Sunday, January 29, 2012

Espionage

I have seen the enemy and they is not us. I figured my main three competitors for business are Bob Evans, Pagliai's and Super Suppers. So I've got their goods and here's the reports:

Bob Evans: ordered the meatloaf dinner for 4 or family style or whatever. Got 6 slices of meatloaf (about a pound, I'm guessing), a tub of mashed potatoes, a salad with dressing and six rolls for $24. The mashed potatoes were pretty good. The meatloaf was drenched in that gravy. The salad was large enough but other than lettuce, it contained 6 cherry tomatoes. Four people could have eaten a complete meal off this so, except for the meat and salad being heinous, it was a good deal.

Pagilai's: ordered the single lasagna dinner for pickup. Split it with Amy. The lasagna hunk was about 4" x 4" and tasteless. I'm not just being catty here: it didn't taste like meat or tomato sauce or garlic or anything. And it seemed like it was just noodle pile with some sauce on top. And the "garlic bread" was 2 pieces of plain ol white bread sort of grilled with no garlic flavor whatsoever. The salad was fine. $8.50.

Super Suppers: bought a Groupon for $15 for tasting event which is usually $15 anyway but this deal included two sides and a dessert along with the one 2-3 person entree that usually comes with the tasting event. Which said entree would be $12 if you just bought it so I guess your other $3 was for the snacks and winey beverage they provided. The thing about SS is you buy this stuff frozen OR you go in and prepare it for yourself from raw ingredients at these stations and then you have to go home and cook it. I made the meatloaf for my entree which was OK but again, a pound of meat with some onion, GP, tomato sauce, egg, bread crumbs and spices which if knew how to cook would cost you about $5. Plus you have to take it home and cook it for 45 minutes. Where's the time economy in that? For my two sides I chose the sweet potato casserole which was good but $4.50 and the pasta with tarragon butter which was way too salty and you had to cook the pasta and add in this 2 T. of herbed butter stuff. And $4.50 for about 30 cents worth of materials. And the dessert Chocolate Lovers Paradise was some chocolate mousse with some oreos crumbled into it. So to get a whole 2-3 person meal from them would cost $22 at least, the sides are frozen and you have to cook it.

Last week turned out fairly well after my initial feeling like I was at a standstill. I got my hood quotes which seem low enough. Met with an equipment guy and the building owner and got some questions answered. Went to the bank and applied for some SBA loans and got a checking account and got details on a debit card swiping system (too many details to explain here). At the bank, one of the women I met with said, after they quizzed me on my business plan, "Either you have been coached really well or you have done a ton of research" because I had a good answer for everything they threw at me.

Tomorrow I'm turning in my BG loan app without one piece: my damn 2009 tax return. Thursday I meet with an architect for some Q-and-A on my layout so he can get on with stamping my plan for approval.

I feel like I'm behind time-wise some but nothing I can't make up with a lot of concentrated action over the next couple of weeks.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Venting

This week I feel I'm at a standstill on the food operation. I need two years of tax returns which I don't save copies of so I ordered them from the IRS and yesterday one came. Where's the other one?

And I just need a couple things (including said tax returns) to file for the loan with the BG econ development folks and it seems like I'll never have all the stuff together. I guess right now the last thing I need that I have no control over getting is the estimate on hood installation.

THEN when I submit the application for the loan, who knows how long the committee will have it before I know the outcome?? I have a meeting with Huntington Bank Friday to open a checking account and get advice on applying for an SBA loan. Maybe this Mini Loan.

I HAVE recently received my required DUNS number and my certificate from the state that I'm an incorporated LLC. And I hit (just) my Kickstarter goal. And have one $1,000 lender on board.

And then of course, there's all that recent flak about the name Daddy's Girl. How some think it's too risque and then suddenly people who had had no opinion agreed that it at least gave no indication of the nature of the business and at worst sounds like a slutty lingerie store. So now I guess it will be Good To Go by Daddy's Girl or just Good To Go. Which means unless I don't care what people think about website names, I need to buy another domain instead of the DaddysGirlEats.com that I paid $238 for three years for. Not that big an outlay but still. Grrrrr.

Tomorrow I'm meeting a guy out at the shop who sells kitchen equipment on commission for some company in Detroit (who gave me quote #2 on the goods) for him to try and determine if my proposed layout needs any adjustment before it goes to an architect. And about those architects: Ed says his wants $2,500 to finalize the plans and Chip says his will take $2,000 but I'm not sure the latter would do everything right for Wood Co. purposes. Angst again....

I just wanna get the equipment in there and practice cooking in quantity and holding it at an edible temperature and assessing my customer base.

I guess the upside is, between the mild weather and my preoccupation with this project, I haven't got those wintertime blues. Yet.
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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Almost February

We had Snaps practice tonight and when we said the next practice is Jan. 24, I thought OMG, it's almost February. I've totally lost the first month of 2012. I'm sure I will be glad to have lost another few months when it's closer to presidential election time.

So, Kickstarter update: $2,160 so I'm assured of hitting my goal of $2,500 since I have 14 days left and I haven't beaten up everyone I could have. Pledge here: Kickstarter.

Also I am trying to get up the nerve to ask individuals for $1,000 loans. Wrote the email. Haven't sent it.

Last week, I went to Delaware on Monday to work on the paperwork, was thwarted, went back Wednesday and then spent most of Thursday tying up loose ends on that. My mom was incredibly lucid and discussed Daddy's Girl with me. She felt I needed to make sure and advertise AND to post the hours of operation on the window so if somebody drives up and I'm closed, they'll know when they can return. Good points.

I'm sorry to say I haven't talked to her since Weds. but my sister has and apparently things are going OK although she wants to go home but I haven't heard anything about the pre-release family conference. Maybe they're just milking Medicare for everything they can before they turn her loose. At any rate, I think she WILL be going home, possibly to start her bad habits all over again. I talked to my sister about this and she seems resigned to the fact.

I was delighted to find out that I can get a good chunk of change out of my Roth IRA that even my financial guy said was a good idea as it's already taxed money that's not making a boatload of investment income. So with that and Kickstarter, I'm good for about $18,000. Plus I am this | | close to having my loan application for the BG econ dev folks ready. And I have two architects looking at my layout drawing.

Also I called banks about business checking accounts and have the names of 2 tax people that I will call tomorrow. The state has approved my LLC and I should be getting that document in the mail tomorrow. By the end of January, I should have all financing in place. Also, I called Doug Black about logos. Playing phone tag...

The timeline has February being focused on food: making it in quantity, costing it out for real, talking with wholesale vendors, choosing takeout containers.

In March, I will sign the lease and start moving equipment in. And work on the front construction and interior design.

Chip and I had a big discussion on the ordering process that was helpful.

Unfortunately, I have been lax in finding jobs to apply for for my unemployment requirement. Hmmmmm.
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Friday, January 13, 2012

Apple pie with heart.

Sunday, January 08, 2012

Random thoughts

One, I've been meaning to post about how 2011 was a year of loss for me: lost my job, both my cats died, big tree in front of my house cut down. Maybe I can just look at this as simplifying...

More on the mom saga. After it was determined by the medical staff at the hospital that she shouldn't be living alone because of her vagueness, our job was to convince her she should go into a nursing home. Partly because somehow she developed leg pain that makes her unable to walk. Anyway, after Jedi mind tricks, I got her to agree and we took her to the Arbors in Delaware. It's very hospital-like: brightly lit, swarms of staff, two beds to a room. Nowhere I'd think would be comfortable for the long-term.

But if she could indeed get her walking power back and recover some from her vagueness, she could go back home. Much to my sister's chagrin, as probably my mom's failure to eat right to control her blood sugar will just land her back in the hospital, possibly over and over.

The vagueness is more than just the old people repetitiveness. For example, I had given her some current photos of my kids that I had printed out large and she said she didn't know any of the people in those pictures. Sigh.

After I got home, my sister texted me to say that my presence had made mom agitated and that I didn't need to come back down there - ever. She's not the most helpful...

So basically I lost the first week of the new year with that instead of soldiering on with Daddy's Girl, my food takeout venture. Costs are starting to mount up for that, with equipment and plumbing etc. NO TURNING BACK NOW. Really, read the blog on that for more info.

I did apply for a federal EIN and sent my app to the State of Ohio to register as an LLC. Next week, I have an appointment with my financial adviser on various things, like finding a tax guy and if I can get some of my retirement money out for start-up costs. And today I FB messaged about 50 people with my Kickstarter plea. After the initial days, it's sort of stopped. But I've got three weeks to go.

While I was messaging all those people, a message from FB popped up that said it looked I was using this feature in a way that it's not intended for and to slow down or I might face some restrictions. FB. Bah. Although I am counting on FB to be very helpful when Daddy's Girl opens.

For tonight I've online ordered the family meatloaf dinner from Bob Evans to pick up at 5:30. I want to see what people get there for their $24. Next week, I'll get a Pagliai's lasagna dinner because they're my main competitor in that food.

I'm also working today on a timeline of opening, just to make sure I'm doing all I can in a timely manner. On to that now....
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Thursday, January 05, 2012

Hope to be home later

Hope to be home later today and maybe back here on the weeknd. Keeping a journal of the whole deal so i remember what was said n done by drs etc

My mom is in a

My mom is in a nursing home. Incredibly vague. Im at her apt doing dishes n laundry n taking out trash. Blogging from my phone. No wifi

Monday, January 02, 2012

Holidaze

First, let me ask that you not share my blog on Facebook. Some people don't know it exists. Thank you.

As you know, I was going to go to Austin with my kids for Christmas. That all fell through when my son had to work Christmas Eve.

Instead, it's been a hectic couple of weeks but it's over now.

There was a party out on a little cottage on the river by Grand Rapids with some friends of Chip's, including a guy who I was a French major with at BGSU back in the 70s.

The next night, the Joe Baker Band played at Howard's and they let me sing Santa Baby. Then I sang Mustang Sally while Ginger played bass with the guys.

Christmas Eve, Chip had his family over for lunch and gifts, where I received many. Thank you all. My daughter had called me earlier that day from her car while driving up to San Francisco to be with her brother for Christmas. I was comforted that she was using Bluetooth, so not as dangerous.

Christmas Day, Chip accompanied me to Delaware. My Aunt Midge had sprung for the Kroger takeout dinner, so we had ham and mashed potatoes and green bean casserole and rolls and sweet potato casserole that I made and too many desserts. Gifts were exchanged. I got two pairs of earrings and some other stuff. We got out of there and home by 5.

My Aunt Midge announced that she was moving to Georgia Jan. 4 where her son lives. A silence fell over the table. My mom overall was pretty good. She did allow that the stuffing was not as heinous as the previous two years. She didn't fall asleep immediately after we ate. She liked the robe I got her.

This last Friday, we went to a party at the Balles. Delicious snacks and a good crowd. Thanks to Kerry for driving again.

Saturday, I thought I had a radio show but alas I was preempted. So stay tuned for my end-of-year concerts-I-saw show on Jan. 14.

Yesterday, I made a bunch of snacks (stuffed dates and stuffed mini-peppers and deviled eggs and jam thumbprint cookies and hummus with veggies and guacamole) and Chip cooked some brats and about 10 people went out to his place for football and eating. And light drinking.

On Friday, my sister took my mom to the ER because her blood sugar was way high and she was incoherent and more aggressive than usual. So during all this hectic weekend, I was in contact with my sister non-stop about this. Karen was concerned that mom would be released to Karen's care, which would be bad as Karen can't go stay with mom and mom can't stay at Karen's place. Apparently, my mom was telling my sister that the medical staff was holding her against her will AND that no one else was at the hospital except my mom AND that her roommate (she had none) was up and down all night.

Yesterday, I called the nurse station there but no one was available familiar with my mom's situation and no one called me back. Today, she's still in the hospital. I called her. She didn't know who I was. She asked where I was and I said Home. She said In Michigan? I said In Bowling Green. She said What are you doing THERE? She told me the doctor was in with her so I asked if I should call her back and she agreed. Karen then called later to say mom had called her and asked who that woman was who had called her from BG. It seems that if this were an issue connected to moderating her blood sugar, she would have come out of it by now with round-the-clock medical attention.

And in between all this, I've been busy with trying to launch Daddy's Girl, a takeout food place. I've done massive online research into suppliers and regulations. Tomorrow I can apply online for a federal tax number which I need before I start in on the mountain of forms for starting a LLC and getting a bank account and getting certified for food service, etc. etc.

I've talked to Ed Tyrell who owns the Stimmel's Market, half of which is where I plan to put Daddy's Girl. I bought the domain name DaddysGirlEats.com. I made a Facebook page. I got a gmail account. I created this blog to keep updates going while I'm in ramp-up mode. I've talked with the BG economic development folks about getting a low-interest loan. I've been in touch with the health department about their requirements.

I've started making and costing out recipes, things like meatloaf and lasagna and pasta dishes and stuffed peppers and for when warmer weather comes, BBQ sides. Also desserts. And appetizers that I will take orders for but not sell regularly.

Most importantly, I've started a fund-raising campaign on Kickstarter.com, where people can give small amounts of money that will hopefully accumulate to my goal of $2,500 by the end of January. As of now I've got 4 backers, with $165. Thank you.

Now, I need to try and get some bigger investors on board with small loans that I will pay back in two years.

It's all really nerve-wracking but my alternative is to get to May when my unemployment and buyout money runs out and have to get some low-paying job that won't even make my house payment.

So that's the end of 2011. Let's hope 2012 is great.
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