Greetings Orchidians,
I’ve been following Orchid for a while now and this I think is my
first message. My name is Jim, and I come from a sculpture
background, and recently breaking into the realm of jewelry. I look
forward to being active in this community as I’ve here seen, in
black and white, a very strong member foundation.
I think the following ramblings (forgive length) could apply to any
home business. (FYI: Use of “you” referring to anyone in general.)
- ADDRESS & PHONE NUMBER CONCERNS
Definitely do not give out your home address. I’ve purchased a mail
box (different from PO Box) through the UPS Store. It runs about
$385/yr, but completely worth the price for the privacy attained. I
then am able to put the “mailing” address on my business card, and
it looks very professional. If you’re in a city that would be a
great solution, but for those in really rural areas, this may be
difficult to find. In that case, get a P.O. Box from the closest
branch of the USPS. You may only get to drive to the P.O. Box once a
week, but it is worth it. ?And hey, any tax write-off sounds good to
me. Also, you can continue to receive packages at your home address,
but don’t try to have packages sent to your P.O. Box. Mail boxes
like UPS Store, however, do accept packages and will notify you when
you receive them, upon request. As for phone numbers, simply don’t
use your home?phone. Get a cell phone. Any cell phone used for
"business" is tax deductible as well.
- PERSONAL & MERCHANDISE SAFETY (OFF TOPIC BUT RELEVENT)
The drawback of working alone is some may feel not as safe or secure
in operating their business. If at all possible, share studio space
with someone in a different line of work than you are in, someone
who you’ve known very well. Sometimes all you need is trustworthy
company to keep your fears at ease. Then again, I’ve known of women
who would rather keep company with their handy tazers, and even give
them names. Don’t want a gun? Forget pepper spray, non-lethal
electric stun weapons are the way to go. And remember, you get what
you pay for. I™m sure it™d make a great addition to the bench.
Meeting clients at public places is a huge deal. It is important to
be in a place they are comfortable at, where there are people, but
not too many people to overwhelm or drown out your conversation in
background noise-- as that can be very annoying and
counter-productive. It is highly unlikely a potential client would
be out to rob you, especially in a public place, but if you are
around hundreds of people the odds are higher that there are
pickpocket thieves on the prowl. This won’t be a problem if you
carry your merchandise in a discreet and secure manner, like in a
combination briefcase, not some clear plastic craft bin, and
especially not carried loose in your pocket.
Just as important, document all of your merchandise; you can do
monthly or bi-monthly inventories to make sure none of your wip or
merch’ got up and walked away. Take digital photos and upload into
folders labeled by month/year. This way, the worst case scenario if
you lose anything to theft, you can report them as losses on your
taxes. You can minimize that risk by building a miniature vault some
place for your raw materials, and keep a stack of pewter ingots
labeled as silver bullion out in the open-- thieves are usually in a
hurry
- FEAR & WORRY (EVEN MORE OFF TOPIC)
Psychological problems like excessive fear and worry are not good
and must be eliminated to retain any creative flow and retain high
productivity. There is a huge difference between being careful and
safe in business dealings, in comparison to being afraid to do
business. It is natural to get the “butterflies” when meeting new
clients, but help should be sought if one is too afraid to deliver
work in person. To me, client relationships are important to build,
and one cannot do that while living in fear.
Additionally, like sharks in the ocean, thieves are capable of
detecting fear and people with low self-esteem; they know those
traits make for the perfect victim. A thief is highly unlikely to
victimize someone who displays a strong sense of self and has good
business practices, because that increases their risk in getting
caught. Though, there are stupid criminals out there, but it is
better to live life with the “Don’t mess with me” attitude, not the
"always-looking-over-my-shoulder" mentality.
If low confidence, low self-esteem, fear, or worry is a continuous
problem, it can be more of a theft in your life than any criminals
out there. Get help or support somewhere quick!
All the best in starting your new business!
–Jim Sprague Jr.—