Monday, September 24, 2012

Sometimes the plan changes


First of all, can I just say I love having hot spot Internet! Why I didn't do this forever ago, I'm not sure. Bu as I type this we are headed down the highway at 70 miles per hour on our way to a baseball tournament. Nothing like multi-tasking when you have an hour drive ahead of you! Now, if I had only remembered my ear buds so I could also watch some Doctor Who!

I mentioned a couple of posts back that my Mom and I have started our own business Wonderland and Company. It was super scary to turn in my notice and quit my day job, but I knew in order to really chase my dreams and be a success, I had to take a leap out on faith. And leap we did! Our original plan was to simply start with an Etsy shop and buy inventory that we could sell and ship on Etsy. And then we had a 6 month plan to get setup to sell monthly at Canton Trade Days. We were thinking baby steps. We started off doing just that, hitting up estate sales and finding vintage treasures that we felt comfortable shipping.

However, living in a small town (population 4,500) word spreads fast about anything. And word got out pretty quick that Mom and I had formed our own corporation and were now in the vintage re-sale business.One morning I get a phone call from someone I know about a mutual acquaintance who had a house with the contents for sale. And apparently the contents were vintage treasures and he was at the house right now if I hurried. So, I did just that. I jumped in the car and showed up at the house, unannounced, to see what he had. And boy, were there some treasures. The house was originally built in the 1930s. The same owners for the entire duration. And the stuff inside looked like it was straight from a museum - pieces in pristine condition that looked as if it had never been touched. The owner wanted to sale the entire contents to one person. He was not interested in having an estate sale or piecing it out himself. I told him I would have an answer to him that next day.

To say I was excited is an understatement. I felt like this opportunity had just been handed to me and for a reason. So, I called a Wonderland and Company meeting that evening to discuss the opportunity. Mind you, this was a 3 bedroom, two bath house with two living areas, a formal dining room and a kitchen with eat in area. This went far beyond just purchasing items we could sell on Etsy. This would give us Etsy inventory for a while and then throw us into a whole new realm of vintage furniture.

We met. We discussed. We came up with a price we felt comfortable offering for the whole lot. And the next morning I met with the owner to make my first true blue business deal and negotiation. And I walked away the owner of the contents of that house! It felt so good. I got it for the price I wanted and now we really had the inventory to be considered 'serious.' There are no words to describe the feeling of success when it comes to your own business and negotiating a deal that directly affects you and your success and future. I was so proud of me!

So, here we are about 3 weeks later and the house is almost completely cleared out (thank goodness we have until October to get it all done). We've already sold a lot of the furniture pieces and the rest will be stored for our Christmas show in November and Canton. I will not lie, it has been hard work sorting through, packing up and moving this house. But the amazing thing is that I love every single second of it. And that's how I know I made the right decision chasing my dreams.

So, we might have veered from the original course we had set for ourselves, but when opportunity presents itself, sometimes you just have to take the plunge. It's crazy how things have just fallen into place since starting this new adventure. And we are so excited to see where it all leads!

If you haven't done so yet, please stop by and take a look at our Etsy shop, Wonderland and Company and go by and 'like' our Facebook page. We give tons of sneak peeks over there!

And if you're still reading this, thanks for coming back after my long hiatus. Sometimes we just need some time to stop and re-evaluate and start again. And at this point, I feel like I'm finally exactly where I'm supposed to be. So, sit back and enjoy this next journey with me. I'm thinking it's going to be a really good one!

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