hamburger thawed...hmmm.....

So, I have taken my favorite pen and poised it over the coveted sheet of paper and scratched out "Monday..." on the to do list, as it's too late today to get organized anyway.  So I do what any overworked mom does....I pull out another sheet of paper and start tomorrow's to do list early!  Tuesday....#1 laundry!


4/27/2012    MUCH NEEDED SECURITY

One of the first rules of starting your own business is security.  You must safeguard not only your original ideas, designs, etc. but also your materials and equipment.  Since we're starting byLAM Designs on a shoestring (a very thin, worn out, used shoestring!), we had to be a little ummm, lets say "creative" (for lack of a better word!) with obtaining security.

So, we "hired" (using this word loosely) security!  Meet our security guy, Cocoa......

Cocoa

Now I know y'all are feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, smiling, and thinking, "Is she nuts?  Her business is never going to succeed if she thinks this qualifies as security!"  But please hear me out before you judge me.

And before we go any further, I will put up my "BEWARE OF DOG" sign here.  Cocoa is ferocious and can take a man down in a matter of minutes (if you consider "taking a man down" as barking loudly and menacingly from under our bed since Cocoa doesn't believe in face-to-face confrontation!)  

He is the first to alert us as to the presence of an intruder....of course, most of the time we can't find any intruder and Boots lovingly steps up and defends the job performance of our security "guy" by saying, "There was probably someone walking down the street and he heard them."  Wow!  Thank the Lord!  Imagine what would have happened to my precious designs, equipment, etc.  if Cocoa hadn't warned us that someone was walking down the street!

And it's not only "person" intruders that our security "guy" guards us against.  No siree...we have top notch security with this one!  Even dangers already existing inside the home are pointedly addressed by our ever-vigilant security "guy."  Why just yesterday I was working on my new summer dress project, when I inadvertently set my small blue scrap trashcan on the floor.  It normally sits on my sewing table so that I can just pitch scraps of material or loose threads in it to make clean up easier as I sew.  However, yesterday I needed more space on my table, so I set the small plastic trashcan on the floor close to my chair.  

I'm guessing Cocoa's a fan of Harrison Ford, as he is instantly aware of Clear and Present Danger!!  Nothing gets past Cocoa....he was immediately on the job!  He cautiously circled the intruding trashcan several times in warning...kinda' like the Coast Guard firing a warning shot across the bow of an enemy ship!   Then when the intruding trashcan paid no mind, he circled again...only this time the warning was upped to a "circle and growl" level.  When still the intruding trashcan didn't respond, Cocoa elevated his warning to a code "Red."  If anyone has ever seen Cocoa at work, you know code "Red" is a very serious situation.  It requires backing away from the intruding trashcan and barking, whining, and growling at it...sometimes all three at once in a frenzy of paw tapping and head shaking!!  Oh the shear force of this warning!  If you ever get to watch it, you will be shaking like a leaf!  It's an experience that gets your heart rate up, your palms sweating, your nerves at the breaking point....what will the outcome of this code "Red" intruder warning be????  Upon watching this code "Red" warning, I did the only thing I could!!  I calmly reached down, picked up the intruding small blue plastic trashcan, and set it back up on the sewing table....after all, I had been "warned" by security that it didn't belong on the floor.  

So in response to his heeded warning, our security "guy" did what any security guy would do after having to deal successfully with a code "Red" on the job....went over to his favorite place on the rug, sighed heavily, and lay down for a nap! 

So, as you can see, with the mature (after all, he will be 2 years old in October!), level headed, fearless Cocoa guarding us, we can check another item off our business plan.....security?? Check!!

4/26/2012    GROWTH OF A BUSINESS

Working everyday on sewing projects is very, very enjoyable!  A little nerve wracking when you consider that you HAVE to make this work; your family is depending on you, your self-image is depending on you, and the world is watching!  Ok, so the WHOLE world is not watching, but it feels as if you have all these eyes on you!  

Not all of them are waiting for you to fail....some of them are actually waiting for you to achieve success because they believe in you (even if you don't believe in yourself!).  My husband is my biggest fan!  Before you roll your eyes and mutter "Of course he is...he's your husband!" let me explain!

In the ten years we've been married, this poor Oklahoma boy has had to learn the art of "Girl."  Girl?  Yes, Girl!  It's what my rather hunky Boots calls the process we woman use to maneuver our daily lives.  Boots (that's my hunky Hubby!) says that it's not understandable from the male perspective and seems to be (his words!) "the more complicated way of doing things!"  Yet no matter how much he doesn't understand it, he wholeheartedly supports it.  

Me and Boots

He's very patient when I've spent days, hours, etc. on an outfit (which he very patiently watched me suffer through!), it's completed, and I'm standing there holding it high in the air repeatedly saying, "Do you like it?  Do you think anyone will buy it?  Maybe I should have changed the sleeves?" etc.  Boots sits there calmly watching me go through the "Girl" process.  

First is the questions....Does this look good?  Can you see the one miniscule mistake I made?  Do you like the way I turned the collar up?  Do you think anyone will want it?  This process can go on for an hour with questions being repeatedly asked even though Boots' answers are always the same..."It looks great, Honey!  Everyone is gonna want one!   And, no, don't change it.  I like it just the way it is!"  Maybe some part of me feels like if I just keep doubting myself and keep repeating the same questions, he will change his answers..."You're right, Sweetheart!  It looks horrible and I don't think anyone will want to buy that ugly thing!"  But he never does!  See....I told you Boots was my biggest fan!

Second comes the self-doubt!  I know this sounds a lot like the "questions" process...but if you're a girl you know this is an ENTIRELY different process.  This is where you hang the outfit up, look at it repeatedly over several days, and then one of two things happens....you either give in to the self-doubt (take it down, fold it up, and lay it back among your other sewing "projects" never to be seen again) or you take the chance and wear it!

Of course, wearing it has it's own problems, but all you gals were already ahead of me and saw those problems coming!  What if no one likes it?  What if it falls apart while I'm wearing it?  What if it doesn't fit good and you were kidding yourself about how great it looked the whole time?  

Maybe I should pause at this point and self medicate!  

But as I recently experienced with a jacket I finally completed and wore.....I got lots of compliments!  Turns out Boots was right for the last 5 years....I can sew and people will buy it!  

So now that my self-doubt has been conquered (and it only took about 5 years!!), it's time to get into full swing, work really hard, and watch byLAM Designs take off!  With the Lord's blessings, we're prepared to watch it happen!  There's no guarantee that "Girl" will not be part of the growth (after all, as I repeatedly tell Boots, I AM a girl!)  but I know that with the Lord and Boots on my side.....I can do this!