Building my empire

because the seller's agent was answering all of my questions and I was cataloging all of the information while calculating the costs of establishing myself as a business person rather than a hobbyist.

It's a whole different mindset to work outside the home. At home, I set my own hours and don't have to answer to anyone else other than Finnegan and Doug. However, life at a brick-and-mortar store is much different. There are expectations that must be met and although there is more freedom in owning a business there is also much more responsibility to partners, employees, clients, the community and Uncle Sam as well. You always work harder and longer for yourself than for an employer.

This property really is the ideal location as it is half of a block from a large high school, on a busy street with lots of exposure and in an established neighborhood. The only drawback is that it's probably going to sell for $1.2 million or more. Even though, I've been running my business for more than seven years with some success, I don't have the $ to buy the place. A bank loan officer would laugh at my loan application right now, so I have many things to do.

The to do list is daunting; incorporate the business, establish a location and pay rent while generating a sustainable income for at least three years. The business needs to be certified as a minority and woman owned business, to take advantage of loan programs, and I need to start small, dream big.

As the realtor, walked me around the property and we discussed the silent auction procedure for the property I remembered that I had wanted to go to Iraq on the military deployment because I would have returned home after one year with a really good nest egg to put down on my own building. That is if I survived the year in Iraq.

It's strange how I try to justify things at times or see the silver lining in the storm clouds. Things always work out for a reason; I didn't deploy because of my injury and I'm still recouperating and Finnegan is in our lives. How could I possibly want it any other way? I know that opportunities will present themselves when I am ready to take action.

It's nice to dream big with the understanding that it's not an impossibility. So, I'll just keep remembering Mother Teresa's advice, "All things pass... Patience attains all it strives for."