The Lot of the Small Business Owner

I am the small business owner.  As such I wear ALL the hats.  I'm the baker, the bookkeeper, the marketing department, the teamster, the R & D Department, human resources, purchasing....et cetera et cetera ad infinitum.

We're doing what I hope will be our first big event of the season this weekend.  The Astoria Crab & Seafood Festival.  In Astoria (duh!)  Yesterday, we assembled, cleaned, and staged all the equipment for packing.  This afternoon, I prepared 130 pockets (pocket sandwiches---our main menu item) to put in the freezer to give us a jump start on Friday night's business.  I also baked, staged and photographed some of our products for signs that I am now burning the midnight oil trying to create.  Above is an example of my sign-making prowess.  It'll do.

Tomorrow, I have to track down an expensive banner I ordered, that I was SUPPOSED to get proofs of today to approve for final printing.  Well, that didn't happen, so God knows what the status of that project is.  Also have to do a final round-up of food and equipment, get all said equipment packed into the trailer and van, pack my clothes, meals, and other personal items into the trailer for when we are in camp (yes, folks, we CAMP when we're out on the road.  Helluva lot cheaper than motels.  And I actually enjoy it a lot more than staying in a motel...) 

Thursday morning, 9 am, we pull out of the driveway. God willing, nothing will break, fall off, or otherwise crap out on the van going over the passes between here and the coast.  We should arrive in Astoria by noon.  Set-up for the event starts at 1 pm.  My sister and I will roll all our insanely heavy equipment out of the trailer and get it set up.  The two of us put together weigh only a few pounds more than my husband, so this is always interesting.  It will take at least three hours to get everything "just right"...and then it's off to the campground to set up the trailer...and drink several glasses of wine. 

With all the pre-event work, the events themselves sometimes seem anti-climactic.   My main focus this year was going to be keeping tighter controls on my purchasing, but I've already spent so much money on signage and other special projects for this event, we'll be starting out the year in the hole once again. Ah well...keep your fingers crossed that I come home exhausted, empty and RICH Sunday night!