Monday, May 24, 2004
Today
Manager is still out on errands, and I have no idea how things are progressing.
She is a little irritated that people don't seem to be taking her seriously because of her age, so I'm doing a search of people who successfully started businesses when young, or become wealthy while they were young based on their own efforts.
It's a longish list, and I think it might help her when she hits a "you're so young" block.
She can take this list of youthful entreprenuers and say, "These people succeeded. I have as much ambition and grit as they did. I have the skills, the knowledge, the willingness to make this happen. I've done my research and I know there's a need for aplace like the Cracked Cauldron. Invest in me, and we will create a place that will bake memories that will last a lifetime, a place that will be successful, that will be an important part of many people's lives, that will be a cornerstone of our community."
It's already well on the way - we have people anxious for the Cracked Cauldron to open, anxious to pay for the treats we've been giving them for free for years.
It is a little intimidating to see the amount of money we need to borrow to make this a reality. We're looking at $250,000.00 to open it and keep it running until it begins to show a profit potential and allows us to start paying back what we're borrowing.
It may take 5-6 years to be truly profitable, but even a conservative estimate shows we'll be successful enough to stay on track with our repayment plan, and afford small expansions, as well as cover our daily, weekly, monthly expenses.
We just have to get people to take Manager seriously without relying on me. I have to work at my day job, the job that will support her until the Cracked Cauldron does, and I can't take the time to shadow her and lend her my years. These people have to learn to deal with her, to look beyond her age and see her skills and her abilities.
And I'm not just saying this because I am her mother. I am, perhaps, her harshest critic and most exacting taskmaster. I see her clearly, and I know her strengths and weaknesses.
I know she can do this.
