1. What possessed you to start out with this venture?
At first, it was the same reasons that any other person has had in the past couple years. Money and times are tight, and some have found that having their own home business is convenient and affordable. And honestly, works. So, having already made steps towards that in the past with Shadows WebDesign, and having so many irons in those fires since with the other divisions, it occured to me to bring them all under one roof, as it were.
Later on, as I was hashing out the details of knitting them all together, it occured to me that I could use this to help other businesses in the magickal community. That Deep Dreaming could also be a medium and a tool for networking between magickal and pagan businessowners around the country. And perhaps, somewhere down the road, the world. Small steps, of course.
And so, to quote Tori Amos, "so it was. Here I am."
2. Why have them all at once? Why not just focus on the one service and put the others aside for now?
You know something, I asked myself that questions at the beginning. But seeing as how I do them all at the same time anyway, and it already comes naturally to me,... it's not a problem.
3. How are your prices regulated?
By keeping the mentality of where I came from. I'm always going to do my best to keep all my services affordable, though I will always watch for the bottom line. Consider this my oath of sorts that I'm not going to charge people through the roof. Especially not in the rough times we find ourselves in these days. Being poor and having to make ends meet is something I can't forget. Even now, it's something I do. I remember and realize that most of you out there have to do the same. So affordability is the rule and not the exception with me. Mind you, I'm not going to take the food out of mine and my family's mouths,... but I'll not charge highway robbery prices, either. It's not my nature.
Of course, I'll likely get criticisms for that stance, but that's my philosophy and how I do business. That's how I'll continue to do the same.
4. Is Deep Dreaming a part of the Domain and Realms?
No. Deep Dreaming is independant of the Domain and Realms, even though for costs sake, I'm building it on the same server and have one linked to the other. The only exception to this is the Domain Store: which I run as a subsidiary for the benefit of the Domain. They will be associated with one another, yes: as the Domain associates itself with many businesses and groups in the magickal community. But the two are stand-alone entities, one from the other. It'll always be that way.
5. Who supplies your merchandise?
That depends on the division in question. In the case of SilverWire Forge, the large majority of my materials and supplies come from Nature herself. And what I don't get from Nature, I get from store in the area, such as Crystal Haven in downtown Port Washington, Wisconsin; and the Secret Garden store, hidden in Jackson, Wisconsin. In the case of Talismanic and Fo Reannan, I get my supplies from wholesalers around the country. Where Winterstream is concerned, all of that is virtual and for use with IMVU, so the only supply there is my imagination. As for the Domain Store: which I run to the benefit of the Domain and Realms, the supplies come directly from CafePress(http://www.cafepress.com).
6. Does anyone else work with or for you?
With the exception of one or two individuals who help from time to time, it's just me. In the future, who knows?
7. Do you plan on there being any more divisions or subsidiaries?
There might be as time goes on. For the immediate future, I'm not sure. Though the herbs of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme come to mind...
Thanks, Brenda...
