Disappointment = GREAT Learning Experience...

I wasn't even thinking about expanding, but I was in a funk because of the clutter of my studio (it is fairly small in there)...but it does work! 

 

However, last week - I got a line on a commercial space that I thought was a good size and was a GREAT price. I talked to the Realtor/Owner (I think that is who she is)... She confirmed the price, but didn't have the dimensions...I was over moon! So, I went on a 5 day odyssey of finding all my start up costs - build out, cabinets, tables/chairs, displays, insurance, phone, alarm etc. It was ALL wor...king! THEN, I want to measure it...it was much smaller than I had initially thought (although no one really has the dimensions and I was walking it off (forgot my tape measure)...I was still thinking it could work...but when I called the Realtor/Owner to talk about a lease...it went sideways and there was no way to salvage it. However, I have all my start up numbers and am still thinking of moving out of the basement studio - it just seems really doable now. So, it was a GREAT learning experience, but did not turn out like I wanted : (

 

During my odyssey I talked to lots of really knowledgable people and now have several ideas of how to make it work at a higher cost and make it work at a lower cost...  I also found out all the information on my "start up" costs...I got lots of estimates and found some costs that I hadn't considered in order to get my numbers together.  It is VERY empowering to put some numbers to a pie in the sky idea that actually make it doable : D...

 

I have one more room in my basement - that is the exercise/storage room right now...planning to put my office area in there and maybe my piecing machine to open up the studio for customers to come and see the machines and drop off quilts.  Also, thinking I can make a separate entrance (I have a walkout basment) to the business, so people don't have to walk through my messy house (I have a 5yr old)...possibilities - hmmmmm

 

Or I can get a bigger space and maybe share the costs with a complimentary business (I know lots of small business owners that might be interested...) 

 

So as you can see - my disappointment turned into a GREAT learning experience!