Incorporate Your Business - Year 1, Day 59

Step one for any entrepeneur is to incorporate your business, right? No. Step number, like 56, is to incorporate. Step one is think of an idea. Step two is to develop the idea, and think of a business model. Then come up with governance documents and a website and an address and a phone number and then go out and find at least three people that you can convince this is a solid business plan and an idea that they can actually believe in.

Then you can incorporate your business. You send in the document saying, "Hello New York. I would like the opportunity to run a Non-Profit organization within your borders pending approval by the IRS." Wait... did I not say it was a non-profit? Oh yeah. Incorporate your non-profit after getting three people to be your Board of Directors, and having them believe in your charitable idea, and so on.

This can take months (it has taken 59 days so far), and will likely take a little bit longer before I can say exactly who my Board of Directors is, and then we submit our payment, our application, and our hope that we are good enough. This blog is for the express purpose of me beginning the process of writing again, but this time, learning how to write grants and ask for lots of donations from rich people to support this amazing charity. <pause for dramatic beat to land and shift the narrative> Somewhere in the last sentence I started hearing my voice as if projected through a bullhorn. Like I was a soapbox-circus-barker asking people to come into my tent and see the 8th wonder of the world...

In other news, I've almost got the third person to sign on to be a board member and I've gotten an email from the Roger Rees Awards organizer stating that they are trying to create a registry for adjudicators, and wouldn't it be nice to speak with them soon via Zoom to discuss technical theatre. *small fist pump* This will be a great way to drum up business for Rough Magic if the Roger Rees Awards is already getting requests for help in Technical Theatre. Maybe I could offer a sponsored workshop in developing a design good enough for getting an award? I'm also looking to start being an adjunct for any college or university in the area willing to accept me as an authority in theatre or scenography or something.

Back when I was getting my Ph.D., one of my favorite topics to write about on my blog was my extreme imposter syndrome. I'm feeling something similar right about now.

"Our doubts are traitors
And make us lose the good we oft might win
By fearing to attempt." - Measure for Measure (I.iv) 

 

Year One, Day 59 - Businesses Incorporated: 0, Board Members: 2