Out of the Blues and Into the Black

...You pay for this and we send you that. Hey hey, my my.

Being able to post black ink for the first time this year does a lot to dispel the winter blues. Christians buying Dove kites for Easter pageants led March to profitability. Quickbooks puts me ahead by a healthy $296; Excel only grants me $143 to the good. Either way comes with a plus sign, and the fiscal month still has a day and a half to go. 

March 

Total income: +3.6%
Total COGS: -2.6%
Payroll: +3.5%

Marketing: -85.5%
Net Income (Profit): +123.9% (+$714)

Year to Date

Total income: -16.8%
Total COGS: -14.3%
Payroll: -16.1%

Marketing: -4.6%
Net Income (Profit): -30.5% (-$174)

Income's up a wee bit and costs are down...but that's only because Google hasn't taken its pound of flesh for March yet. April's marketing spend will be correspondingly inflated.

If the person with whom I've been dancing for a month follows through with her promised bulk Dove kite order on Monday, her $1,000 will wipe out my year-over-year deficit and give fiscal April a strong shot at more black ink -- not to mention enabling me to pay off my Mastercard. I never count on these windfalls until the money's in the bank, though; at least 3/4 of them fall through. 

I'm losing the argument with myself against going to the Cavalcade of Crap. It looks like Monday's weather isn't going to suck. The Pro argument is still "I really should go" and all the Anti camp has is "but I hate it." Not having any money matters less than you'd think because I never have any money. So I'm going to waste a couple of hours on Monday at that sad little trade show (plus an hour commuting each way, plus the expenses of lunch and T fare).