(no subject)

Just recovering now from a big drink tonight with some friends at home. Had a big feed too, which was fun but feels better now that it's over. Long cardio workout is what's scheduled for tomorrow, but it's damned late already so I expect I'll work out later in the day.

As usual, my thoughts of late are focused on our finances and on starting up my business. Things are progressing slowly but steadily with the business, and I'm moving a few critical items farther along their life cycles. Have had good conversations with two past business contacts in the past two weeks, at least one of which will likely move ahead with a project within the next 4-6 weeks. As soon as I make proper software licensing arrangements and Z goes on a daycare schedule of 4 days a week, I can ramp up my workload accordingly and get things moving. Still kinda wish I didn't have to do it at all, but I accept that it's my lot in life for the next little while and I'm ready to make the most of it.

Question: How do you obtain start-up financing when you have no cash? Is my understanding correct that banks, not considering themselves to be in the venture capital business, do not generally extend loans or credit to people who can't directly back up the amount borrowed with available cash or collateral? Can I get a parent to co-sign for a small business loan or a line of credit if I don't have enough collateral on hand?

Events churn along as they will. Not too much more to say about it, really.

dancing, martial arts

Checked out some kung fu classes before Christmas, but found them to be overly expensive. Also didn't have much spare time to attend the classes, let alone to practice. Have met two people in the last couple weeks who teach Tae Kwon Do and mixed martial arts (jiu jitsu, I think?), and also met a dancer/anaesthesia resident from Venezuela who has her second-degree black belt in karate. Talking with her was interesting, and made me think of the main female warrior character from Crouching Tiger. I think Michelle Yeoh played the character. Li Mu Bai's love interest, ultimately.

Just in terms of the learning curve, I think I'm probably still meant to be teaching yoga, and before that, practicing yoga more regularly and extensively. I doubt if I'd be ready to start teaching yoga for another couple years or more, perhaps pending the taking up of a more regular yoga practice.

Although, I always like trying to provide the quickest and most-easily-accessible message possible, so maybe I could develop something to offer people sooner. I'm sure that if it's good enough, you can make a living from it. The message, that is.

"99-second salespitch"

In my last class for the Self-Employment Program, our instructor asked us to begin composing a "99-second salespitch" -- a.k.a. an "elevator speech" -- to describe to people briefly at networking events what our business is all about. I've long felt like doing something like that for my personal interests. There are some thoughts about it in my bio here.