Final post

 I learned a great deal during the whole ordeal. I learned mostly that one must know the market he is entering almost to the specific type of person. The pricing of an individual item opens and closes specific markets of people. The windows of opportunity are always opening and closing. We need to make sure that we are going into open windows rather than beating our heads against a closed window. I learned that I can do hard things even though it seems like there is not any more time to spare. Taking 13 credits, working full time, and having a family is not easy but there is time in there if we just take the time to find it. If there was any piece of advice that I would give the next entrepreneur It would be to keep looking forward and don’t stop. When something doesn't go just right take a different approach and look at it from a different perspective. I think that individuals who just do this assignment just to do it will not gain the needed experience that is intended. Those with a passion for what they are doing will reap the rewards. Be passionate about what you are doing. Often times our ideas are not bad. They are often just knocking on closed windows. All we need to do is move a little to the side to the next open window. I am grateful for  this opportunity and look forward to the continue of my refinishing business. Although it may be time for a new dresser for me. 

Final Week

I have completed my $100 challenge and have totaled $146 in profit. I think overall it was a good experience. With my full time job and my current situation with church callings and school it really was something that I thought would be an incredible challenge. It definitely was hard but I was able to pull though and complete my goal of the $100 as well as have a good time while doing it. As I put together my power point this week regarding the challenge I really was able to see my project from start to finish before my eyes. It was fun to see the beginnings of an Idea that actually turned into cash just from a little elbow grease and determination. It just shows that you can make money if you are smart enough and willing to make the sacrifices to make it happen. The next part of the process is what I think is the most fun. Trying to make money grow bigger by creating systems and processes that allow you to create significant cashflow and increase profit margins. I look forward to possibly continuing my little furniture business again someday.

Thanksgiving Week

This week happened to be the week of Thanksgiving. I thought about what I could do to promote the business more this week and I came to the conclusion that I would not be able to commit the time to promotion. This week was really a week to reflect on what has been done and what else could be done to maintain and keep revenue coming in. I have really enjoyed this project but I keep thinking about how I personally can begin to make money on this after the semester is over. It seems like everyday that I focus on making things better I begin to think of more and more ideas. It seems like the best ideas come from the time when I am comfortable and alone in thought and meditation. I often think about potential and other avenues and I constantly have.  New ideas and plans are made when I take about 30min-1 hour every day to meditate. Creating a business in my eyes is not always boots on the ground. Some of it is when you are lying on the couch almost asleep when somehting ground breaking hits and you run with it.

This week was great. I hit the $100 goal! Now on to bigger things. I am going to keep going because I like the things that I am learning and I feel that this is something that I can keep doing to probably generate and supplement a some income with. I think that I can probably find a few more things in the next few weeks before the semester is over. This week I learned an amazing thing from my Interview with Steve Neeleman that I can apply into my business now and future businesses to come. Steve told me to never sell a product that I wouldn't want myself. I thought about that all week in trying to find new furniture to refinish. If I don't like the product what will be my passion to sell it. I think about this all the time when purchasing things from people. When people say "I really hate to see this go" it really makes me feel like they cared about the product that they are selling as if it meant something to them at one point. It builds value in the product. I have felt passionate about all of the pieces that I have refinished because of the time that I have put into each one. Sometimes it makes me not want to sell them because of the time that it takes to finish each one.

Better Week

This week we painted two of our nightstand that we had previously and they look really nice. Its nice to see things that look older and out of style refinished to look new and fun. I think that is the most gratifying thing about owning a business. Its interesting to think that this is how all small businesses start. I was in Arizona a few weeks ago and stopped to find a piece of furniture at this what looked like run down place. As I walked in I found really nice furniture that had been at Marriot resorts. They buy the furniture when it is going to be replaced and then sell it to make a profit. They had a warehouse full of nice looking furniture. I asked how long the owner had been in business and he said about 22 years. It started by just buying old furniture from garage sales.  As I think about my small business periodically I think about how interesting it is that something this small can turn into something big if I wanted it to. This week has been fun to find some nice furniture again. All I have been able to think about this week is how this small business that I have could turn into something much bigger if I had the desire. 

Rough Week

This week did not go so well. I had hoped that I would sell a couple more pieces of furniture but I did not. I kept having to lower the price of the furniture. I know that the pieces of furniture are good. They are quality pieces and I know that they can sell. I am wondering if i redo their description and take better pictures than they might sell better. I might also put them in my room and post a picture so it looks like it is in its natural setting so that the person who is potentially purchasing the piece can see how it is placed in a room setting and then hopefully place it in their home in a similar way. I think that people need to see the furniture fit in their homes. currently all of the photos of my furniture are just pictures of them in the garage. Ill try that this week and hopefully get something to sell. I felt a little discouraged this week. I have put hard work into the refinishing of these pieces and I really want to see these pieces of furniture being used and in other homes so that people can enjoy them. 

My first Sale

This week I purchased refinished and sold my first piece of furniture. It was a small dresser but I made $30 in profit. Its fun to see the fruits of our labors. Its fun to see the opportunities that we create turn into cashflow.  Its fun to get the money in your hands and begin to think "ok, what else can I do to make more" I have thought about the HMM this week about customer experience and have come to the conclusion that yes people are looking for a good product and a good deal but they are also looking for a good experience as well. I liked what it says about making sure that our customers come back. Our own customers are the most lucrative source of growth. The experience that they have before, during, and after the purchase are what is going to make or break our success. I went to Six Flags a couple of weeks ago and then went to Disneyland a couple of days later and it was interesting how I based my level of fun. If I want to feel a feeling of thrills then ill go to Six Flags but if I want to feel inspired, hopeful, magical, excited, like a kid again, or contempt then ill make sure to go to Disneyland again. Its interesting how a place and people can make us feel when we think about what brands we want to make a part of our culture.