Free Money to Create a Business Plan

It's been a great summer, filled with some amazing opportunities. I headed to the Mid-West to hang out with family and was able to spend eight glorious hours at my favorite children's archives. I was scanning so fast and furious, I barely got up to go to the restroom, let alone eat. Here's the image that has been haunting me (as scanned). It's from Pinocchio and the caption reads "The pigeon . . . soared so high that they almost touched the clouds."

There was a super-helpful class I took at the IPRC on how-to letterpress, and I'm currently sending out my handmade Thank You cards with each CD from my etsy store.

And I completed a business class through Mercy Corps NW. It was part of their individual development account (IDA) program. If you live anywhere near Portland, Oregon, or if you have a similar program in your area (google "individual development account" and your state name), I highly recommend it. Basically you take a six-week class where you create a business plan, which was great for me in-and-of-itself. I set up piddix as an llc. I also created a separate business checking and savings account and have specific, concrete plans for expansion.

But the best part? For every dollar that I save, up to $900, the program will match at a three-to-one rate for any capital improvements. That's right--up to $2700 free cash money. Oversize scanner, here I come.