Focus.

For those of you who have ever considered starting your own business, I have this to say:

Dear lord.

Is that it?

Dear lord, this is hard.

Is that all?

Well I can say a bit more... I finished college, began working for a radio station which a family friend owned. I wanted to make a movie, so I must have imagined that I'd be darting around the country, film festival to film festival... So I quit my job to shoot a film. I ran out of money and time... and failed. So in dire need of a job I ended up at Blockbuster. I didn't ask for enough, so for a year, I was being paid diddly-squat to put videos away, talk to customers, and to wear movie marketing materials such as Shrek ears and the like. I quit that job to start a production company... but I hadn't done any research, I didn't know how much it ought to cost... I grossly underbid a couple projects and dragged several of my friends with me. Half-way through our second film shoot, I realized I was thoroughly demoralized by the work we were doing, and low quality of our product which was the direct result of underbidding.

Fast forward, and I'm married, have a wonderful life in Philadelphia, I have a daughter and another one on the way. And I have a good job at a company owned by a family friend. As I see it, I am at a point, poised to make all the same mistakes again - but this time is different. So here's the thing... this is the nugget of wisdom I want to offer...

If you must start your own business, make certain that you feel an immovable gut wrenching feeling that you must risk it all to do this. Be prepared and spend the time it takes to do what you're trying to do. Impatience and your dream are enemies. I realize now that every day I walk a razor thin line of having my history repeat itself.

This time, it's tangible. Cinema 16:9 will be a success. I've done over a year of planning, and I continue to research my proposed business. My business plan is finished, but the market may change from when I finished it to when I open. I have to be willing and able to make changes to my plan. And this time, I knew to ask for help. I went to the Small Business Development Center in my area and asked for an adviser.

Now, so close to my goal I cannot lose sight of the fact that between now and then, I could still derail myself if I lose focus. As an entrepreneur, bootstrapping my way through planning, I have to remember that I cannot lose focus at my day job. Until everything is in place, that must still be my top priority.

Back Almost to the Drawing Board

The light is there at the end of the self-imposed tunnel of perpetual conceptual architectural napkin drawings.

I've been working with architects for the last year. Seriously... a year. Okay, so my architects are actual one architect - my sister. She put up with every single change we made in location, space, concept. That work made Cinema 16:9 a reality. So now, it's coming down to the final months, and I have to make certain that what I build is what is legal and what the landlord can allow in the space.

So I want to go with someone local. Someone who can go to the site every day if they had to. And luckily, my potential landlord knew just the right firm for me to work with. And so armed with 9... yes 9 previous versions of all of the different locations my sister did concept sketches for, all of the renderings... I sat down with the architect to help me finalize the concept, and do the schematic drawings I need in order to make this happen.

What I said to my potential landlord was that with all the changes over a year, it's easy to become bogged down in perpetual concept drawings. I said that I need to get out of concept and into schematic.. I think I've got the right contractor, I need the right drawings.

And so we discussed... and discussed. We discussed the feel, the look, the concept, the sales process, the lighting, the bathrooms, the stairs, we discussed the Victorian carousel I'd always wanted, the cinema, the 16, the 9. We discussed it all. We discussed the past, the present and the future. We talked about global warming's effect on household pets in the year 2020. And when it was all over... they said the following:

"Well I think we're going to have to really sketch out the concept first."

Now, I don't suppose that would bother me so much if the architect were Frank Gehry...

"Here Dave. How's this?"

"That's great Frank. Now we need schematics."

"Okie Dokie.."

Actually, I don't think Frank Gehry would be the right architect for this project anyway - and I certainly couldn't afford the first pen flick of that concept.

Where was I? Oh yes... more concept drawings - They must have noticed that several veins in my neck burst and I was bleeding freely all over the nine other concept drawings we'd already completed, because they stopped for a moment and then said the following:

"All of these drawings will be a great help. It really helps to have something to guide us."

So... not all the way back to the drawing board, then... but there will be a drawing... and a board. and someone is at it...

So that timer on the main page of the website... will that mean anything?

Probably.

But not what you thought it meant, right?

Probably.

How much longer?

Well, not much longer... all that blood loss from the other night... I feel woozy.

Wait, what?! It's August? Why Does That Sting?

For the love of... why didn't anyone tell me it was August!

People don't often think they're dealing with the calendarily challenged.

Man, it's seriously only a month before September.... and really, the only "content" I've been able to show for myself is a bunch of blog postings essentially saying "I can't say anything this month, but next month will be the time!"

I daresay, it has been getting rather tiresome.

I have been doing things. I promise you. I'm setting up a P.O.S. For some reason that makes me want to start singing.

Let's do sing. You know the tune, sing along:
I hope that someone gets my,
I hope that someone gets my,
I hope that someone gets my,

reference as a blogger,
reference as a blogger,
reference as a blogger,
reference as a blogger...

Setting up a P.O.S,
Setting up a P.O.S,
I'm setting up a P.O.S.
I'm setting up a P.O.S.

POS? Other than the somewhat inappropriate acronym I can think of, what are you babbling about?

Well, many things really. Chatting it means parents over shoulder - In algebra it means Partially Ordered Set, but it can also mean Polar Orbiting Satellite.

What does it mean here?

Oh... Point of Sale.

Like a cash register.

Well... in my application it's much more complicated.

And what is your application of a P.O.S?

I just cannot say. Admittedly, it is a bit of a gamble... I think normal wisdom would suggest setting up the POS when there's a place for the POS to be set up in... that will be soon, but until then, I need to start data entry and configuring the damn thing.

I'm sure you're excited by your revelation of your POS setup, but honestly it's not terribly interesting to the public, and once again, you've left us with a feeling that you aren't really doing anything.

Damn. I am doing things. Important things. Things which will hopefully offer you the potential customer a wonderful experience.

Well, how long do you think you can keep us in the dark about all these "important things" you're doing?

I don't know... I haven't intended for my being mysterious to last quite as long as it has. But since you mention it, when I no longer have to be mysterious, it doesn't mean you won't still be "in the dark."

Oh, wait... I just got the post title. Sting... police... were you trying to be clever?

I thought it was punny.

Well there was a pun. Blek.

Excuse Me, is That Your Funding There?

Why yes, yes it is. Thank-you very much!

It's been a long, seemingly endless wait, but the funding is in. Okay, so now, we've got money, but for what? Well, we have a lease agreement to arrange and sign... that's really the next step.

And then?

Then we build.

Build what?

It.

What is "it?"

The thing I've been working on opening all this time. It's exciting, we've got the start-up capital, and investors who've committed funds. It was actually a tough process, though. Approaching a bank during this economy was the rather comical part. It went a little like this:

"Hello loan officer."

"Is it safe?"

"Um... yes, it's just me."

"No, but is it safe?"

"Yes, I'm just here to apply for a loan."

"Oh god, here we go again."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing... I'd be happy to help you. Please tell me about your second home."

"I... I don't have a second home."

"Tell me about your house then, the one you own."

"Oh, well, I'm actually between ownerships at the moment."

"You're homeless?"

"No, I'm renting."

"And tell me about your multi-million dollar yacht."

"I don't have a multi-million dollar yacht."

"Okay, so tell me about your existing multi-million dollar corporation which has been profitable for two years."

"Um, I don't think you understand here... I'm looking for a loan. To start a small business. Is this the right office?"

"Yes, indeed, you've come to the small business loan office, and I am a small business loan officer. I help those in need obtain loans to start up their small business."

"Okay, I was getting confused with all the talk about the houses and yachts and existing corporations talk. I would like to obtain a loan to start my small business."

"Okay, let me review your situation: You neither have a second, nor a first home to offer as collateral, you are yachtless, and have not owned a successful business for which you are looking to get a loan for."

"That's right, and I sold my house, right before real estate prices dropped, so I have some equity, but I need more than that to start my business."

"Don't get me wrong here, I like you. Loans aren't a popularity business. I cannot give you a loan as you have no collateral."

"What about my car?"

"Worthless."

"It's a 2004. Scion. I own it."

"Oh... well we could lend you twenty bucks till Wednesday."

"I must say this is disheartening."

"You could try private investment."

"It sounds like that's the only realistic option then."

"Unless you rob a bank."

"Um... isn't there a good way I could get a loan?"

"Yes... fix the economy, stupid."

"Excellent. Private investment it is then."

Scene.

So now that we have our funding, I would like to thank those who are willing to take a risk and bet on my business plan. As for the rest of you, you'll learn soon enough what it is that we're starting, and where and when and how you too can help us launch the good ship Cinema 16:9 LLC.

You want that I should hit you in the head with a bottle of champagne?

Now, it all comes back to the lease agreement. I think we're back on track for success! I can't wait to share the plans with you all!

Wait. Darn. It appears as though I've accidentally plagiarized the concept for this post. Darn it. What was I thinking. I'll tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking "I'm being so original and creative," and then suddenly it occurs to me. The Moxie. Sorry Dan. I'm embarrassed and too lazy to delete what is otherwise a perfectly good post. I believe being too lazy to rewrite this post is actually in Dan's playbook (page 32). Upon re-reading Dan's "Financial Play", I begin to wonder... why do I have a blog in the first place? Am I just trying to live up to the Moxie's own exhibitionist exhibitioner?

Tune in again next week when we discover David's deep dark secret. Jennifer will tell Clarence what she really thinks, Nicole will tell Dan to take David out behind the shed for a beat down, Fred will call his lawyer and invite him to dinner, Judith will discover her love of singing, and Geraldine will save a bus-load of children from impending doom!