5-Year Plan

[captain_slinky]

When they told me to make one of these 5-year plans back in high school, I kinda blew it off. But now I find that it's helping me sort out all my priorities and by golly even get all my crazy dreams fulfilled!

*YEAR 1* (Officially starts on Jan. 1, 2005)

• Stuff I have control over
  
  
  
  • Promotion and/or raise at work
    
  • Get in to the QA department at work
    
  • Get better / more "regular" hours at work
    
  • Sell massive amounts of excess stuff on eBay
    
  • Start a seperate savings account for future business
    
  
  
• Stuff I have indirect control over
  
  
  
  • THE BIG TRIP! Disney World with P&C&B, mini-trip to Ohio
    
  • Crystal takes the course in Medical Billing
    
  
  

*YEAR 2*

• Stuff I have control over
  
  
  
  • Start sorting/organizing comic book collection
    
  • Business license
    
  • Gather information on different distributors for different products
    
  • Find an arcade game distributor
    
  • Sell massive amounts of excess stuff on eBay
    
  • Decide on location of Comic Book Store
    
  
  
• Stuff I have indirect control over
  
  
  
  • Have Crystal quit her job at Premera and work from home doing Medical Billing
    
  • Work out trip to Ohio as a business trip, visit larger conventions to make connections with publishers and comics professionals
    
  
  

*YEAR 3*

• Stuff I have control over
  
  
  
  • Quit job at Comcast
    
  • OPEN COMIC BOOK STORE, "The Escape From Reality"
    
  
  
• Stuff I have indirect control over
  
  
  
  • Move in to a new apartment or house
    
  
  

*YEAR 4*

• Stuff I have control over
  
  
  
  • Hire reliable staff for the comic book store so I can have some time off
    
  • Start doing occasional conventions
    
  
  
• Stuff I have indirect control over
  
  
  
  • Have a baby with Crystal
    
  • Work out trip to Ohio as a business trip
    
  
  

*YEAR 5*

• Marriage, House, Business & Baby... it all comes together!
  

Comments

[khristle.livejournal.com]

It all look very good to me honey! You know I support you :) The only problem is that we have got to have the kid before we loose insurance!

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'll have to keep the Comcast job for the first year of business, or at least long enough for the birth to be covered?

[collisions.livejournal.com]

Although the availability of it waxes and wanes in Washington, as a sole proprietor of a business you can buy healthcare coverage for yourself (covering Crystal as well), and your premiums are tax-deductible expenses.

The coolest thing about being in business for myself was the fact that so many things I would have paid for anyway became full-on deductions: internet service, computer toys, etc. You get more deductibles when you have a home office, but even with a regular storefront and no home office you get lots of tax breaks.

Aaaanyway. Every year the "home & business" version of Turbotax has lots of good reference material on it, usually including a full-text copy of Tax Savvy for Small Businesses. You can probably snag a copy Turbotax by hook or by crook online; if so, you should definitely make that some of your required reading.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

That sounds good... thanks!

[zannah.livejournal.com]

What do you need an arcade machine vendor for?

There's a major distributer downtown - the name is escaping me at the moment because it's 3am and I seriously need sleep. Also, I have a list of some other websites of places that sell/distribute as well. If you're looking for something in particular (or a type of game), it helps to know that, as well.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Really? Cool! Thanks! I would be looking for classic arcade games mostly... quarter and 50-cent stuff that no one plays any more, but fits in with the comicbook/geek theme. The Superman game would be good, the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Wars... only looking for two or three games. Not looking to *own* them, just looking to have the owner stick his games in my shop in exchange for half the quarters pumped in to it each week.

Also looking for RPG and CCG distributors, if you knw of any... thanks!

[bghsmith.livejournal.com]

If I may make a suggestion? (Yeah, just try and stop me.) You might not want to put 'Open a Business' and 'Buy a house' in the same year. Both of these things are seriously stressful and take lots of money.

You might want to spread 'em out a little. AND already owning a house looks good on your business loan application.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

We're not sure about the *buying* of a house, but we do know that when we open the shop we will have to move. Someplace cheaper than where we are living now would be good... maybe one of those infomercial-type things where they promise that you can live in a beautiful house for less than what you're paying in rent now... ya know what I'm sayin'?

So *you've* had a kid... do you think we could do this if we decided t have the baby *before* opening a store?

[collisions.livejournal.com]

Ooooh! Maybe you could do one of those things where you live in a place up over the shop! Whenever you talking about owning a comic shop I always see that in my head for whatever reason. "Okay, well, time to head into work. I'm going downstairs." You have to admit the commute would rock. :D

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

That's *exactly* what I want... and with a Fireman's Pole going through the middle of the livingroom! That would be *sweet*!

But yeah... Apt. above the shop is ideal, or at least within walking or bus distance. The only real problem is that we want to *live* where it's quiet, but have the shop where there is noise and people. So I guess the only option is to do it in Anacortes!

[bghsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh GODS no! Wait until your business is established and running smoothly before having a kid. I'm thinking about opening a business too and wish I would have got on the stick before having the monkey. Now I'm afraid I'll feel guilty about spending so much time on the business instead of spending it with my son.

Yes, wait. Children are expensive and time consuming neither are good to have to deal with on top of something else expensive and time consuming.