Almost 2 Months Later ... in Small Business Startup Journal - The Journey To Starting My Own Brand of Travel Clothing and Handbags

Soooo… it’s been almost two months. I have been working in my new job - and the team is so supportive and fantastic.

This has allowed me to really focus on my own business stress free, and I find my ideas and creativity is really flourishing. If things do decline or deteriorate then I have my business to keep me grounded. I can’t really explain it, and I could be wrong… but I am getting the feeling this could be my last job before I really sink into my business. I am only a contract worker so technically could be let go at any moment, but as I was hired at the lowest point of business in the beginning of a pandemic wave in NSW and we will be out of lockdown soon, I don’t see them letting me go for at least the rest of the year.

Anyway In terms of the update for my bag, I am at the stage where I have found the remainder of my suppliers. I am getting a second round of leather samples as my first round of leather samples were to thick. I have also learned that Kangaroo leather cannot be exported out of Australia with high tarifs and tax’s per shipping - something I never found in all my research until I met with my manufacturer two weeks ago.

I am kind of glad as it has given me a chance to pick a whole new colour scheme for my first collection that I like even better then the first few colour selections I had.

I am waiting on the final sketches from my manufacturer to be drafted up and I am planning on using these to register my design patents - of which I have only just found out could take months and possibly years. I have also started the process for trademarking my logo, and I have heard back today from the preliminary check that there shouldn’t be any issues.

I will be paying the remainder fee for this registration tonight and holding my breath until the certification comes through. Again I have no idea how long this will take, but I am hoping it doesn’t take 3 months for the whole process to be finished.

I am not sure what has changed in the past few weeks, but I have felt a sudden shift in my to do list and a sense of urgency and pace in my timeline.

My pin board has started to accumulate quite a few printouts, sketches and notes.

It’s so frustrating having to keep my designs and everything quite and kept under wraps until my design patent is approved. The other problem I have also come across, is the timing for when I plan to launch on Kickstarter in May and exhibit in late July early August next year and when my design patents will eventually approved.

I have realised I am in a critical point of my process where if I leave it another month, I may just miss out on my ability to launch on Kickstarter when I want. I also am narrowly edging closer to my exhibition date not being achievable if my design patent does take on the longer side and hedges towards a year.

Still, if I can start the process by the end of September I should be able to hit both deadlines.