Thank you for visiting my page. I hope you can help.
I'm not here to work your pity or play on your guilt. I'm not in desperate straits, nor will I be homeless tomorrow. I have a full-time job and it pays just enough to cover my rent and bills. I live frugally. My car is eleven years old, but it still runs fine and I own it outright. I don't have credit cards. I am not addicted to drugs, gambling or shopping. I think my only expensive habit is I enjoy gourmet cooking from time to time. I also like reading and I may buy a book every so often.
I made this page out of frustration. I've tried to save up enough money to start my own business for some years. Whenever I managed to put money aside, it quickly evaporated when I had to get my car fixed, or I broke a molar and wound up needing expensive dental repairs, or I needed to see a doctor or I was laid-off or the twenty other reasons I've had to dip into it.
Though I'm currently employed; I've been through two layoffs. I was laid-off in 2001, right after the 9/11 attacks. My savings were wiped out. I started over from zero, went back to school, built a bigger skill set and started a new career in 2003. I lost my job again in 2006. Our company spun off our division and another company bought us and dissolved our jobs. In my industry, that happens frequently. I imagine it's a fact of anyone's life these days. I am very grateful to have the job I have right now. I work hard to make people happy and I keep everything I'm in charge of running smoothly. I know what it means to work and I strive to give my personal best on the job every day. I don't know how long my present job is going to last. I don't have very much seniority and the company I work for has just been bought by another company. Reorganization and layoffs are sure to follow.
I've done a lot of research. I know exactly what I want to do and how to set my business up. I have a great business plan and I have fantastic mentors who can coach me on keeping my business on track with minimal losses. I believe I can provide an affordable and easily marketed service which customers would use again and again. My hurdle is that I need about $8,000 to set up and advertise. I believe that is a good starting amount to launch and cover my operating expenses for the first five to eight months. It would be enough to bring in customers and gain momentum for the business to support itself initially. I would then keep building the business to the point that I have a livable income outside my present job. Once I'm confident I can still pay my bills, I would quit my job and work my business full-time.
There is a sense of urgency. I want to get my business started as soon as possible. If layoffs are coming, at least my business will already be functioning. If I wait, I'll be stuck either trying to avoid layoffs or I'll be back on unemployment looking for another job. Allowing that cycle to renew itself isn't going to get me anywhere.
I know your first response is to suggest I get a loan. My hang-up is that it's a small loan. Banks don't give good rates on small loans. I don't own anything I can leverage for $8,000 either. I don't own a house. The biggest ticket item I have is my car. About the most I could get for it is maybe $1,000 (and that's if I stuff the dashboard with $100 bills and tape my paycheck to the steering wheel). I'm also anti-credit card. I just don't think it's wise to put my business on credit cards. I don't want to face potentially being laid-off while being in debt with interest rates only NASA could keep up with.
I love what I do for a living. It doesn't pay much but I still get a sense of satisfaction from what I do. Unfortunately, it appears more and more as if I'll never have a guaranteed job as long as my fate rests on corporate whim. Even if I never build big retirement savings, I'd still have my own business. I'd still have a job and no one can call me into an office and tell me I'm laid-off again. I believe the only way I'm going to know true success is if I own my own business and work for myself. I have strong faith that this is what I'm supposed to do in this world.
I am 200% committed to making my business work. If you have even a little money to spare, I am grateful for your help. Any donations I get from this page will stay in a savings account until I have enough to start up. I will post updates with any progress I make until everything is running as it should. I will let you know when I've reached my goals and I will strive to thank each person who donates to my new venture.
Thank you for your time and any donation you can give.
Sincerely,
A.L.
PS - The best way to help is to donate. The PayPal button is below. I already have a business I want to start, so please note that I will not sign on with other businesses. I will not apply for any loan offers. I will not give money to international lotteries, nor will I help with schemes to launder money, cash fake cheques or commit wire fraud.
