I am not one to stick my toe in the pool to see what the water temperature feels like…I prefer to go the route of jumping right in and see where things go from there…either hop right out because it’s way freakin’ cold…or more usually, wade around and get used to the temperature. Same goes for this new venture I’ve taken on. Once the idea of starting up a website popped into my mind on a drive down into Baja for a kiteboarding getaway, I jumped right in and have been wading around getting acclimated with this new avenue I was heading down (yes, I just used two totally non-related metaphors in one sentence…in one moment, I’m jumping in a pool, and in the next, I’m strolling down an avenue). Anyway, I bounced the idea off of my brother, and he, being the business man that he is, advised that I write up a business plan. Knowing that older brothers know best, I tucked away for about a year gathering data, clarifying ideas, crunching numbers…writing the damn business plan. What a monster it was, but that monster helped organize the scattered sticky notes in my head into one solid plan…and it solidified my feelings that what I was about to commit to was truly worth committing to…regardless of the outcome.

Check back soon for part 2, which will be about the process of finding a developer…and not being afraid to tap into the resources around you (i.e. friends and family).