I Think I am Self Employed?

Guess what I did on Wednesday? Yes I got my hair cut, yes I had my teeth cleaned but even more exciting then that. I registered my business!!!! I am now (for $60.00) an official business women. OMG I am an official business women! What am I thinking, I can’t do this. Where is the sand box so I can go bury my head in it?

Ok I’m back, so this is what has been happening with the Food Services proposal I presented last May to the school. The school principal and department heads approved my plan, the school board approved my plan. But if you remember the kitchen construction is part of phase two, which will not be completed till Christmas. So that puts my plan on hold for the rest of this calendar year.

Through the month of July I had put the whole business idea out of my mind and was busy with family stuff. Every once a while I would get someone asking a question about the business, but I didn’t have much to tell them. Now that there is just a few weeks left of summer, I went and spoke to the principal again. I was looking for an update on the construction and coming up with some alternative plans till the kitchen is completed. He is still all for me coming in and selling what ever I can.

I have been speaking with the city food safety inspector and of course nothing is easy. So as of today the plan looks like this:

I will set up shop in the old kitchen
I will only sell prepackaged prepared food
I cannot sell soup or make any food on the premises because of the lack of a third sink for hand washing.
I will be open from 8:00 to 9:00 each morning to sell muffins, bagels, and fruit and then again open from 11:30 to 1:30 for lunch selling sandwiches, wraps, baked goods, and candies, and beverages.

Sounds somewhat reasonable right? So why then do I feel like I am about to throw up?

The principal has asked for a status report from me. What I have in place so far and what my plans are till the kitchen is completed. He did mention that there were some questions from board members concerning insurance and liability and such. Again sounds reasonable. Then why can’t I type a single word, every time I try my mind wanders to more pressing matters like I should really clean out the DVD cupboard.

Yesterday I spoke to my insurance broker and she tried to explain insurance stuff to me. You would think I would understand all this stuff as I did work for the Insurance Bureau of Canada. Now if she asked me how to upgrade a client server, or what interface would be best for British Columbia’s government run auto insurance, or even what catastrophes were averted with the fixing of code concerning dates such as 09/09/09, 09/09/99 and of course the infamous 01/01/00 then I’m your girl. I can bore you to death with that information. But this liable for who, what and where and some standard insurance clause forms. I am lost and confused and I know I should, but really don’t give a hoot. I just want to make a couple of egg salad sandwiches and maybe a cookie or two. Anyway I think I understand what insurance I have and she has advised me on how to word it in my status report. Head is moving deeper in the sand.

So lets take a moment and catch up I have a business name and number, and am registered with the government, I have business insurance pending, I have OK’s from school, I have been trying all day to get through to GST to register but the line is busy (but I am working on it), I have spoke to Health Inspector, I have a call in to a pizza shop to get quote for pizza days. Hey, yesterday I bought a couple pairs of black pants as part of my uniform. In other words things are moving along.

So why am I about to cry? I am scared and unsure and think maybe this is a big mistake and what happens if nobody buys anything. What do I do if I fail, or the board changes there mind and wont let me in the kitchen in the New Year? Or they don’t like me, or I say the wrong thing, or I dress the wrong way. This is worse then high school cause then all I had to do is hide under my sheets and pretend I was sick. Now I’m an adult and am supposed to be all-adultish. I need to set an example to my children and, and, and. I think I need to lay down now.

Get grip women. What’s left on the list? I need to buy a cash register, find a supplier of the food, buy some small wares equipment, finish buying my uniform, purchase disposable supplies. Write a status report. I think I am going to eat something now, like the two banana breads I made this morning, we can chat later.