I’m writing a business plan. The plan outlines a big idea that sometimes I can talk about with enthusiasm and other times I shake my head and say, Impossible.
My idea is to open the first brick and mortar retail space for professional cuddling in Los Angeles.
You may think to yourself, “Cuddle Sanctuary already has a retail space, doesn’t it?” Nope! We rent space for a few hours at a time to keep costs to a minimum. I’ve been funding our small operation on my own. This plan – the big plan – would mean bringing on investors. As I worked on the plan my stomach became sour with chronic fear. I could only sleep a few hours at a time because I felt so much pressure, stress and terror. I told a few people what I was doing and watched them be happy for me. I tried to explain to them that inside it felt like a Holocaust.
What was happening – quite painfully – was that I was growing, rapidly.
In order to be a person who could pitch this idea to investors, there was a shift that needed to happen in my very identity. I needed to see myself as bigger than I currently did. I needed to drop certain ideas I had about myself:
I don’t know enough
I don’t have enough stamina
This is too hard.
The most important idea I had to drop: I have to do this by myself.
Thank goodness, it seems like the hardest part of this inner transformation seems to have passed. (Thank you close friends, thank you therapist, thank you prayer.)
New ideas have sprouted:
I know enough – the rest I can learn.
I’m the perfect person to do this.
I am not alone – far from it. I have so many people in my life who want to help me.
And now the next phase of work has begun. What would be the business model be for a retail space? How about the operating costs? What revenue could I expect in the first year? For that, my brother has volunteered to help. (Did you know I had an older brother? Did you know he was a finance guy?!) Just this morning he sent me a spreadsheet with projected spending and income that looks a lot healthier than the first one we did.
We’re making progress, and I need more help. Several people have opened cuddle retail spaces in their cities and failed. I have a feeling that they, like me, had good intentions but didn’t do enough research. That’s where you come in. : – )
Would you help me by giving me your opinion?
By answering the questions in the short survey below, you may be helping to shape the future of Cuddle Sanctuary. I’m shooting for the moon and looking for 500 responses.
If you know someone who would be interested in professional cuddling services or what I’m doing here, please forward this. For every 50 people who respond, I’ll raffle off a free Cuddle Game. (I sell the Cuddle Game on my website for $14.95.)
There are 28 questions – it should take 10-15 minutes.
You in?!
Ready? Set? Click the link below: