I know, start a business! As discussed in earlier posts (here and here), my training partner Tricia and I will be opening a gym. Our hope is to open with the new year, so keep your eyes peeled for ________ ________ located in ________, Ohio in January, 2013 (I can’t give it all away yet, for real, legally, I can’t).

When we first agreed on this crazy idea, I had an idea of day to day operations of working at a gym. Starting a business though is an entirely different beast. With an “approximate” 62 days until we hope to open (no promises, just a whole lot of hope), what’s there to do?

Step one, write a business plan. Three months after we came up with that idea, we are on BP revision number 243 maybe? More or less, the initial piece has been scrapped. But don’t worry, that’s okay. Tricia and I are smart women. We know where our strengths and weaknesses lay which is why we sought outside counsel. Enter: Bad Girl Ventures (BGV).

BGV is an educational and micro-finance organization focused on female owned start-ups. They support these women entrepreneurs through a nine week business development course. Each three hour class is taught by successful professionals from the local community with in-depth experience in their fields. This program is why revision #243 is a good thing. Every week, Tricia and I are learning something new about the back-end aspect of running a business. Through BGV we’ve been able to talk to accountants, lawyers, insurance agents and more. Learned about additional classes and have had one-on-one meetings with the Small Business Development Center. We’ve had to give our 60 second pitch in front 120 or so people.

It turned out that “what’s there to do?” in the next 62 to days is a whole heckuva lot. Not even including the amount of work we’ve put into it since our BGV program started in early September (we have homework due every week b.t.w.). And I’m cool with it.

There has been so much paperwork over the last couple of months, emails exchanged, sticky notes everywhere. I’ve spent more time at the Root Café in the last six weeks then I have in the last six years of living in Lakewood. But I feel like we suddenly hit a turning point. Paperwork is starting to feel like its coming to fruition. WE PLACED OUR FIRST ORDER FOR EQUIPMENT TUESDAY NIGHT!!!

The BGV program ends in a couple of weeks when the “final” version of our Business Plan will be due and we have one more presentation to the Selection Committee. As much extra work as this class has added to our already full plates, I would not exchange any of it. Yes, we’ve been MIA and some may think we don’t have anything to show for it, because while we left one gym, we don’t have our doors open somewhere else – YET. We’re being smart. Taking our time. Setting ourselves up to succeed.

And my last point, real honesty here – as awesome as five-year projections and lease negotiations are: I WANT A T-SHIRT, A SWEATSHIRT, A COLUMBIA JACKET WITH OUR SUPER AWESOME LOGO ON IT because yes, we have one, it rocks and I can’t wait to show it off.