Sisyphus

The company two friends and me are building is based on the skills, experience, passions, energies and contacts of the people involved, yet in these first two weeks of operation it has been tragicomic how easily our shoestring budget has worn holes in the fabric of what we're trying to achieve and tempt us to wonder if this "new approach" hasn't been tried before is because it just doesn't work? The one certainty is that if any of the established institutions might contemplate what we're trying to do, they would set their budgets at twice, if not three times the amount for which we're trying to do it.

Through luck and a promise of collaboration  we've landed offices in the city centre, for twelve months, a minute from its central rail terminal, for the same cost as the "Hot Desk" budgeted for in the funding application for our main project. On paper, this central base will help to attract and connect with clients and it positions us close to several of the city's established creative and cultural institutions. We don't expect or particularly desire to do much shoulder-rubbing with 'the Great and Good'- but it will be easier and more efficient for us to meet our clients  and our contacts in our own central space rather than in the library or a coffee bar or some such, let's face it; image and impression can win or lose you a contract.

BUT: the reason we're getting the offices so cheaply is because, apart from their location, in their present state, they have little going for them- if you discount their SCREAMING  potential and the enthusiasms of the people behind it. It is the offices of a former charity though how they could have used them seems mysterious to me: its a fairly modern building, the base of a set of apartments. It is a collection of FIFTEEN (!) small rooms arranged on three corridors, the lowest of which is at half cellar level, with four larger rooms at the ends of two of the corridors- and a quite spacious kitchen! They've called it "The HIVE" which, as well as being descriptive, fits the fact that its an HIV support organisation. 

Only the women's toilets are currently functional and as most of the lower corridor; the concrete floor lacks a covering because of a flood caused by faulty plumbing in the flats above. Though this catastrophe happened a few years ago, as the building had been empty, after draining and drying it all off it, was just left. A new floor covering has been purchased but the two guys who've taken over the space are busy painting stuff and meeting other prospective tenants and getting services installed. Only six of the fifteen offices are being used so the 'practical issues' aren't prominent, but there will be some public funded organisation reps moving in soon.

Today's frustration was born of the need for access to the internet. The HIVE won't get telephony for another three weeks. I purchased a mobile modem and have been marvelling at the ability of this palm-sized trinket to run three computers and a wireless printer. But the allowance of pre-paid megabytes I'd purchased ran out today after 15 days use which worked out to about £1 a day, which' as a temporary measure seemed OK. Sadly, what I expected to be the simple matter of contacting them and adding more moolah to the account, took over two hours and involved four trips to and back from thankfully nearby shops to acquire nicks and nacks to make it all work! I did get £5 extra in compensation for the incorrect instructions issued by various minions of the "3" corporation.

It seems like a bit of a rhythm is developing: we charge up the hill with force and purpose on the first day, then spend the second digging our heels in holding on to a rope lashed around our dreams of achievement. I suppose the knack is not to let the sack reach as far down the hill each time it slides.