start my fashion accessories business

Fashion Camp starts tomorrow. I hope these designers don’t act like divas. I really want the girls to have a good time so there is no room for bad attitudes. I need to address what they will wear today so that I don’t wait until they wear something inappropriate on unprofessional.

Fashion Camp starts on Monday. Planning it has been challenging because other people are involved and because people did not start signing up until the last minute. I want this to go really, really well.

- Revise my business plan
- Get my business license
- Start my business account
- Do my tech packsn for samples and get them to Lisa by Thursday

Edit the business plan
Make an appointment with SCORE
Complete the bylaws
Complete the Articles of Incorporation
Re-mail the application for 501© (3) status
Make an appointment with a professor in the Econ Dept. at the University
Put a timeline on the list of milestones
Revamp the budget

So far, over 35 designers have inquired about the fashion incubator. That is more than I expected, especially for my area. That mean over 35 people who are not creating and doing the thing they are passionate about. I am excited to be able to change someone’s life by offering the opportunity to do what they love most. A lot of work, but this is a good thing.

I have teamed up with 4 other designers to hold a fashion camp this summer. We will teach sewing, illustrating and rendering, trends and colors, t-shirt embellishment, mood board creation, etc. for beginning design. For intermediate design we are teaching swim suit design, pleats, hems and finishes, more illustraing, simple flat pattern making and some other things.

I really want people to sign up. It’s a great opportunity for people who want to learn to design but don’t know where to start.

There are many, many things to do. I have been on the go constantly for the last few weeks. When I am not going to a meeting or going to pick something up or going to work out, I am on the internet researching. I look forward to getting through the start up phase.

I am starting 2 businesses at once, which is interesting. The first is a non-profit and the second is a for profit. Monday I found the grants I need to apply for on http://www.grants.gov. Yay! I have been trying to get in touch with the lady who runs the Arts Council, but now it is time for her to get back to me. No more chasing. I need favor. Time to pray about this.

King James Bible

Psalms 119:58 I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.

Proverbs 3:1-6
1 I forget not you law, Oh LORD, but I make certain that my heart keeps your commandments:

2 For length of days, and long life, and peace do they add to me.

3 I do not allow mercy and truth to escape or get away from me: I bind them about my neck; I write them upon the table of my heart:

4 So do I find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

5 I trust in the LORD with all my heart and I lean not unto my own understanding.

6 In all my ways I acknowledge Him, and He directs thy paths.

Isaiah 60:10 And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.

Psalms 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

Psalms 44:3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.

Psalms 89:17 For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.

I met with the core group last night, plus an additional person. We got through most of the agenda, which was a great thing because I had so many items on it. Everyone is a bit chatty but that is not a complaint. I am learning to loosen up a lot. I get so focused when I am working and sometimes I don’t like it when people take a detour. But people are people; what can I do? So now I just flow with it and I am greatful to have such a wonderful, dedicated group of ladies who want to get everything off the ground as much as I do.

Finally. I am working on this in a really serious way. Since being laid off, I knew I had to find something. New York threm me a few bones that led to nothing. SO… I put an ad on craigslist for like minded designers in my area. People are still responding! This is exciting. I don’t even have time to be afraid because there is so much to do. Thank God, He gave me the courage to put that first ad on CL. I am creating a fashion incubator in my city and a few of us will house our design businesses under the same roof and share expenses. So I am actually starting 2 businesses at the same time: the incubator and mine line.

We have a lot of work to do because the incubator will be a non-profit so I am greatful that I wrote my biz plan for my line a year ago. Now I need to complete the grant I am writing and the letter seeking sponsors. I am also completing the application to screen interested designers and come up with a curriculum. But it is all coming together. Every good job and every crappy job I ever had is starting to make sense because I am having to pull on the things I learned from those jobs.

Once again, whew-hew!