A new twist in the CafeenMan saga

[cafeenman]

This was supposed to be posted last Thursday. Unfortunately, VBF died right when I needed you guys to decide what I'm going to do. There's more info now, of course, but this is what I was going to post then.

========================

As you know, I've been planning to move out to Arizona. Another situation came up just an hour ago. Neither of these is a sure thing and they both have definite advantages and disadvantages. In fact, the new situation has more advantages by far, but the single biggest disadvantage is the worst of all the disadvantages. In other words, it's a dilemma.

Basically there's a guy two hours south of here that has a model kitting business he wants someone to take over. It's not for sale - he just wants someone to cut the few kits he has orders for. It's not making money. In fact, he said he normally brings in about $400/month, so it's barely paying for itself and it's definitely not paying his living expenses. He says that he has a second business that is more lucrative so he only spends an hour or two in the model business each day.

The military will pay to move my things from where they are stored to my home of record which is where I am now (Florida). Moving them a little further south should cost little or nothing. Anything beyond that comes out of my pocket. It will cost me around $2,500 to have my things delivered to Arizona. Score one for Florida.

When I get to Arizona, I won't have a shop (score 2 for Florida) and it will be fairly expensive to get set up (Score 3 for Florida). If I do the thing here in Florida, I'll have a larger shop immediately (with a store front) than I would probably have in Arizona. Score 4.

If I stay here in Florida, I'll have family on all sides of me within an hour or two drive. I don't know a soul in Arizona. Score 5.

So basically, I can stay in Florida and live another couple months on what I have and take over a business that isn't capable of paying my bills while trying to quickly build my own business. If something doesn't happen very quickly I'll be stuck in the boonies of Florida and be totally broke with no real way out of it. My family isn't in a position to help out in any way other than moral support.

The one big advantage to Arizona is that I'll probably have a job that can at least pay my rent almost immediately. (Big Score for Arizona). Besides what I've already mentioned, the other downside is that because I'll be working a full-time job, it will probably take at least two years to get to the point of even being able to consider custom building as my full time work.

If I stay in Florida, I also won't be able to custom build full time since I don't even have my business established an nobody knows me. So at the least, I'll have to get some ads in magazines which will take a while to be published, so I don't think I can realistically be supporting myself in less than 6 months.

I'm driving down tomorrow to check out this guy's shop and see what he's got going. I'm not sure if he wants to sell the business or just have someone take it over, but I'm pretty sure he's not trying to hire me, because I mentioned some of my concerns about income and his response was something to the effect of; "Well, I can't help you with that, but if you want to get started right away with your thing, then everything is already in place."



Stay tuned... a decision has been made.

[Amithran]

Hurricanes happen in florida.

Arizona has no tornados or hurricanes, but its hot. However it depends on where you locate. I prefer Phoenix becuase I live there, but Flagstaff is a wonderful place (IT SNOWS THERE!!) Its where I like to skii. There are other cities where you could locate to in arizona that are comprimises between heat and cold. Chandler is out in the boonies and not very city like witch I hate, BUT the weather was so beautiful, If i had a lap top and lived there , id use it laying on the grass and enjoying the fresh air.

From what I read in your post I'm assuming your retiring from the millitary (maybe not retiring, but no longer enlisting) and they are willing to move you with in 2000 miles of where you currently are, enlisted, or what ever(i forgot). It might cost you money to move to arizona, but It might end up costing more to move to Florida THEN to az after the business venture is over. ANd if the business is a dieing one, you may end up in debt, and the move cost will really be tough and like you siad you will be stuck..

Id say move to AZ.

[Aerials]

Originally posted by Amithran
Hurricanes happen in florida.

Arizona has no tornados or hurricanes, but its hot. However it depends on where you locate. I prefer Phoenix becuase I live there, but Flagstaff is a wonderful place (IT SNOWS THERE!!) Its where I like to skii. There are other cities where you could locate to in arizona that are comprimises between heat and cold. Chandler is out in the boonies and not very city like witch I hate, BUT the weather was so beautiful, If i had a lap top and lived there , id use it laying on the grass and enjoying the fresh air.

From what I read in your post I'm assuming your retiring from the millitary (maybe not retiring, but no longer enlisting) and they are willing to move you with in 2000 miles of where you currently are, enlisted, or what ever(i forgot). It might cost you money to move to arizona, but It might end up costing more to move to Florida THEN to az after the business venture is over. ANd if the business is a dieing one, you may end up in debt, and the move cost will really be tough and like you siad you will be stuck..

Id say move to AZ.

well theres a lot more to it. ud know if u had read previous posts

I think cafeen's last concern is the weathere right now

[Amithran]

Originally posted by Aerials
I think cafeen's last concern is the weathere right now

Thought those people that moved to the coast....

and then you see them on teh 5'oclock news:

"Well hell, Id a never thunk me house slide into the ocean, I mean its only on a dirt hill. ANd it was only a hurricane.."

and:

"I don't understand why we keep gettin hurricanes, why my things keep getting destroyed, and insurance cost so much"

Insurance is another economical issue to consider.

I'm just saying, florida is a horrible place. thats all.

[Aerials]

Originally posted by Amithran
Thought those people that moved to the coast....

and then you see them on teh 5'oclock news:

"Well hell, Id a never thunk me house slide into the ocean, I mean its only on a dirt hill. ANd it was only a hurricane.."

and:

"I don't understand why we keep gettin hurricanes, why my things keep getting destroyed, and insurance cost so much"

Insurance is another economical issue to consider.

I'm just saying, florida is a horrible place. thats all.

when u need money really bad u think about weather last thats all im saying

[DragonFly]

Eagerly awaiting the next installment Paul.....

[beachbum]

Didn't Dick Van Dyke live in Phoenix? Score 1 Florida

[snakeeyes1000]

I was in a similar situation; I went with the dangerous one that paid the bills(actually held math classes.) It worked out great for me. I actually waited 7 months holding math related programming classes for high-schoolers because the army mismanaged my application. I am happy with my current job, becuase now I get free room and board, and the equivalent of a 45,000 US $ salary. Good luck, and no matter what happens, you'll always find a warm welcome here.

[beachbum]

My semi real answer

I think that the main issue right now is your peace of mind. I somehow feel that you will be stressed out even doing what you love becos you are struggling from day to day. I wonder if maybe you should get some financial security and do your modelling (emm not that sort) on the side and then move more into it when you see a developing market and demand. That sounded like economics 101 but remove some big words and add a woohoo and zonk or two

[Edneeis]

So do you already have a job lined up in AZ? Where in AZ? Where is modeling (if that is the right term) the most popular? I know you love doing kits and stuff so if you went somewhere where that was a big thing it seems that you'd get moving on that faster. Where are the magazines for this headquartered?

I'll keep a drum roll going until we know what you decide.....<drum roll>

Where does the Caffeenman Saga begin here in the ChitChat forum so I can get the back story? Got a link?

[Aerials]

Originally posted by Edneeis
So do you already have a job lined up in AZ? Where in AZ? Where is modeling (if that is the right term) the most popular? I know you love doing kits and stuff so if you went somewhere where that was a big thing it seems that you'd get moving on that faster. Where are the magazines for this headquartered?

I'll keep a drum roll going until we know what you decide.....<drum roll>

Where does the Caffeenman Sage begin here in the ChitChat forum so I can get the back story? Got a link?

thats an awful lot of questions lol
its "saga" by the way not sage

[siyan]

call me conservative and uninformed, but IMHO getting a stable income is priority #1 (after staying alive and stuff); throw out everything else until you have a base to build on.

I'm chinese, thats the way my whole country thinks.

-C

[Aerials]

Originally posted by siyan
call me conservative and uninformed, but IMHO getting a stable income is priority #1 (after staying alive and stuff); throw out everything else until you have a base to build on.

I'm chinese, thats the way my whole country thinks.

-C

thats what i said lol

[rjlohan]

Ah, business decisions. Gotta love them. What was the motivation for moving to Ariziona in the first place? This seems like a business you could potentially perform anywhere, provided the market exists.

If this guys troubles were a lack of market, then you'd be unwise to go there, unless you believe you can bring in new customers.

But hey, my motto is this: do whatever makes you happy mate. No point sitting about knowing you're doing OK. Have an adventure. Take some risks. It usually works out alright for me anyway.

[cafeenman]

I'm slumming like the rest of ya'll right now and using dial-up which is slow and unreliable, so I'm not going to look for links.

Basically the background is I've been looking for a job for a VERY long time and have ZERO sucess.

So I decided to take a shot at what I want to do.

BB, you are absolutely right. I have two models that two different magazines want to publish. When they publish, they get the rights to the plans, but I retain manufacturing rights. However, it takes 6 months to get published. But it's 6-10 pages of free advertising and I can be making kits in the mean time and put an ad in the same magazine.

But I'm broke. In any case, starting my own business now is like raising the Titanic. I have the product and the know-how, but I don't have time. So the best thing is to have a job and build the business on the side.

Now we're back to the "nobody wants to hire CafeenMan" part.

I want to be in Arizona because (A list for BB):

1) Bugs destroy all my wood and paper products (a large part of my modeling supplies) in Florida.

2) Humidity ruins everything else.

3) I like warm, dry climates.

I just had major car problems (yesterday) and can't afford Arizona now. I can move there, but I can't have my stuff shipped. So I'm pretty much stuck with Florida unless I come across some sort of windfall.

There's more, but the whole thing is stressful and there's too much going on for me to think about it clearly, much less type it.

Basically, I think I'm going to be working some type of crap job to pay the bills while trying to get the model-building thing going.

PS. There is no job in Arizona, but I think once I talk to the guy, he'll hire me on the spot. If not, then I have to head straight for the first gas station that has a "Now hiring" sign in the window or I won't have the money to drive back to my motel.

[Arbiter]

Can you not get financial support from anywhere to help you with your venture?

A bank loan, some relatives investing in you or some such?

And how much stuff do you actually have that needs to be shipped? Hold a large sale of all your stuff and pare it down to what can be fitted in a single car load. Then you don't need to stress about shipping fees and you've freed up some capital.

[simonm]

It's a tough dilema and neither option seems particularly rewarding.

Are there no other options?