So things are moving forward , although sometimes not as smoothly or quickly as I would like , but this lady is gaining her hurdle legs over time !
I believe I have done a great job of hunting up suppliers & finding great sales ! I had thought I had finished with placing all my online orders for supplies , then quite by chance I found a nonconvential supplier who handcrafts jewelry blanks among other things. These are completely different than the metal ones I see other mosaicists using & frankly I think these actually look better . I have been wanting to try my hand at mosaic jewelry making , but the budgeteer in my blood wouldn't allow me to pay what the sellers were asking for the metal jewelry blanks . So now I am looking forward to creating some new items , & still saving money on start up costs for these projects ! 

The main studio room is starting to take shape nicely . I have a double high stackable wall unit placed at bottom of stairs which will hold completed mosaics available for sale . I have had some issues with getting transportation fopr picking up larger items but have finally resolved those & now have 2 new white cupboards for stacking plates & other assorted dishes . I have assembled 2 large workshop type  shelving units . On 1 I will be stacking 12 larger white big bins for storing some chopped china , gems & beads , vitreous tiles & shells etc . The 2nd shelving unit will be put to use to store substrates . I still need to get several flourescent light fixures in place. I have 3 folding tables to seat a maximum of 6 students . I have a custom built cabinet to cover a watermain being delivered today , as well as  shelves for above it . This structure will be used for display purposes as well .  My signage was installed yesterday !



I have done alot of research regarding advertising . I am doing a fair amount of free advertising online.  One of the great things about my location is that there are 2 cities meshed side by side. So I have the ability to advertise to both , as well there is a 3rd city & many small towns on the outskirts . I have chosen to take out 1/4 page ads in the City of Kitchener & City of Waterloo winter activity guides. I made this choice for paid advertising on the fact of how many other available options just get tossed to recycle & not read by the potential customers . In this choice I gain the highest readership for my money output. I have also created flyers that I will be posting on every bulletin board in all the community & rec centers & libraries throughout both cities .
One of my online suppliers only ships using UPS. Now with UPS the buyer deals with custome duties & taxes as well as a brokerage fee charged by UPS . I have learned that if the products were made as well as shipped from the USA , you can save on the duties ! The seller must send a NAFTA certificate with the parcel to ensure this savings. Gotta love free trade when it saves you money !! UPS will also help you to set up a brokerage account to save on the brokerage fee they charge. This is helpful if you plan on using that particular supplier frequently .
I will post more photos as things get set up better !