moving along, moving along

Slow and steady -- I have been moving this idea along.

I got my tax refund. I researched equipment, especially a very expensive scanner. Have I mentioned that I need a scanner? Between Facebook, here, Livejournal and emails I can never remember who knows what about what. Anyway, I need a scanner, and a really really nice one. You can can at home with a cheap scanner for $55-70. But for a business, I need a very nice scanner. Found the best scanner I could afford. Amazon had it... out of stock. Everyone was out of stock. Finally I found it in stock at a Chicago store, and it was $150 under Amazon's price too. Drove over there after work when I was sleepwalking with tiredness. Bought my scanner and brought it home.

I also bought a domain name and web hosting, and I set it up with Drupal. Hard to pick between Drupal and Wordpress.

Anyway, that was all my money. For now.

Last weekend I cracked open my package, set up my scanner at home and started running some tests on it, figuring out how the software works, what i can and cannot do. So far I am pretty pleased with it. It can take a bit of a long time when on certain settings. If nothing else pans out, I am excited to have such a lovely piece of equipment.

I was also a bit worried that a very new scanner might not work with my older laptop and my operating system. I knew I was running Mac OS 10.something but not for sure whaich one. That's the thing about combining new equipment and software with older hardware. I've already had to toss one scnner out, that was perfectly good, because there was no software for it. So that's a relief.

I have been looking at Drupal themes and I need to get my website up and running so I can start marketing and advertising. The hold up here is that I am not familiar with Drupal at all so it will be a big learning curve. But at least I won't have to design anything.

I need to send out some info to my eager art student about designing my logo.

I am still working on copy for the website and advertising copy for my first flyer. From that I can write a good Craigslist ad.

I do need to buy some more equipment - less expensive but it still needs to wait for next month. I have been researching options on Amazon and I have some good choices.

I talked with my sister, who has run programs for a local public library, about how I should proceed in terms of setting up a program with local libraries. I got some really good advice and as soon as I get the website, business cards, and marketing materials together, I can start approaching local libraries.

I am also thinking about a Groupon or similar deal - that would reach a lot of people!

I would possibly be further along, but I have a full time job all week, and it is tiring. Last night I went to bed at 7:45 pm. I was literally staggering with tiredness. Glad I got my clothes off.

It's funny. For the last year I have really been enjoying that my free time is totally free (mostly). Weekends I sleep late, go out to lunch, go grocery shopping, do laundry, run errands, read books, go to the gym. I have also traveled some and gone letterboxing here and there. It's been restful but now it's a bit boring. Especially this time of year. But now I always have a big to-do list. All of it is in preparation. Now I am constantly learning and proceeding, asking questions, researching, trying to figure stuff out. Even in my downtime, my mind is working on website copy, colors, designs, ideas.

It's hard, but kind of fun.