And with an office comes....

Well should have the keys to the office early next week. No the picture on the right here isn't it, but I'm allowed to dream.

First couple of months rent have been paid, now all I have to buy is - a couple of desks, a meeting table, sundry chairs, a couple of bookcases/filing cabinets, a microwave, fridge, kettle, cups and saucers, etc., a couple of telephones, a fax, printer, copier, scanner or hopefully a contraption that will do most of the previous four functions, a new computer, software, broadband connection, maybe a name plate, a network setup requiring a server and no doubt a few other things that aren't on my immediate list. And here's me thinking my start-up costs were all but complete!!

If you've been reading the blog for a while you know some of the reasons for leaving group headquarters, i.e. the spare bedroom come study. But hopefully, now I've got a proper workspace I can start looking for other business, especially as I hope to have Laura starting with me in a couple of weeks to take the weight off me in certain areas.

So far this week's been a bit manic. I've been sending gentle reminders to a whole host of people who expressed an interest in speaking at the Scottish Learning Festival. The deadline for a short descriptor is this coming Friday but it seems the whole of the world has adopted the Just In Time approach to life, so I've been promised by a number of people that the descriptor is in the electronic post and should arrive by Friday. There's a very apt Glasgow festival taking place right now called Aye Write and that about sums up the way I feel about the chances of getting everybody to weigh in with their presentation template.

They say that changing your bank account is so much easier these days. Don't believe it! I've been with the same bank for years and while they've never showered me with great offers or shown any real interest to make my own money work for me they've never actually did much that I could complain about.

However, the business account is with a different bank and to safe hassle I agreed to change my own current account to the same bank as the business account. Call me naive but I thought it was just a matter of going into a branch, telling them my old bank details, opening up a new account and the banks between them would sort out all the details like direct debits and standing orders and the like.

Well almost two hours after entering the local branch of said new bank, I left with a new current account which is what they wanted but I had to let all the organisations and businesses know that I had changed account and get them to send me a new direct debit mandate. If I had known that I would have stayed at home and did some more meaningful work. I'm sure there's an easier way to changeover but before you do make sure the bank your moving to will take charge of all the necessary changes.

One bit of worthwhile business this week so far was meeting up with Marian Borde at Oran Mor today. Like me, Marion is out on business on her own, although she's been at it a lot longer and me and, up to a few months ago, also had a partner in the business.

Marian has been working with a number of blue chip organisations over the years helping them manage change within their organisations. Only yesterday she was working with a group of North Lanarkshire headteachers so even here we have a common client list.

Anyway, if your organisation needs a mentor or coach to lead managers and staff through change in the workplace then maybe you should give her a call.

I've told her that I'll blog an account of our meeting, a term she wasn't entirely familiar with, but hey neither was I up to a few months ago. So Marian, I hope this leads you to developing you own blog. If you need any help.......Ach it's OK there are millions of others better placed to help you, just like a couple of my pals, John and Ewan did for me.

Time to change the CD. So far tonight it's been George Harrison's All Things Must Pass album but I feel a little Bloc Party or Cocteau Twins coming on.

Haven't touched my email since I came in from my meeting with Marian today, I wonder how many emails I've had? Not bad 17 and nearly all of them relating to the Scottish Learning Festival. Oh for more gentle reminders, like the companies who still owe me money!!