Tomorrow at 1:30 PM EST, I have my Big Presentation regarding the funding of my business. At this point, I've done everything I can: The business plan rocks, the 12 month P&L looks great, my Efficiency Model shows how the equipment I'm requesting will improve my efficiency and that hiring an assistant will increase my productivity. I have a good product, and my track record over the last 12 months shows that my work sells. The only thing I have left to do is to print out some of my best images on photo paper: I'm turning down their suggestion to hire a photographer for my ad/portfolio images as I want to do it myself. I figure I should show them what good work I can do. I would rather have a new camera (that works) rather than pay some guy to do something I can do at least as well.
So please send any spare vibes you may have. This is a huge step for me. I'm terrified, on many levels. I've spent the last two months working with a consulting firm that the funder set me up with. We have dissected my business and looked at it with an electron microscope. LOL! I really think this will be a wonderful thing, if it happens. Still, very scary either way.
Oh, and one of the things I had to do as a part of my business plan was come up with a Mission Statement. Though it comes at the beginning of the business plan, I didn't work on it until I finished everything else. It pretty much wrote itself once I did all the other work:
It is the goal of Black Swamp Glassworks to be a premier supplier of lampworked art glass beads and artifacts to collectors, designers, retail stores and galleries. This will be accomplished through quality craftsmanship, innovative design and excellent customer service.