This week has been a tiny bit less stressful but still not great. I've been so busy that I think my home phone answering machine has been full for about 3 months. There is a perk to it though. The random sales type calls have become almost extinct. I do recommend it. It's kind of nice not to have to chase the phone so much.
The Acton Hero wasn't as inspiring this week as in previous weeks. He is still a great guy with great things to say. I really wish I was brave enough to take that hour I talked about in the assignment and find out what my purpose in life is.
I really liked the discussion about Zappos. I guess the priority of the company makes a difference whether or not a company is willing to pay someone to quit. I wish every business did that. It would seem to increase good customer service which is lacking in a lot of businesses. At first I thought I would want the money but the the more I thought it about it, Zappos must be a pretty good place to work. You probably have to keep a good attitude and pull your weight to keep your job. It might be a tad stressful to have to worry if you were contributing positively to the culture.
I am extremely frustrated with the HMM quiz this week. The instructions say to go through the 20 minute path. I did that and then the quiz covered something entirely different. Totally frustrating.
$100 Challenge
I'm about at the exact same place I was a week ago. I got to finish the first towel this week or last (I'm losing track of the weeks) and began on the second one. I got one row done this weekend when I was out of town. I had hoped to finish the second towel. I'm going to have to block off time sometime this week and get the other items sewn on my sewing machine. It's week 7 in class so I've really got to buckle down and get this done.
Monday, October 31, 2016
Monday, October 24, 2016
Week 5-Small Business Creation
This has been another week of chaos. My life used to be boring. I had nothing to do all day (except clean which I didn't do). I wasted my days watching TV or playing on the computer. Now I'm so busy I don't know which way is up. No, the cleaning still doesn't get done (by me much anyway) and I can't even find time to crochet or sew my products for my business. I got another order for my business. Now I just have to get the products made. This order came from exactly the kind of person I expected. It's a person who is very capable of making her own product but doesn't have time to do it. I'd be my own perfect customer.
This week in class has been okay. I hate making videos but feel like I did a good job. I filled out the worksheet but it seemed a little more like a sales pitch. I didn't get much feedback before Saturday other than it felt like a sales pitch. They didn't give much suggestion for improvement so I turned it in as is.
Phil Romano is an amazing person! That's the kind of person I'd like to be like. I would like to have money to help other people. Do you focus first on paying your own bills or focus on helping other people? I do what I can but it isn't much.
The Friday reading made me wonder if all these survey companies I try to make money on (never has worked well for me) are the ones doing these customers surveys that are CRAZY expensive. I don't like the quality of the surveys I've done. I wouldn't want to put my money into one of those.
I got a kick out of the "Share of Mind". I transcribe marketing interviews for a company that revamps the marketing of their clients. They interview the leaders in the company and also some of the customers. One of the questions I see almost every time is what competition comes to mind. The HMM this week made me think a little more about the importance of that question.
This week in class has been okay. I hate making videos but feel like I did a good job. I filled out the worksheet but it seemed a little more like a sales pitch. I didn't get much feedback before Saturday other than it felt like a sales pitch. They didn't give much suggestion for improvement so I turned it in as is.
Phil Romano is an amazing person! That's the kind of person I'd like to be like. I would like to have money to help other people. Do you focus first on paying your own bills or focus on helping other people? I do what I can but it isn't much.
The Friday reading made me wonder if all these survey companies I try to make money on (never has worked well for me) are the ones doing these customers surveys that are CRAZY expensive. I don't like the quality of the surveys I've done. I wouldn't want to put my money into one of those.
I got a kick out of the "Share of Mind". I transcribe marketing interviews for a company that revamps the marketing of their clients. They interview the leaders in the company and also some of the customers. One of the questions I see almost every time is what competition comes to mind. The HMM this week made me think a little more about the importance of that question.
Monday, October 17, 2016
Week 4-Small Business Creation
This week has been a crazy week. I tried so hard to get all my homework done before Friday but I couldn't do it. We had the wedding reception for my son which wraps up this round of weddings. I was working on homework after midnight last night (so it wouldn't be Sunday anymore) and the website went down. Frustrating.
I liked reading about Italia Factoria. I felt bad for the guy because Mr. Tomato Cafe decided to try to stir up trouble. In business, I suppose imitation isn't the best form of flattery. When you are in most any restaurant you can tell what kind of food is being served by the decorations. I guess I've always assumed that they had the same distribution catalogs to look through and that was why they looked alike.
$100 Challenge Update
I had my original $20 investment plus a pre-pay on a product so I was able to purchase all the materials I needed for the first round of sewing and crocheting. I'm logging my hours and I figure I'm going to have well over 20. I worried about that because I couldn't see how I would spend that much time but I think it will be easy.
I got some great fabrics to use. I have crocheted part of the first towel but my husband was using my computer to watch his football game (after I forgot to record it) so I couldn't continue because that's where my pattern is. I hope to have several items sewn by the end of the week but I have several extra hours of TA duties this week since the exam was last week. One Bag Bag is paid for and two towels are sold as soon as they are made.
I liked reading about Italia Factoria. I felt bad for the guy because Mr. Tomato Cafe decided to try to stir up trouble. In business, I suppose imitation isn't the best form of flattery. When you are in most any restaurant you can tell what kind of food is being served by the decorations. I guess I've always assumed that they had the same distribution catalogs to look through and that was why they looked alike.
$100 Challenge Update
I had my original $20 investment plus a pre-pay on a product so I was able to purchase all the materials I needed for the first round of sewing and crocheting. I'm logging my hours and I figure I'm going to have well over 20. I worried about that because I couldn't see how I would spend that much time but I think it will be easy.
I got some great fabrics to use. I have crocheted part of the first towel but my husband was using my computer to watch his football game (after I forgot to record it) so I couldn't continue because that's where my pattern is. I hope to have several items sewn by the end of the week but I have several extra hours of TA duties this week since the exam was last week. One Bag Bag is paid for and two towels are sold as soon as they are made.
Monday, October 10, 2016
Week 3-Small Business Creation
Because of the reading material in this class, I have sat and pondered the changes in my life in the last few years. I used to be home all day and waste the day other than taking care of my kids. I was not productive. Pathway came along and I feel like a new person. I lived in my own little bubble. I have done a few things that I wouldn't have had the courage to do before school.
I rode along with a Sheriff's deputy which I put on my bucket list for B183. It was an eye opening experience because I had many preconceived ideas of how they function. The experience taught me that they are normal people doing a job. The second thing I've done is become a substitute teacher for a special education classroom. I have been out of school for 25+ years. School is also different from the perspective of a student vs the teacher. I have sent my children to school for 18 years but didn't really understand the process of it. It's hard to explain but these experiences have helped me see life differently. They have given me more confidence in myself as weird as that sounds.
The thought of starting my own "real" business still seems quite over the top for me. As I watch the videos of these Acton heroes and read the course material, I feel like I am lost in the process. I don't know how to find out all the information about the steps I need to take start my own business. When reading about the Duct Tours I was amazed he even knew which steps to take. I hope the rest of this semester and my future classes will teach me a lot more that I need to know. I was impressed with the determination that Heather Evans had to get her business going.
$100 Challenge Update:
I have my capital in hand. I now have to find time to make a materials list to make my first few projects. Once I get those sold I'll have more money to buy more materials. I named it Steph's Stitches which I know has my name but it's not my last name. Stitches leaves it open to different projects rather than focusing on bags and/or towels. I keep having to restrain myself while doing my reading for class. I want to stop and put everything into practice. I started researching so I could make my materials list and had to make myself quit and come back to the reading assignment. I'm excited yet nervous. I hope I make the $100 and would love to make $300.
I rode along with a Sheriff's deputy which I put on my bucket list for B183. It was an eye opening experience because I had many preconceived ideas of how they function. The experience taught me that they are normal people doing a job. The second thing I've done is become a substitute teacher for a special education classroom. I have been out of school for 25+ years. School is also different from the perspective of a student vs the teacher. I have sent my children to school for 18 years but didn't really understand the process of it. It's hard to explain but these experiences have helped me see life differently. They have given me more confidence in myself as weird as that sounds.
The thought of starting my own "real" business still seems quite over the top for me. As I watch the videos of these Acton heroes and read the course material, I feel like I am lost in the process. I don't know how to find out all the information about the steps I need to take start my own business. When reading about the Duct Tours I was amazed he even knew which steps to take. I hope the rest of this semester and my future classes will teach me a lot more that I need to know. I was impressed with the determination that Heather Evans had to get her business going.
$100 Challenge Update:
I have my capital in hand. I now have to find time to make a materials list to make my first few projects. Once I get those sold I'll have more money to buy more materials. I named it Steph's Stitches which I know has my name but it's not my last name. Stitches leaves it open to different projects rather than focusing on bags and/or towels. I keep having to restrain myself while doing my reading for class. I want to stop and put everything into practice. I started researching so I could make my materials list and had to make myself quit and come back to the reading assignment. I'm excited yet nervous. I hope I make the $100 and would love to make $300.
Monday, October 3, 2016
Week 2-Small Business Creation
This week has been so busy that I didn't know what I was going to write this morning (also an indication of being busy because I'm doing homework Monday morning instead of Saturday). As I watched the videos and read this week, I took a few notes in here of things that I thought of. I'm so glad I did.
As I watched the PowerPoint, I kept wanting to get started on measuring, pricing the material and gathering information to make the Bag Bags. Each time I got distracted I had to remind myself that it wasn't time to do that yet.
I know visualizing is key. I know this but don't put it into practice as much as I should. I remember the story of the mother who put a picture of some sort of boat in her house (or her boys' room) and every one of them went into the Navy. I think that's a good reason to have pictures of the temples and of Christ in our homes and maybe even in our children's bedrooms.
In the naming article, I would have liked to have seen some "do's" not just "don't's". It told us what not to do instead of good points to use to create a name. I can cross my fingers and hope I don't have to come up with a name for my business for this class but I don't have high hopes for that.
$100 Challenge Update
I'm probably not much more ahead than last week. I haven't measured or priced materials for the other items I'm going to sew. I know I already have my capital raised but I don't have it in my hand yet. I'm excited yet nervous because what if I don't make the $100 I'm supposed to? I thought about adding Mitered Corner Baby Blankets to the list but they are quite time consuming so I don't think I will but it might be something else I could do for money of my own.
As I watched the PowerPoint, I kept wanting to get started on measuring, pricing the material and gathering information to make the Bag Bags. Each time I got distracted I had to remind myself that it wasn't time to do that yet.
I know visualizing is key. I know this but don't put it into practice as much as I should. I remember the story of the mother who put a picture of some sort of boat in her house (or her boys' room) and every one of them went into the Navy. I think that's a good reason to have pictures of the temples and of Christ in our homes and maybe even in our children's bedrooms.
In the naming article, I would have liked to have seen some "do's" not just "don't's". It told us what not to do instead of good points to use to create a name. I can cross my fingers and hope I don't have to come up with a name for my business for this class but I don't have high hopes for that.
$100 Challenge Update
I'm probably not much more ahead than last week. I haven't measured or priced materials for the other items I'm going to sew. I know I already have my capital raised but I don't have it in my hand yet. I'm excited yet nervous because what if I don't make the $100 I'm supposed to? I thought about adding Mitered Corner Baby Blankets to the list but they are quite time consuming so I don't think I will but it might be something else I could do for money of my own.
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