I've applied for grants, tried crowdfunding, done odd jobs and still lack the $$ to start my business/create a local food bank (fresh goods). I need my vehicle in working order to do this. Truck is my future fleet.
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It becomes easy sometimes to just be sad. To just accept that this is the way things are. It took working in an extremely hostile work environment-- facing sexual harassment/stalking-- for me to realize that maybe what i really need is some time away from the corporate grind. I've always wanted to have a small business. And I've always wanted to work with the community-- in a charitable sense.
When i sensed that it was time for me to leave my former employer, i started exploring my options. I do a bit of scrapping, moving, and lawn care on the side already. So I thought...Why not do this as a job?
I looked around for what I believed would be a decent work vehicle. (Hint: It wasn't. Did the vehicle checklist thing and everything. No offense to the owner. Pics included.) Looked into the kind of services I would like to provide. Researched the demand. Started putting the pieces together. Not all the pieces fit together. Lost my job before i was prepared. Spent 8 months doing the same scrapping, lawn care, and moving services i would have been doing to supplement my income and start my business. Only difference, i was doing it to survive. That's how long it took to find another job that wasn't minimum wage or below (some tipped jobs pay $2.18-4 /hr). Minimum wage will barely get you into income-based housing around here. So many families are being forced out of neighborhoods near me, i am losing count. It's sad to see vibrant families and yards gone/vacant.
My truck, which will be my fleet vehicle, needs some work. I can't afford to give it up because i can't afford a new one to replace it. And i love this truck to pieces. My first vehicle EVER. An important milestone during a very hard portion of my life. It's old (90's); so some mechanics without the extra time won't touch it. And in a small town, there aren't many mechanics anyway. It could be a small problem. It could be a little bigger. I need to have a specialist figure that out. This is tier one to starting my business. I need a working/dependable fleet vehicle.
As a pay it forward. I will officially partner with my local food bank/ create an alternate food bank to offer fresh goods/produce to the community. Right now, the food banks are being slammed. The majority of the food, while better than nothing, is simply not something a healthy person should eat on the regular. I want to help change this.
I tried it a few years ago, but a manager snapped on me and would not even look at my paperwork/ proposal. Accused me of free-loading and had me followed through the store on occasion. It made me throw in the towel. However, since i was a child, growing up wearing other people's hand-me-downs and using broken crayons, I've had this dream. I will fulfill it. BtW, nothing wrong with hand-me-downs. I still thrift like a pro these days.
I've written to grant organizations. I've tried crowdfunding more than once. I've looked for other resources. I've sold arts and crafts. I'm even an online seller of goods. I am trying hard to make this dream happen. For me, for mine, and for the community at large.
This is as real as it gets for me. I may not live in the place i love. But i live to help people. That's just me.
Please consider supporting my campaign.
Hi. Just like my headline says; I am working towards starting a business. A lawn and scrapping business.
Long story short, I am an introvert without a very large social network. I live in a small town without too much going for it. No arcade anymore, rec center mostly closed down, parks being turned into mobile home dealers, parks being closed because they are beyond repair or because women are sexually assaulted there, lots of nepotism, very little well-paying jobs, lots of liquor stores and bars though. Plenty of places to drown one's sorrows. Because there are many. But not too many places to blow off steam, have a little fun, and be creative. You have to go at least an hour up the road for that.
It becomes easy sometimes to just be sad. To just accept that this is the way things are. It took working in an extremely hostile work environment-- facing sexual harassment/stalking-- for me to realize that maybe what i really need is some time away from the corporate grind. I've always wanted to have a small business. And I've always wanted to work with the community-- in a charitable sense.
When i sensed that it was time for me to leave my former employer, i started exploring my options. I do a bit of scrapping, moving, and lawncare on the side already. So I thought...Why not do this as a job?
I looked around for what I believed would be a decent work vehicle. Looked into the kind of services i would like to provide. Researched the demand. Started putting the pieces together. Not all the pieces fit together. Lost my job before i was prepared. Spent 8 months doing the same scrapping, lawn care, and moving services i would have been doing to supplement my income and start my business. Only difference, i was doing it to survive. That's how long it took to find another job that wasn't minimum wage or below (some tipped jobs pay $2.18-4 /hr). Minimum wage will barely get you into income-based housing around here.
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It becomes easy sometimes to just be sad. To just accept that this is the way things are. It took working in an extremely hostile work environment-- facing sexual harassment/stalking-- for me to realize that maybe what i really need is some time away from the corporate grind. I've always wanted to have a small business. And I've always wanted to work with the community-- in a charitable sense.
When i sensed that it was time for me to leave my former employer, i started exploring my options. I do a bit of scrapping, moving, and lawn care on the side already. So I thought...Why not do this as a job?
I looked around for what I believed would be a decent work vehicle. (Hint: It wasn't. Did the vehicle checklist thing and everything. No offense to the owner. Pics included.) Looked into the kind of services I would like to provide. Researched the demand. Started putting the pieces together. Not all the pieces fit together. Lost my job before i was prepared. Spent 8 months doing the same scrapping, lawn care, and moving services i would have been doing to supplement my income and start my business. Only difference, i was doing it to survive. That's how long it took to find another job that wasn't minimum wage or below (some tipped jobs pay $2.18-4 /hr). Minimum wage will barely get you into income-based housing around here. So many families are being forced out of neighborhoods near me, i am losing count. It's sad to see vibrant families and yards gone/vacant.
My truck, which will be my fleet vehicle, needs some work. I can't afford to give it up because i can't afford a new one to replace it. And i love this truck to pieces. My first vehicle EVER. An important milestone during a very hard portion of my life. It's old (90's); so some mechanics without the extra time won't touch it. And in a small town, there aren't many mechanics anyway. It could be a small problem. It could be a little bigger. I need to have a specialist figure that out. This is tier one to starting my business. I need a working/dependable fleet vehicle.
As a pay it forward. I will officially partner with my local food bank/ create an alternate food bank to offer fresh goods/produce to the community. Right now, the food banks are being slammed. The majority of the food, while better than nothing, is simply not something a healthy person should eat on the regular. I want to help change this.
I tried it a few years ago, but a manager snapped on me and would not even look at my paperwork/ proposal. Accused me of free-loading and had me followed through the store on occasion. It made me throw in the towel. However, since i was a child, growing up wearing other people's hand-me-downs and using broken crayons, I've had this dream. I will fulfill it. BtW, nothing wrong with hand-me-downs. I still thrift like a pro these days.
I've written to grant organizations. I've tried crowdfunding more than once. I've looked for other resources. I've sold arts and crafts. I'm even an online seller of goods. I am trying hard to make this dream happen. For me, for mine, and for the community at large.
This is as real as it gets for me. I may not live in the place i love. But i live to help people. That's just me.
Please consider supporting my campaign.
Sign in with your Facebook account or email.
Dec 08
Katryese Austin commented on a blog post:
5 months ago