Oh ND, I wish I didn't know this feeling so well. Hence my growling reaction when I hear it takes money to make money. It is such an indication of your ability that you have so many exciting projects lined up. I'm so sorry about the 'if I survive that long' factor. Try and remember that you have been through this before and it does work out. Like generally at the very last possible moment, just in time, yikes don't want to go through that again.
I hope you have a routine of some relaxing method to counter the stress. Enjoy your beautiful views, your animals, and your lovely wife. Also, hahahaha, try and get sleep from time to time. Have to recharge the batteries.
Lots of love and wishes for the pieces to fall into place soon.
Money is so f*cking stressful. Sending golden vibes to you down the coast, ND.
The pipeline for work here at my little company is filling up, so the year looks like it will be a good one in the end, but it's still painfully tight in the immediate. I mean things like delaying paychecks tight. It's stressful and overall I do okay, but it's really beginning to take a toll on me. I just want to get through this patch and start to get the company on the real road to recovery.
We had times where we had to delay paychecks, and it really sucked. At least the employees understood that it was better than us shutting down. In the 2008-2009 time period I totally trashed our credit and still don't know how we managed to survive.
Hang in there, ND. Focus on the future.
That's one of the things I've been very diligent about doing. Making sure I'm still filling the pipeline with work going forward. Trying now to book projects in Q1 2020 since I know that's always the painful quarter. Getting more things booked into the fall. Now it's just a matter of getting everything to those marks.
As part of shoring up the company I reached out to a small group of friends looking to raise $50,000 in personal loans with a grace period on repayment. Through this network I got to about $38,000. Right now it's that missing $12,000 that's binding things up at the beginning of May. Things are so close and I am feeling like I'm cracking under the stress. Sigh.
So, in order to open an online store to sell my zine (!!!), I need a business PayPal account, and PayPal wants a business name. Can I just make up a DBA on the spot and give it to PayPal, or is there more I have to do? Does my bank need the DBA also? Yes, I am being unnecessarily paranoid about this. Also, this is a hobby, and there is no way I will ever show a net profit.
There are a number of online companies that can help you set up a DBA very cheaply. It's a pretty painless process. I did it way back when I was operating as a sole proprietor and my company was a DBA. Even if it is being done as a hobby it's worth doing the DBA IMO.
I'd like to make my living as a travelling GM, bringing everything needed to play tabletop RPGs to people, hell maybe all over the world someday! Right now everything is still in the planning stages but I wonder if anyone thinks it would be worthwhile to set up a (I know a bad choice but it's the first one that comes to mind) Go Fund Me or please recommend a similar but better type of fundraising ap if you think that would be a good thing to invest time in as I grow this business.
