Secret Project #2 Revealed

Remember a few months ago, when I was hinting around about our baby#2 plans, and then mentioned another big possible project on the horizon?

Well, that one has just about come to fruition.

I am buying DoulaK's online store, Mom And Baby Naturally!

Over the past several months, as I've been trying to figure out how to bring in enough money to cover the mortgage and "unexpected" expenses that we're not currently paying out of Shrike's paycheck, I had an idea what I was looking for, but not sure how to make it happen.

As I told LadyK once, "I need a way to make money from home, on the Internet, at weird hours, with Peeper making noise in the background. I could sell stuff, but I'd want it to be stuff that I care about. I'd love to sell the kind of stuff that DoulaK sells, but I would never want to compete with her."

So, when I asked DoulaK for another washable diaper pail liner and she said, "I can't get any more. We're shutting down the store," I immediately began thinking about whether I was up for buying it.

After talk with Shrike about it, I ran the idea past DoulaK and she said that she's love to sell it, rather than shutting down, because she'd hate to see all her and her mom's hard work go to waste.

So, here we are.

Today, DoulaK's mom brought over most of the merchandise and signed the papers, and tomorrow DoulaK will come over and drop off a few more things, sign the contract and leave with a big ol' check.

Then I have to get to work organizing the merchandise in our basement and updating the website. I didn't buy their entire inventory, so I have to delete a bunch of products that I'll no longer carry, and I'm looking into several new products that I'd like to add.

I've contacted a bunch of vendors already, but most said something along the lines of, "Sure. Let us know when you have your tax ID. . . ." so I haven't really been able to set anything up with them just yet.

I'm hoping to get a lot of that done in the next few weeks, and do a "grand reopening" in November, which will probably include a giveaway of some sort.

I want to officially and publicly thank Shrike for going along with this crazy scheme, and DoulaK for being so accommodating and helpful with the transition, and especially the Anonyparents, because we're paying for it with a chunk of that money they gave us, the plan being that once we're up and rolling, the store will make enough money to cover at least a good portion of our mortgage and "unexpected" expenses, and will allow me to continue to stay at home with Peeper (and, hypothetically, a second baby).

And now, I have to figure out what the hell to do with all this: