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Eat Stretch Nap

  • About
  • What we do
    • Retreats
    • Events
    • Corporate Wellness
  • Retreats
    • PAST* Mexico 2019
    • PAST* Costa Rica 2018
    • PAST* Mexico 2017
  • EVENTS
  • CORPORATE WELLNESS
  • Blog
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  • Contact

playlists, pep talks + positive vibes

cat aldana eat stretch nap yoga meditation
Featured
Meditation Q+A with EAT STRETCH NAP Founder Cat Aldana
Meditation Q+A with EAT STRETCH NAP Founder Cat Aldana
Improvement - Akashic Record Reading
Let you get what you want - Akashic Record Reading
A Message To All My Haters
CAT ALDANA ON THE CHAARG PODCAST - AYURVEDA
CAT ALDANA ON THE CHAARG PODCAST - AYURVEDA
EAT STRETCH NAP™ FOUNDER CAT ALDANA ON THE EMBODY PODCAST
EAT STRETCH NAP™ FOUNDER CAT ALDANA ON THE EMBODY PODCAST
EAT STRETCH NAP™ FOUNDER CAT ALDANA ON THE CHAARG PODCAST
5 Gifts under $20 - holiday edition!
5 Gifts under $20 - holiday edition!
feeling stuck in your life? 3 ways to free yourself
5 Favorite Things - WINTER 2017 Edition!
5 Favorite Things - WINTER 2017 Edition!
Thinking about quitting your job? Read this.
How to Choose Passion over Fear Every Time
I hate Classpass, Soulcycle + #Girlbosses
Things to do in Thailand
How to be Happy!
5 Things No One Tells You About Starting a Business
7 Drugstore skincare Buys under $20
10 Days of Silence Explained in 10 Gifs
How to deal with feeling alone
3 Ways Improv is Basically Yoga
stop feeling guilty about everything
Me? Do Work? No thanks.
My Morning Ritual
Can you have it all?
Lazy in Love
Winter Walking Meditation
How to Save Your Relationship (even when you're hangry)
Should you change your name when you get married?

5 Things No One Tells You About Starting a Business

September 11, 2016

When I set up Eat Stretch Nap as an official business, there were a couple of annoying things I learned that were actually really important. I thought I’d share them with you here since it seems some people would rather rave about “Starting a business!” and being an “entrepreneur” to make you jealous and think they’re awesome, instead of being honest about what it’s really like to set up your own company. The most exciting thing about starting a business is telling people you started a business. After that, it’s just work, but “if you choose a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Yes, that is true Confucius, but I still don’t like making invoices and handling payroll and I don’t think I ever will. Starting a business means there will be a bunch of work involved that you don’t want to do, but you’ll have to do it anyway. At least until you can afford to have someone else do it for you, and even then, you should still know how it works. 

1.) Creating an LLC costs money. 

Yes, like $612.75 to be exact. However! It’s really easy to do. You can do it yourself and you don’t need a lawyer. Just fill out everything on this link and give them all your money: 

http://apps.ilsos.gov/llcarticles/index.jsp* Easy!

2.) What is a “Managing Member” ?

The definition of a Managing Member is obvious now, but I didn’t know this while I was filing LLC paperwork online. I unknowingly made my husband a Managing Member of my company. So I had to drag him to the bank with me to open a business account because apparently you have to have all “Managing Members” present when opening an account or making any changes to it. Since I accidentally made him a Managing Member, I decided he deserved it and gave him a percentage of my company, which felt very Silicon Valley of me. I was super into it!

3.) What is a DBA? 

DBA means “doing business as” which I had to file for at an additional $174.00 because I named my LLC, Aldasana LLC “just because” even though my business name is Eat Stretch Nap. Because you know, sometimes we all make decisions based on feelings and fairy dust, ok?? Nbd, it all worked out. FYI Filing for an “Assumed Business Name” and “DBA” is the same thing, at least in Illinois. Here’s where I filed for a DBA: 

http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/business_services/assumed_name_adoptions/llcinstructions.html*

4.) Insurance is expensive. 

I have to have insurance to cover myself and the yoga teachers teaching for me. I contacted big companies like Geico, State Farm (doesn’t even do it) and Nationwide and they were all $900+. Luckily, a really nice Tax Accountant told me that I should look into getting insurance through a trade association, like the Yoga Alliance. So I was able to work out my insurance through them for half the cost. Amazing.

5.) You need a lawyer, an accountant and maybe a business manager or a finance dude.

I have so many questions I don't know the answers to and I can only search on Google for so long. Luckily, I have a few people in my network that I am comfortable asking questions to right now, but I know that eventually I will need to invest in speaking to an actual business consultant, lawyer and accountant to make sure everything I have is in order.

This is just the beginning of a very long and arduous journey and honestly, what makes me the most excited about having my own business is not being able to show off about it, but being able to learn from it and share my experiences. In case you were wondering what my business is anyway, I’ve essentially created a "traveling yoga studio.” Eat Stretch Nap brings yoga, meditation and mindfulness classes to your home or office. With my intention of always aspiring to make wellness easy and accessible, bringing yoga to you or your company just makes the most sense! If you have any questions about starting a business, teaching yoga, or anything related to this, feel free to ask in the comments or send me a message.

 

 

*These links are only applicable if you are starting a business in Illinois. Every state is different.

Some awesome resources:

https://howtostartanllc.com/illinois-llc -step by step guide in starting an LLC

https://www.legalzoom.com/ - not to use, but to read their blog/articles for tips

https://zipbooks.com/ -free cloud invoicing software 

https://www.squarespace.com/ - for building a business website

http://mailchimp.com/ - for email newsletters

 

 

 

In Nap Tags yoga, lifestyle, business, entrepreneurship, llc
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meet cat

cat aldana eat stretch nap yoga

cat aldana

Cat is a yoga teacher, wife, writer, designer and lover of french fries, fake eyelashes + red lipstick. She believes hard work is overrated  and dancing is the best workout. Learn more about her yoga practice at cataldasana.com

WHAT IS AYURVEDA?

The science of life.

WHAT IS YOGA?

Total integration of the self.

What is lifestyle?

Life...style? Yeah.

Latest & Greatest

Featured
Can't Believe the Way We Flow - Sunday Stretch Playlist
Can't Believe the Way We Flow - Sunday Stretch Playlist
Meditation Q+A with EAT STRETCH NAP Founder Cat Aldana
Meditation Q+A with EAT STRETCH NAP Founder Cat Aldana
Homebody - Sunday Stretch Playlist
Homebody - Sunday Stretch Playlist
Improvement - Akashic Record Reading
One Week Wellness Challenge

EAT STRETCH NAP RETREAT

In Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 

SAT. JAN. 12, 2018 - SAT. JAN. 19, 2018

eat stretch nap retreat

An EAT STRETCH NAP™ Retreat is a life-changing wellness vacation that teaches Yoga, Meditation + Ayurveda practices to busy people who want more time and more space in their lives to focus on their health - physically, mentally, emotionally + spiritually.

The next EAT STRETCH NAP™ Retreat is Saturday, January 12, 2018 - Saturday, January 19, 2018 (7 nights) at Xinalani retreat center in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

For more information, click here or email hello@eatstrechnap.com