Finally Friday

Coffee in the Austin skyline mug, the sound of coughing for my music. I am so sick. (Yes, Dee, I got Zicam, but I don't expect anything great to come out of it starting so late.) I have settled the in-laws in with their daily Sudoku, Baxter is enthusiastically shaking his stuffed squirrel while casting occasional longing glances out to the back deck at the real squirrels. Ah the springtime, er, late winter in Atlanta.

Today is a day of deadlines and dues. Hargrove exhibitor services forms are due for the BMAC. Last night I got Todd a ticket to Philly for $156 roundtrip--for those of you out there who have been waiting for fares to the BMAC to drop, now's the time. He is on the exact same flights as I am, and I paid $305 for my ticket. :-( The buyer for my new department store is chomping at the bit for images and stacks and stacks of forms from me. I should have made it more clear that I am not back in the studio till Monday. But a sick day is a good day to shuffle paper and pretend there is some money in the finances I have to do. Advertising deadlines for Wholesalecrafts and New Retailer magazine are now, NICHE and American Style are either just past or just looming. As much as I spent on the Atlanta's Mart, The Dallas Finds Temp show, the lease on a permanent showroom (Nancy, I will do a post next week on the details of leasing a showroom), and now the rest of my booth and services fees for the BMAC... I don't think I can afford any advertising--even on credit. Gulp. Scary times.

Being gone for two weeks I didn't get caught up on my Quickbooks and so missed getting my annual sales tax filed and paid for Georgia by the 20th. Got to get to that today--and must, must, MUST get the desktop machine set-up for V the new bookkeeper so I don't miss sending out my 1099's by their deadline (next week, I think).

Now that I am partnering with two other companies I have doubled the work I have to do managing orders to them and shipping all of our joint products. I am going to have to evaluate ways to streamline both processes so they don't suck all my time out of my ears. And I have to compile and send out the orders from Atlanta and Dallas to both of them so they can get busy with their parts.

I'm too muzzy-headed from cold meds to post more--or more coherently--this morning, so I'll be off now to shuffle the papers and chase the elusive dollar through the finances.