I also need a pep talk, but more of a "find your focus, figure out your strengths"-type thing. I've been out of the 9-5 world for so long that I'm really intimidated by trying to get back in to it.

Feel free to give me a call if you need. I'm happy to chat.

Love you, juliana. Wish I had advice for you.

Ugggh, tough week right now. Roughly calculated my quarterly taxes. Can almost pay them but it would drain my whole savings account, but I think I'm going to pay them with a credit card and then immediately use a balance transfer that gets me zero interest for 18 mos. Which is not a great habit to get into, but I don't see another option. We'll see what it looks like once I factor in deductions.

And then these shutters… are probably going to take me 3x the hours I had calculated. At least.

I just don't know if I can actually make money at this, and I really don't know how much I really want to try.

The aspect of my business that would probably be best for actually making money is not an aspect I really like (dealing with door locksets).

You're going to make some mistakes on bids, that's part of the landscape. You learn from it, make the note, and apply what you've learned to the next bid. You are at the hardest part right now, as you get into it things get easier.

Reprieve: I'm getting enough back on my taxes to pay my 1st quarterly estimated taxes. Which means I have enough $ to cover bills for at least another month.

You're going to make some mistakes on bids, that's part of the landscape. You learn from it, make the note, and apply what you've learned to the next bid. You are at the hardest part right now, as you get into it things get easier.

Intellectually I know this, but it's still scary as fuck. I've never been great with money, or managing my time, or being punctual, or selling myself... so WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING? And yet I keep doing it. For now, anyway.

Hi! So I TOTALLY whiffed the estimate on that shutter job you may have seen me post about on fb. I need to write an email to the client updating them on my progress and asking for more money. Any tips? And is anyone willing to give it a read before I send it off? It's pretty much all on me - I just was really unrealistic about the time it would take.

When I have to do something like this I try and relate it to terms they can understand. Since my customers are doctors I might say after we opened up the patient we found infection in addition to the tumors. Or when their issue isn't being handled as quickly as they like I might say I prioritize issues like the ER where the pulled muscles get treated after the strokes.

With an auto mechanic I might say after we replaced the pump the belt which was on its last thread popped. Etc.

I'd be happy to review whatever you put together.

Laura - just now getting this thing typed up. Profile addy good?

Yes!

Insent from my company gmail account.

Replied. Basically I rearranged it a bit to take out a few "I" references and make it more project status report than personal report.