Introduction: Welcome to our weekly Tikkun Homestead LLC blog update! From building our digital presence to seeking advice and bidding farewell to cherished friends, each week brings us closer to turning our dreams into reality. There is plenty of learning and exciting progress to share, so let’s discover together!
Building the Foundation: We’re thrilled to announce that our website domain, tikkunhomestead.com, is now live! Our website is taking shape, being meticulously crafted to showcase our vision and offerings. My wonderful mom has a lot of experience with WordPress and offered to give me a hand with the website. This has been extremely helpful to say the least, because me and technology have not historically been good friends… and having family come together to help each other is really a wonderful thing. The website and all our social media is currently a work in progress, but stay tuned as we continue to unveil an interactive platform that will serve as a hub for all things Tikkun Homestead!
A Visual Identity: A strong brand identity is essential for a company, and this is the same for Tikkun Homestead LLC! Over this past week and a half, I enlisted the expertise of a professional graphic designer. Together, we brought our vision to life through a captivating logo, eye-catching business cards, merchandise designs, and elegant letterheads. These elements serve as a visual representation of our passion and dedication to excellence. I had no idea where to start, and not being the most artistic person, I had some basic ideas in my head but I did not know how to communicate those ideas. I did some rudimental internet searching and stumbled upon a website called Freelancer. I put out my advertisement, and immediately my account’s inbox was blowing up with freelance graphic designers. I wasn’t sure if this was a legitimate service or a scam, so I asked tons of questions. I found a gentleman who talked with me and helped me to communicate my ideas, and in 48 hours he provided me with an amazing logo and all the copyrights. It was a fantastic experience, thus birthing our logo and the fundamental visual representation of the company.
Navigating the Business Landscape: Ensuring compliance with legal requirements is vital for any successful venture. Tikkun Homestead LLC diligently purchased and filed the necessary business licenses, setting a solid foundation for the companies’ operations. After a lot of thinking and research, I decided that Tikkun Homestead would be an LLC S-Corporation. Additionally, we acquired a dedicated company phone, enabling seamless communication with our valued community, customers, and partners. I realized that it would relieve a huge load off my back if I hired a Registered Agent. This is my first official business venture. I understand the basics of the filing process and legal matters, however it was worth every penny spent to hire a professional who will receive any legal correspondence on behalf of the company, and act as a relay between me and any important communications on behalf of Tikkun Homestead LLC. This Registered Agent helped me to file all the necessary documents, and as of the time of this blog post, I am expecting these licenses and fees to be processed by the end of the week. After that, I will begin the social media experience – intimidating to say the least, but exciting!
Technological Empowerment: Over this past week I went to Best Buy and asked an employee for help. I told him about Tikkun Homestead LLC, and how I want to write blog posts, share updates on social media and post educational and entertaining videos on YouTube. He was the right person to talk to as he had apparently gone to college for videography. Thank God for this guy, he patiently walked me through all the details that I would need to get started with making videos for the company. It must have been a two hour conversation as he walked me through what equipment and software I should look at to get started and how to make videos. I am in no way an expert in this world, but I know a little bit more now. He helped me pick out a good monitor for my computer, some basic necessities for my desk set-up and for my video taking set-up, an external hard drive and a Bluetooth microphone and a few other goodies that will make the digital aspect of this journey smoother. This will be a learning curve for me as I have never dabbled in the world of video making, or really much into the world of technology in general, however it is an exciting experience, and will be worth it!
Unveiling Accessible Connections: To enhance accessibility and convenience, we established a Linktree website and QR code. These innovative tools serve as gateways to our digital platforms, making navigation a breeze. This one was an easy investment. I have seen “LinkTree” a lot before, and after a little bit of research I realized how useful this could become. LinkTree is a spot where you can compile links to all of your social medias, website, and any other link you need for advertising and it will create a small interactive website where people can find links to all of your published digital media. The best part is that they give you a QR code so people can scan it with their phones and find you. This will make it easy for the community to connect, share and learn. (linktree link here)
The Power of Artificial Intelligence…: I stumbled upon an incredible discovery during our business plan development phase: Chat GPT. This innovative technology became a trusted companion, helping to overcome obstacles and infusing fresh perspectives into the planning process. I had been creating the business plan for about a month, but I was stuck on a few parts. I input the necessary data into Chat CPT, then asked it for an example of the sections I was stuck on… and it just typed it out in front of my eyes. It took about 10 seconds to complete an example draft of a section that I had been stuck on for weeks. I was flabbergasted, it was super cool! I now have no shame in using it to help me through any writers block. Now, Chat GPT does not give you a refined product. It gives you a draft. So I would copy and paste the sections that I had it help me with, edit it myself, and even put it back into Chat GPT and ask it to give me any grammatical or spelling corrections, edit again, then post it. I would never recommend to use a computer to do your job for you, but I will say that when I get stuck, I shamelessly use it. And so far it has been amazing.
Seeking Expert Advice: Recognizing the value of expert guidance, I have exciting appointments scheduled this week! I will be meeting with various business advisors to gain valuable resources for finalizing our business plan and getting on track to take the next step. Through various veteran organizations such as the USO, SCORE and the Veteran Farmers Coalition, there are wonderful resources and advisors who are willing to help new businesses get started on the right food. Their vast knowledge and experience will propel us forward, ensuring we create a robust and successful foundation for Tikkun Homestead LLC.
Bittersweet Farewells and New Beginnings: The past week and a half has been a lot of work, but also a bit of play. Last weekend, I bid farewell to cherished co-workers and friends in a heartfelt going-away party. It was a poignant moment as I said goodbye to various people who I shared the military journey for the past eight years. There are plenty of people who I wish could have been there with us, but sometimes that isn’t how it works. Goodbyes suck. But it is good to be able to step back and look at it holistically, while remembering the past with the guys and gals who’s back I had, and who had my back through good and bad situations. It is a good new beginning, but a sad farewell. As cliché as it might sound, one thing that is true about the military, is that it does knit people together, like it or not. And if you don’t like it… you will eventually, and as cheesy as it sounds, these people become brothers in a way due to a shared common ground, and sometimes even shared hardship. While sadness lingered in the air, I am filled with hope and excitement for the new beginning that awaits and I know my buddies will be rooting for me as Tikkun Homestead LLC grows and develops.
Paving the Way to Growth: Securing funding and purchasing land are significant milestones on our horizon. Tikkun Homestead LLC is actively exploring opportunities and avenues to secure the necessary resources that will fuel our expansion. Stay tuned as we navigate the exciting world of funding and prepare to make Tikkun Homestead a reality!
Conclusion: As we wrap up this week’s blog post, the journey of Tikkun Homestead LLC continues to unfold with promising milestones and heartfelt experiences. From building our digital presence and creating a visual identity to navigating the complexities of licensing and technology, we have made significant progress. The support and guidance I have have received, from the expertise of a graphic designer to the invaluable assistance of artificial intelligence, have propelled Tikkun Homestead LLC forward on our path to success.
Looking ahead, we are eager to seek expert advice from organizations such as the USO, SCORE, and the Veteran Farmers Coalition. These partnerships will provide us with the necessary resources and insights to finalize our business plan and lay a robust foundation for Tikkun Homestead LLC.
While farewells with dear friends and colleagues were bittersweet, I am embracing the new beginnings that lie ahead. The military journey has woven up bonds, and I carry the memories and support of those who have been by my side. With their encouragement and well wishes, we embark on this new chapter with hope and excitement. And who knows, maybe they will end up in our neck of the woods someday.
Securing funding and purchasing land are the next steps in our growth strategy. As we explore various avenues and opportunities, we remain committed to turning our vision of a sustainable farming venture into a thriving reality. We invite you to stay connected and join us on this incredible journey of building Tikkun Homestead LLC.
Thank you for being part of our story. Until next time, keep discovering, creating, and embracing new beginnings!