When starting out in a small business, it’s so tempting to hold on to everything as tightly as possible. After all, the cost of getting things going inevitably piles up, and then there’s the running tab on the amount of time and effort poured into the (usually personal) venture. To put it succinctly, a small business can easily suck up scant resources and large amounts of time.

My experience has not been any different. Very few things are free, and those plastic cards have been flexed many times to pay for this and for that leading up to the launch. Countless hours have been spent setting everything up, and no doubt countless hours will be spent keeping things going. And of course there is the price of “putting ourselves out there”; for example, the last minute decision to participate in an upcoming art market has incurred unanticipated costs (to the point where it’s rather tempting to pull out).

That is not to say that the journey has been unenjoyable. In fact, it’s been the opposite. Despite the huge cost, both my hubby and I have enjoyed every moment of putting this thing together. To be perfectly honest, the sense of accomplishment and partnership that has come with working side by side, night after night, on our bench at our wooden table (we haven’t even bought proper dining chairs yet) might be sufficient reward for all the time and money spent on this pet project.

But, like everyone else, we have to face the reality of limited resources. That brings me back to the point I started with — it’s so very natural to want to hold on to every last penny to put them back into the business. (And let’s just be clear that I don’t see anything wrong with doing that; after all, it is only smart practice to reinvest.) However, from the very start of this creative endeavor, one of my values has been generosity. I just wanted to make a habit of sharing from the get go. Besides that, I love the idea of transformation taking place not only through creating with my hands but also through giving with my heart.

As such, 5% of the profit from blue bean studio is destined for charity. It may not seem like that much, but I believe that every little bit counts.

Next week, we’ll spill the beans about who we will be sharing our beans with : )

CATEGORY: Insider
POSTED by blue bean	December 3, 2013