It's Official!

We're official! I guess, we were official before, but now our agency is officially listed and registered with the MN Department of Health as a home care agency. Tomorrow we will be pounding the pavement with flyers and our mouths, visiting senior high rise apartments and grocery stores, coffee shops, etc., letting everyone know we have arrived!!! Well, we will probably be a little more low-keyed than that, but we will do a little dry run, leaving flyers here and there and see what kind of response we get. We also got ourselves cheap laptops (and I say that quite gleefully..about being cheap, I mean) that are pretty darn good laptops at that, so now we need to shop for a printer/copier/fax machine. We're trying to keep our overhead down to as low as possible but those were purchases that were unavoidable...and so fun! Next week on Tuesday (btw, Joni..:), my husband is going to take the day off so we can then go visit more senior residences and hope to talk to some of the office people, just to put our faces to our name.

One thing I have found amazing through all this whirlwind of activity that has accompanied this new venture, I don't feel like it's been so overwhelming, only stimulating. And I don't feel like my household has slid any farther than it usually does! Now, that could mean one of several things. It could mean that this new adventure has kick-started a new level of energy and focus that can keep me going at an even higher level than usual to be able to keep up with the needs and wants of a family our size as well as all that comes with trying to start up a business. That one is the flattering thought. Or, it could mean that before this, in any spare moments of opportunity I had to spent getting my house in order (that are now used towards starting this business) were instead spend staring blankly at the the nearest wall, on the internet (updating my blog, for instance), or drinking coffee and talking on the phone. I actually think that it's some of both. Probably equally so. I can tell that every day, I get up and my brain starts (slowly at first until that first cup/pot of coffee, then picks up speed) prioritizing different activities into slots of most important to least, involving both research, phone calls, and the like pertaining to the business or my household, and I start hitting it! It sure has been an interesting process though, and we are both, along with our husbands, so excited to get this going. The best part of it all is, I've always thought that someday I/we will have our own business, and have brainstormed many times, what would it be. Home care seemed the natural thing for me but I always before this just thought it would be too much. My sister has simplified the whole thing so it isn't too much. Now when we have decided to go ahead with this, I know that this is one that I could always have a passion for and truly have fun doing! That's the best part!!! It also is a type of business that shouldn't, once it's off the ground and running, take too much from our families. We both hope to get to the point that our husbands could quit their jobs and be at home with the kids during the day and with the nature of this business, we can be in and out during the day, home every evening, weekend and holiday, cover for each other if vacations need to be taken, and work around our families' schedules. I am one to stay up late into the night if need be and get paperwork or housework done. I can be more productive that way anyway, with no one else in the house up. Surprising, I know! ;) I'm sure you all can relate!
Well, it's time to go and google area senior apartments/condos and stores/coffee shops, etc. Time to route tomorrow's drive to make the most of our outing. More again later!