I'm designing and making pendants from polished river rocks and unpolished ocean rocks. My goal is to promote gay pride and equality as well as to make even more popular the fight against AIDS and cancer. I'm first and foremost an artist so I'm not sure how to start my business. I have an appointment with SCORE volunteer next week but from what I know they aren't very helpful. I will be selling my product online so I will need to hire a web designer to create my e-commerce website. But where do I go from there? How to promote my products and my website? I don't really have any contacts with the gay community nor with non-profit organizations dealing with AIDS and cancer issues. My budget is very tight due to the fact that I've been unemployed for 5 months now and I'm running out of savings. I also need to rent a cheap place where I can set up a shop. Currently, I make a very small number of pendants mostly as a hobby. I need to purchase professional electric tools so I'll be able to make large number of pendants. The electric tools, however, are very noisy and my neighbors will complain, so I need to go somewhere else. There is 1 business incubator in LA but it seems impossible to rent space there. If I don't start generating income fast I may end up on the street. And here in LA there are so many homeless people, even young people such myself. It's scary! Help, please! Every bit of advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you and God bless!
Thank you and God bless!
