Step by Step, Day by Day

As Melinda mentioned, we are novices at the whole starting-a-new-business thing, and it's been a roller-coaster of emotions.  From exciting to stressful, then looping around enlightening several times, but it's nice to be open and past the construction.  

I really can't express how great it is to have Melinda as a business partner.  We seem to fit so well as a team.  I'll go nuts with stress over some things, and she'll be as calm as stilled water.  When she's flipping out, it's usually over something that doesn't seem as important to me, so we're constantly talking each other down.  We've both kind of taken certain things under our wing as well throughout the whole ordeal.  She's got her cheesecakes and cookies, obviously.  I've got the cupcakes and candles.  (I tried branching into helping with the cookies, but got fired from that real quick!)  She's added cinnamon rolls, and I've added brownies.  She did all of the paperwork for the sales tax permit and getting setup for Coke and Sysco; I programmed the cash register.  The latest of these are paying payroll and sales tax.  It seems as though she's got Payroll under control, while I'm tackling the Sales Taxes.  The stressful part is just making sure it's done right.  So, with it being the end of our first month, I sat down last night and calculated our Gross Sales and Taxes, and the total was shocking.  None of us realized how much we'd made, and therefore didn't really know how much taxes would have to be paid now.  I've been pushing separating taxes and payroll on a daily basis for a while, but we've needed the money to replenish inventory.  Now, I think we see the greater need to put the money back as we get it.  It's difficult as a new business to do payroll bi-weekly and taxes monthly without depleting our bank account.  As a matter of fact, with the economy the way it is, I'm sure that's been difficult for even established businesses.  But here we are: alive and kicking.

Another epiphany were our Hours of Business.  Before we had opened, we researched and found statistically that Mondays were the lowest sales days for a business, so we decided to close.  Jimmy has still usually been there baking, and noticed customers trying our doors, wanting some lunch.  I've stopped by the store myself the last couple of Mondays during my lunch hour, and there were people planning to eat, and unfortunately disappointed.  I hate losing sales!  We've noticed slow times as well.  Sunday after lunch is dead, and so we've decided to tweak our Hours of Operation.  Sunday we'll be open from 12 to 3 instead of staying open until 5, and Monday we will be open 10 to 3.  So, don't be shy, come on by!

Tiff