business legalities & rice fields

A strange combination, I know, but they are the two things on my mind at the moment.

Everything went very smoothly last week. I am officially engaged in pre-NEIS training (Certificate 4 in Small Business Management) and in the process of working through my first assignment. The first topic that I'm working through is 'Business & Legal Requirements'...so my mind is reeling with need-to-know facts. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to be doing this because already there is so much that I hadn't considered before. What business structure will I choose? What licences or permits will I need (and there are some!)? What tax implications are there? So many things to think about! All good knowledge to be building though...and all worth the contemplation now for smooth sailing in the future.




Last Wednesday I also had my interview to be eligible as a stallholder at the Kingston Bus Depot Markets (a wonderful market that we have in Canberra each Sunday). The interview/appointment went brilliantly and I'm very excited about having a regular stall there come May (when I've had a chance to complete my studies and build some stock). Exciting times!




As for rice fields...well, Japan has been on my mind a lot again recently. I was thinking about the rice field that was in front of my home in Kyoto and how drastically it changed with the seasons. That rice field symbolizes the passage of time for me whilst I was in Japan...I arrived at harvest time and left at harvest time a year later. I saw the rice field move through autumn, winter, spring and into summer. It was beautiful.

a new path | the beginning

Once again more time has lapsed between posts than I had anticipated but life was a little crazy this week to say the least. It feels like I've turned everything upside down and I'm starting again...I suppose in essence I have...but it is wonderful. I'm excited and bursting with the anticipation of it all!

Thank you so much for all of your good wishes, congratulatory messages and finger crossing :) It worked!! I received an email from the organiser of the DIA GOTYA awards last Sunday...*dn dn dn dnnnn* (dramatic drum roll)...and I came 2nd!! 2nd!! I've been bouncing around all week. It's amazing! It is also the catalyst that has prompted the change in direction that I am about to embark on.


After pondering the significance of this award and it's ramifications I realised that I should be doing what it is that I love to do! (a simple realisation in essence but a profound one). Reaching this decision involved a lot of deliberation, a few tears, and long chats with family & friends. At the end of it all I had reached my decision to attempt to start my own business full-time.


Starting my own business was always the plan...but I was going to take this next 12 months to dabble, experiment and settle on what it is exactly that I plan to do. So it isn't entirely unexpected...it's just all happening a lot faster than I had ever imagined. That in itself isn't a bad thing either. It's exciting that it is all taking off with very little thought or input on my part...it's evolving naturally, and I like that.


What this all means is that in the past week I have put in my resignation as manager at the gym, dropped back to working 8 hours a week, and I'm looking at jumping into NEIS (New Enterprise Incentive Scheme). Hopefully by Tuesday I will have started the NEIS training: 3 months full-time study to attain Cert. 4 in Small Business Management...and will have this completed by the end of May, after which I start working on my own business for a full 52 week period (supported by NEIS if my business plan is approved). It is all very exciting!! I can't wait to see what unfolds over the next 3 months...

Just on a final update note...I have finally managed to make the time to finish off some new jewellery that I was working on and update my etsy site. I've uploaded these button rings and graphic necklaces to Hizashi. Yay yay!

too much excitement!

Wow!! An exciting end to last week and an exciting start to this week...it doesn't get much better than this!!

Busy busy busy, as always...but with a few extra lovely things thrown into the mix.

My boyfriend arrived back from a 5 week stint overseas last Thursday...he had been travelling in the Philippines and Thailand. His return was much anticipated and it's great to have him back home!

To top the week off...I received an email from the Design Institute of Australia to inform me that I'd been selected as a finalist in the NSW/ACT GOTYA (Graduate of the Year Awards)!! I'm so very excited...I've been bouncing off the walls for the last few days! I'm heading up to Sydney on Wednesday for an interview...from this interview process the judging panel will select the order for the finalists. At the very worst I will be placed 3rd...which is a wonderful achievement in itself!! I'm ecstatic and humbled to have been nominated in the first place...but to make it through to the finals is super exciting!! Fingers crossed...