Meet my First Client!

Business is booming. I just got my first consulting gig! My friend Kavon Johnson from Pratt Institute is trying to launch his own apparel company called The Distance and I have asked him if I could help him set up his business as long as I could blog about it. I want to walk everyone through the process of starting a company as its happening. I think that the journey is shrouded in mystery for everyone who hasn't done it and it can seem scary when what stands between you and your dream is a checklist of goals and no idea of where to start. So I thought that by taking on a client I'd not only have a partner to keep me accountable, but we'd have tangible real-world results by the end. I could start an actual company myself (and I intend to) but I thought that by doing case studies on other people's companies as well I could get a handle much quicker on what everybody needs and I don't need to rush coming up with a product for the sake of it.

    The Distance is a T-shirt company all about helping kids learn about science. For each shirt you buy a kid gets one too! The shirts are all about taking science concepts and interpreting them into sweet designs. My friend Kavon says it best: "People combine this idea of being smart and cool, there’s no need to separate the two, you can be both." 

So what does Kavon actually need help with? Well so far, he's got pretty much all the creative work done, leaving only the business aspects, which makes him the perfect case study. He's got his site pretty much up and running thanks to Squarespace and his design school background. What do we have left to do?  Throughout the next few weeks we will be tackling these issues and more:

1) Legally setting up your company and how not to get in trouble with the government
2) Understanding WTH goes on in a company (Bookkeeping/Accounting)

3) Manufacturing/ shipping a product

4) Setting up shop
5) Managing it all (running a live business) 

Some we've already figured out but I'd like to take you step by step what his options are and why he chose the action he did. For instance, he's already got his legal setup done thanks to a collaboration with a seasoned business vet he's good friends with. 
This is a huge learning experience for both of us, and it can be for you too if you're following along. Watch The Distance grow from an idea into a profitable business! I decided to start with accounting because I feel that is the one subject on that list I know ABSOLUTELY nothing about. It always seemed like a good idea to me to start with the hardest stuff first.