#micro enterprise

I got a good story to tell that literally happened about 2 hours ago, but first we gotta go to the begginning. NOW THIS IS THE STORY ALL ABOUT HOW MY LIFE GOT FLIPPED TURNED UPSIDE DOWN

So, my 3rd period high school class is about accounting and business. Learning about checks, banks, deposits, etc. We began to do a project to sell brownies. Our team name? Tiger Munchies (because the school's mascot is a tiger and we sell baked goods and stuff like that). After a few weeks of planning, we finally make it to the day of our first...test? Experiment? The day we tried it out and see how it went. And BOY OH BOY!

In my school, there are two lunch periods. The first lunch period is for those who have specific classes and the same goes for the second lunch period. We were selling on the first lunch period. After I left class, since I had the second lunch period, I was down the hall and our micro-enterprise teacher just got off the stairs. I said her name and said "I'm so excited and I don't know why". She laughed and held my hand as we continued on. IT WAS GREAT. The tables had chips, cookies, a cooler with Capri-Sun, water, and soda, and an old cash register the teacher brought. I talked to one of my classmates and he wanted me to promote the business, spread the word.

And I did.

I went to the cafeteria, stood by the entrance, and waited for people to exit so I could say these exact words. Keep in mind, I'm not used to talking fast and smooth to people. I'm such an introvert. But this is what I said as smooth as possible.

Hello sir/miss, we have brownies, cookies, beverages, and chips, over there *point* at the Tiger Munchies. Everything is just $1!

After people bought something and came back, I would say this:

Thanks for stopping by, be sure to tell your friends and spread the word!

I don't know if I was doing anything wrong, (I thought I was doing great) but I have never ran my mouth off about something so fast, over and over. I've never advertised anything so fast either! I was shaking in place and I had to move around to not make it noticable. I managed to get quite a few people to go in the direction I was pointing and I felt so accomplished.

This week’s focus on cash flow landed a little heavier than I expected. On paper, it’s about numbers and financing options. In reality, it forced me to sit with my relationship to risk, debt, and what I’m actually comfortable carrying as a business owner.

Right now, Reclaim Treasure is funded almost entirely through reinvestment. I have a dedicated credit card that I use strictly for business expenses, but I never carry a balance beyond the monthly statement. No interest is budgeted, and no purchases are made unless I already know the money is there to cover it. Inventory is only sourced once existing expenses are paid. In many ways, this keeps things very clean and very controlled — I only spend what I have.

Because of that structure, cash flow hasn’t been an issue so far. I work within my limits, even when it means slowing down. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t thought deeply about other ways of financing growth.

I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit researching grants — small business start-up grants, women-led business funding, creative enterprise programs. I keep hoping there’s something designed for small resellers, something that supports slow, sustainable growth. So far, I haven’t found a grant that Reclaim Treasure actually qualifies for. Most funding opportunities either require scale I don’t yet have or exclude resale-based businesses entirely.

And yet, I can clearly see where I want this business to go.

I would love to open a commercial space. I would love to hold larger amounts of inventory, to create two or three employment opportunities, to tap into media, consultation, and teaching within the reselling world. I can feel how solid the groundwork is. The vision is there. The demand is there.

What holds me back isn’t a lack of ideas — it’s debt.

The BDC article talks about how financing decisions are influenced by cash flow predictability, market conditions, and risk tolerance. That part really hit home. We are in an unstable market. Feasibility beyond a certain scale feels unmeasurable. Taking on debt in that environment feels like a risk that could cost me more than I’m able to repay — financially and emotionally.

I also have to be very conscious of protecting my family’s personal finances. I manage this business in a way that ensures it never costs us anything. That boundary is non-negotiable. The idea of my business creating financial stress at home isn’t something I’m willing to entertain. I already carry enough emotional weight — adding financial conflict on top of that would make this unsustainable for me.

The hardest part is that I want the growth now. I get excited. I can see it. And then I question my ability to actually implement it safely. This learning unit on cash flow forced me to acknowledge that while I have strong instincts and discipline around money, my caution also comes from fear — fear of losing control, fear of making a wrong move, fear of being responsible for something I can’t undo.

For now, the path forward feels clear, even if it’s slower than my ambition would like. Reinvest profits. Stay debt-free. Grow organically. Let feasibility be proven through consistency, not borrowed money.

This post wasn’t just about identifying a future financial source — it was about recognizing that how I grow matters just as much as how fast I grow. And right now, protecting stability is part of what allows me to keep going at all.

Government Scheme: केंद्र की नरेंद्र मोदी सरकार ने छोटे कारोबार को बढ़ावा देने के लिए पिछले 10 साल में कई तरह की योजनाएं शुरू की हैं। इसके तहत आप ना सिर्फ स्किल डेवलपमेंट के लिए सरकार से मदद ले सकते हैं बल्कि लोन के लिए भी मुद्रा जैसी योजनाओं का लाभ उठा सकते हैं। इस बार के आम बजट में सरकार ने क्रेडिट कार्ड लॉन्च करने का भी ऐलान किया है। इसके लिए कौन लोग अप्लाई कर सकेंगे। आइए जान लेते हैं। क्या…

Above: Gregory McGuire.

BitDepth#1255 for June 25, 2020

The TT Chamber of Commerce held it’s first Beyond Covid webinar last week, offering the wisdom of futurist Ian Khan, energy economist

Gregory McGuire, digital media entrepreneur Ingrid Riley and IT economy strategist Tracy Hackshaw under the moderation of Nova Committee chair Allison Demas.

There was general agreement that the…