Lest you think my recent days in La-La land have been consumed with Oscar movies and driving Mr. JJ, I do want to assure my dear bloggy readers that work on the Deliberate front is still getting done. In fact, I head back to Madison for more pavement pounding. (Albeit in insulated boots and faux-fur-lined gloves. It’s February in Wisconsin, after all.) Please don’t tell the nieces, though – I am their Valentine’s Day surprise. The girls are staying with Mom and Dad while their Mom and Dad are off cavorting in the Bahamas! (Have a fruity drink served in a pineapple for me, Alicia! Happy Birthday!)
So, to summarize, I can look forward to a romantic February 14th with my parents and my nieces. Yeah…be jealous.
Uh huh
Speaking of exasperating calendar dates, I came face-to-face with another one when I met with my accountant today: the dreaded April 15th. Now that I am a small business owner the days of zipping through my tax return online are over. It was a good exercise to meet with the numbers man, though, because I’m learning how I need to categorize and file my expenditures in the future. Is it fair to say that the flat-screen TV I purchased last summer when my other one conked out is an “office” expense? Hey, I work in a home office, right? And I need to be up on current films and TV programs if I’m going to build my media empire! (At least that’s what I tell myself when I tune into The Bachelor each week. You have full permission to judge me. I deserve your scorn.)
Could *this* explain why I'm spending Valentine's Day with my parents?
Seriously, though, of the money I’ve spent over the past nine months, the office expenses were the main costs incurred. Here’s the categorical breakdown:
- Office (Computer, Supplies, Awesome TV set) 40%
- Legal (Stuart Markowitz et al) 24%
- Travel (Hello, America’s Dairyland!) 15%
- Entertainment (Wining & Dining DLB-style) 13%
- Research (Seminars, Classes, Film Groups) 8%
(That all equals 100%, right?)
I realize this stuff may be yawn-inducing for some of you…okay, for most of you… but for those cinematic entrepreneurs looking to get into the indie film game I hope it’s even mildly useful information.
And I’ll be curious to see how Deliberate’s costs continue to spread out in the coming year. Frankly, I’m hoping CFO John will up my entertainment budget. (Hey, it’s only top-shelf martinis for VP Babs!)
Go Goose or Go Home!
NEXT UP: I think there’s another movie review on the horizon. And this one has sub-titles, so I’m really gonna have to pay attention!