Risky Business

Well, I've taken the plunge and officially am trying to start a small jewelry business. Last week I went down and signed up for my resale license, so now - oh joy! - I can collect sales tax for the things I sell and am responsible to keep track of it all and give the government their due.

Turning my hobby into a small business is something that I have thought about doing for a long time, but never made all the steps to finally commit to doing it. I received enough requests for my jewelry recently that I decided to finally take the plunge. I love making the pieces, I already have quite an inventory of materials, I have the time and the space, and I would love to find some way to help supplement our income (probably wishful thinking that the jewelry might do that - but why not dream?).

So I signed up to have a table at a Holiday Boutique at the school a couple of blocks from my house - in 2 1/2 weeks! In preparation for doing this, I have been reading at a jewelry maker's forum - and now I am totally scared and rather overwhelmed! I am not unique - jewelry making is a popular hobby, and many people are attempting to make their hobby into a business. There are so many things to think about, to plan for, to be organized about. It's amazing.

I think I'm going to have stop reading at that forum for a while, and use the time for making more jewelry instead. While it's been wonderful to learn from other people's experiences and mistakes - some things I think I just need to pray about, relax and go do.

It's been many years since I have felt this kind of anxiety. I think there is something different about the risks that you (I) take when it involves "work". Somehow it is putting myself out on the line in a different way than projects at home or in the volunteering that I have done. The energy that I'm experiencing about all of this has been really surprising me- it's been a very interesting few days.