Puzzles and Locations

Is it possible to move at a lightning pace and a snail pace? Seems to be we've got a foot in both worlds. Somethings are going fast like securing a mountain of fixtures for the store from Borders. We so appreciate those that came to help! Thanks Charity, Mary and Stan! We spent 10 hours a week ago Sunday taking things apart, another 2 hours Monday. Tuesday we spent 5 hours working with movers to fill 2 10x 20 storage units with goodies. I watched them unload into the 2nd unit whispering please let it fit...please let it fit and was tickled when the last bookcase clicked into the very last spot perfectly! It was like putting the last piece in a 1,000 piece puzzle....fabulous! I can't wait to get them out and start setting them up and filling them with all kinds of fun things!

The logo is in the works with a great conversation with my logo designer last week. Can't wait to see what she comes up with!

I met with my first toy rep last week who brought me goodies and candy. Something I think I can get used to. :-) I definitely see that I will need to do my research about what companies I will order from and not rely on my rep for totally accurate info. I've decided that learning about toy companies and products is like learning Latin. A tad overwhelming and confusing at first but with one new word and one new phrase, it begins to make more sense very slowly.

Two big tasks on my plate at the moment....1) Finding a great childcare for Nicholas starting in August. Anyone know of a great place in Carmel, let me know! 2) Making a final decision on location. After a few frustrating conversations with the leasing agent at our first choice place, I decided to look at options again. I did end up finding a great possible other location that might come available June 1. I need to get the lease signed very soon so we can close on our loan but am at a standstill until the first with it. What will be will be and I'm working to be patient and listen to what path is best for us. Will it be Choice A in a popular shopping center near a Panera Bread and visible only from the parking lot in the center? Or Choice B on the north side of the same shopping center with great street visibility and 200 sq ft larger? Alot depends on the leasing agent and how flexible they are willing to be. Decisions, decisions, decisions...... Loving every minute though!

Green Light!!!

Oh happy dance day! I got a call this afternoon from one of the banks I met with last week saying, "Are you sitting down? We got this worked out and the loan is a go." Yes! Yes! A bank said yes to our loan application. Big exhale now and time to roll up my sleeves. I'm ready! We should close on the loan in the next few weeks and then time to flip the switches for logo design, website development, lease negotiation, inventory orders, working with a business consultant and the huge to do list to be done in time for a September opening. I'm so excited! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Mr. Banker man for calling with such good news on a Friday afternoon making my smile extra big for the weekend.

The other exciting news is a springboard from the sad news about so many Borders stores closing. I love Borders! I've spent many, many hours in the stores and yes, have bought many, many books from them. We have books in every room of our house. Online shopping is such a convenience to be sure and I've certainly clicked my share of "add to cart" and "submit order" buttons. I've tried, as I've learned more, to support local businesses. If I can't find what I want at a local store than I still support a brick and mortar store. Research from the 3/50 Project says that when you shop at a local store, $68 of your $100 purchase stays in your community. When you shop at a national chain, $43 stays in your community and when you shop online $0 comes back to your community. Borders sadly is, in part, a casualty of the online trend in shopping.

Wait...exciting news is what I said....oh yeah...right...I love, love, loved Borders! I lived in Ann Arbor, MI, their world headquarters for several years and enjoyed their corporate building, knew many people who worked there. Very sad to see it struggling right now...but.... exciting news for My Toy Garden is that I have bought almost all of the fixture I need from the Borders a mile from my house that is closing on Sunday. I spent about 20% of what I planned to spend on fixtures and am sooo excited!!! They will look fabulous in the space and I love, love, love that a piece of Borders will live on in My Toy Garden bringing joy to many others for a long time to come. Goodbye Borders....hello My Toy Garden!

***Shameless, plea for help....If you love to take things apart, please come join Tim and I on this Sunday at Borders to disassemble the pieces and get them ready to move. We'd love the extra help! Thank you!

Here a bank...there a bank...

I bought pantyhose...yep, time to dress like a grown up a bit and go meet the bankers. I met with two banks last week and got a very positive response to both the concept and the business plan itself from both banks. They felt I'd done my research well and communicated it well. Now to take it to their number crunchers and see if we can work together. Meanwhile, I have appointments with 4 more banks this week. I've made a list of all the lucky financial possibilities and am going to work through them until I find a yes. I know there's one out there and I'll keep looking behind trees and under rocks until I find it. Any and all positive thoughts that we find it sooner rather than later would be great!

I also had some fun last week and went to the Border's a mile south of our house and couldn't resist buying a few store fixtures that are being clearanced. They will be perfect for the store and I can't wait to get a definite yes from the bank and go get a few more! Love finding great deals like that! So sorry to see Border's go but good to know some of their fixtures will be loved in a very fun setting for years to come. Now to figure out how to snag a piece of that cool space carpet for my science corner...hmmm...