I think it's going to work after all!

I've begun re-organizing the way I do things, and while it's only freed up a little bit of time, I definitely feel less stressed out! That's part of it right?

I've closed down the decor and gift shop...it just doesn't make sense for me to keep it going anymore. You may notice the widgets I had up linking to the products are gone. I've also decided to postpone the fall launch I was hoping for with the new business. I will need the extra time to figure out my exact formulas and give them proper testing time...I want to offer a superior product with lots of room for customizing for different skin/hair types, etc.

I have finals next week and cannot wait to be done with this session! I'm working on filing a formal complaint against one of my instructors...he has hindered my progress in this class from the outset and I'm sick of dealing with him. The benefit of the doubt only goes so far with me and when he told me he would not help me with some trouble I've been having with one of the schools sites because 'you're the only student that is having trouble with this site', I saw red! I refuse to fail this class because the site isn't showing the quizzes I need to take and the 'teacher' refuses to do his job and help...I'm so frustrated with him I could scream! Everything else with school is great...I wish this could be too!

On a more positive note, my boys are both getting teeth! I know how cheesy it sounds, lol...my 10 month old is cutting a few all at once and my 6 1/2 year old (who had to have dental surgery at age 2) is growing in his permanents. His front teeth had been missing since his surgery, so we're all glad to see them coming in!

I did not realize how strange that post for the pre-market survey came out. It was copied and pasted from my myspace bulletin and, being half asleep, it didn't occur to me to customize it for my blogspot readers. I apologize!

Maybe this will be my lesson for spending 15-18 hours each day on my to-do list and help me get my timing on track. I'm getting better, guys, I promise! I've been working hard at it and at the rate I'm going, I'll be back to dropping EC's and checking in on your blogs more regularly very soon! Not being able to all this time has been a buzzkill for me...I really enjoy reading your blogs!

Winning t-shirts and school assignments

I got an email that I won an oDesk t-shirt for May's buzz, thanking me for the first post I put up about it. I should receive it in a few days. I absolutely love this company!

On another note, one of my assignments was about customer lists that businesses keep. A few of us in the class discussion commented about how we hate getting swamped with emails, phone calls and letters from companies we have no interest in because we did business with a company they are affiliated with.

It led me to ask why a company would shoot themselves in the foot, as it were, by 1.) selling their customer lists to the highest bidder (usually a competitor) and 2.) annoying consumers enough to stop being your customer when they trace it back to when you made them give their personal info just to get a detailed product description of something they probably never bought anyway. It seriously begs the question.

I understand the need for customers to market to, but a company should ask their permission first, not coerce them or put it in the middle of 'legal jargon fine print' that they'd never see. In my opinion, customer lists should go under the catagory of a trade secret and not given out at all. If a company wants customers, they can work for them like everybody else and not take the lazy way about it.

Sorry for the rant...as much as I love it, there are just certain aspects about business and marketing that bug the crap out of me.