I am greatly amused.
I opened up a business checking account this afternoon and was surprised to hear from the banker that a required name-check of my chosen business name produced a very long list of other names that had to be checked against to determine if my business supported terrorism or was considered a terrorist organization.
It was, she told me, the longest list she’d ever had returned to her for confirmation that a business was not a suspected front or material supporter of terrorism.
Lucky for me, none of the names were even all that close. Otherwise, I might have been delayed for questioning by “the authorities” (read: FBI and/or Homeland Security) to determine my actual status and affiliations.
The reason I had to laugh (and I did, out loud) is that the business name I chose (and have yet to mention here — but I will soon) is a three-letter word generally associated with peace, good luck and the vitality of life (as ephemeral and transitory as it may be). Sure, it is a non-English word, but its meaning has nothing to do with anything controversial, much less threatening.
That aside, today was a new step forward with the business. Somehow, a checking account makes it more real and a slightly more frightening prospect. But I am determined to go live by June 1st, the gods willing.
A rundown of what’s left to do:
- Make that hard decision about which coffee varietals to carry at first.
If I could, I’d carry a large number of roasts, varietals and blends. However, I have to temper that enthusiasm with the investment involved and the reality that I can’t depend on being able to sell all of my stock before it becomes “old”. Instead of offering a lot of choices, I am going to have to narrow my selection down to anywhere between 6 and 10 choices. I don’t have that problem with tea, as tea doesn’t suffer from the same chemical processes that ruin the freshness of coffee. Stored correctly, tea will last a very long time. Coffee, on the other hand, has a short shelf life. While I love coffee, I don’t relish the idea of drinking it all of the time to make sure my product doesn’t go to waste just because the shelf life is getting close to sunsetting. Small batches seem best. By the way, my tea list is extensive and makes me very happy. - Decide if I should highlight “Fair-Trade” coffees.
I’m just not certain if people like the idea of Fair Trade Organic Coffee enough to pay the additional cost, which is not insignificant. I prefer the political philosophy, but I am leaning towards offering the option later on, as the business grows (if it grows). I am still struggling with this decision and it is a big part why the first line item still hovers over my head. - Take product pictures.
This could be a long process, especially when it comes to uploading and linking to the products they are associated with. Much of the catalog is up, but there are no nice visuals to go with the product listings. (Aside — finish finalizing my catalog….) - Finalize artwork.
The logo is done, but I need to tweak it to get it to fit with the labels that will be put on my bags of coffee and tea. It was originally designed for a web banner/storefront sign and I am finding that this doesn’t translate well to labels, return address labels, blah blah blah. - Get a “cheap” vendor for boxes.
For crying out loud, do you realize how much folks want for shipping boxes?!?!? It should be a crime. Fortunately, I found a nearby manufacturer that sells the size I need at a reasonable price. The last thing I want to do is add a handling charge to orders to cover the cost of shipping boxes, something I’d be forced to do if I used the classic option, which would cost over a $1 a box. Sheer silliness. I want to have reasonable prices, even with shipping tacked on — not outrageously inflated prices. - Get set up for credit-card payments.
After some serious thought on my part, I decided not to go the increasingly popular route of using PayPal or Google Cart. Both are fine options, but my recent survey results indicated that the vast majority of folks greatly preferred credit cards over the other two methods of payment. Of course, I’ll need some troubleshooting time, but I don’t want to pay for a service that I’m technically not using. Future project, then.
I think that the hard stuff is basically done. But I’ve said that before, only to have it all explode in my face a day or two later….
Still plugging away…