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on February 19
Colleen
Posted project update #3All is not lost!
Post CommentI realize our project may not be funded through Kickstarter, but I want to let you, the backers, know that we have gone forward with our dream.
Wesley and I have been working hard on side jobs to earn money to put into the coffee house. It's a painfully slow way of raising capital for your dream, but it is still a dream in the making.
So far, we have been able to raise enough, through these side jobs, to get paint, turn on the electricity, and buy start up supplies so we can begin marketing. We went before the city zoning February 13th so they can vote on our plans to convert the coffee house garage into a studio apartment. They voted for it unanimously and even said they encourage mixing commercial and residential.
This will give us an advantage to build a coffee house without going into debt. We will be able to get out of our apartment and save approximately $900/month and apply that to the coffee house.
We have baked hundreds and hundreds of cupcakes since we first posted our Kickstarter project! Now we have a community of people waiting for us to open our doors.
We are going to continue working our side jobs until we have raised $4,000 which will enable us to complete the three things that keeps us from opening to the public. We have to have a 3 section sink installed. We need a parking lot. We need start up supplies that will sustain the business when we first open to the public.
Though we are not able to do everything we wanted to do through the Kickstarter donations, we will still accomplish our dream, just slower.
I hope you will keep up with our project via http://kudzujungle.com/blog/coffeehouse/
Thank you so much for caring about our dream. Were it not for Kickstarter, we would not have "kick started" our dream. We would still just be in the planning, documenting and dreaming it. There comes a point in time when you have to stop planning a project, and just take a leap of faith and implement the plans. We have spent three years planning, and we could easily wait another three before we have enough money to pursue our dreams. What we did instead was to pursue the dream in small chunks. We have a coffee house in the making, and without going into debt.
Wesley is pursuing music, as am I, and I am also pursuing dance. Though I can't afford lessons, there is YouTube, and I can learn enough to get started and pursue that dream in small portions like the coffee house.
Wesley and I appreciate you so much! It encouraged us to keep going and now that the community knows we exist, we have already past the most difficult hurdle in a start up. That is, actually getting started.
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on January 30
Colleen
Posted project update #2Groupon is featuring our cupcakes!
Post CommentIt's 4:16 am and Wesley and I just finished the cupcake photo shoot. We started at 7pm last night and we had to make a batch of all six flavors so we could get the photos on our Web site in time for Groupon.
http://ourlittlecoffeehouse.com/2011/12/29/bakery/
Groupon is helping us with our fundraiser by featuring six of our cupcakes. The Knoxville area, according to Groupon, has more than 200,000 subscribers. It's a great way to get word out that a new coffee house is coming to Clinton, TN.
We had fun getting the cupcakes ready for the Groupon event, but it's time to get some sleep! We have to work some more on the renovations tomorrow... or rather...today and get the coffee house ready.
Here's a link to the Groupon deal. I'm not sure how long they leave it active after the deal is closed. They said they would like to feature our cupcakes after their deadline at a later date, so new subscribers in our area can hear about our coffee house.
http://www.groupon.com/deals/our-little-coffee-house
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on January 23
Colleen
Posted project update #1Getting the coffee house ready for inspection
Post CommentWe have a zoning meeting on February 13 at 6 pm with the City of Clinton and we have our task list from the health department of things that have to be done before they can clear us to open.
We're really excited about the progress we're making. Our documentary Web site is almost ready to be launched. We have a contractor lined up to get some of the inspection requirements done for us that we can't do ourselves.
We have customers already! They are waiting for us to open for business, but it's very encouraging to have customers.
Wesley and I have two projects lined up that will give us some capital to work with, which will pay for the 3 section sink we have to have. It will also give us enough money to get the place painted!
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on January 13
Colleen
commented on a projectI don't know if I'm suppose to comment to backers or wait until it's over with and then fulfill the rewards, but I just can't help myself! Thank you for backing our project. It was so encouraging to get two emails yesterday. Wesley and I really appreciate it!
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on January 12
Colleen launched a project
Kudzu Jungle...A coffee house documentary by Colleen
What happens when you lose everything? Your job, your home, your business, your money; everything? Do you quit, or do trust the Lord?
Funding Unsuccessful (02/20/2012)
Colleen
Clinton, TN
Colleen joined Kickstarter on January 01, 2012
