have business plan, win money!

Last week I got an email from the organization that gave me and Korben a loan when we were starting out 7 months ago.  The subject line announced a women-owned business award of $2000.  I almost ignored it completely but it was nagging at me.  I read it.  All you needed to compete, it said, was a completed business plan and a compelling reason that your business could use the money.  I called and it turned out that last year, only one person had applied for it.  I had hope.  

To make a not-so-long story even shorter, I am blogging to say that I filled out the application, sent in the business plan and required legal pieces of paper, and a few days later received a phone call saying that I had won the $2K.  That night they came to interview and photograph me.  Next week I am going to pick up the check.

The funny thing is that I really did think I would win.   I mean, I also thought there was no chance in hell.  But I knew I had better chances than I usually did of winning, because I knew that our business plan, which is, of course, based on the business plan laid out so beautifully in The Remedy, couldn’t have a whole lot of competition.  But as happy as I am about winning the cash, it’s actually an incredibly sad thing that there’s not more competition out there.  I would be much happier – we all would – if the world were full of businesses with plans as stunning and altruistic as those of the community acupuncture clinics.  

In the meantime, though, I might just go and see what other kind of easy money I can find.  We do, after all, need to knock down a couple of walls sometime soon to make some more room for more chairs….  

Author: Ellen Vincent