Cookie, meet my friend Internet...

Life these days doesn't often allow for long moments of reflection, but I had a big "wow" moment yesterday while unpacking a package from Amazon containing a new all natural, no-stir peanut butter and some organic, 100% natural non-partially hydrogenated shortening.

How did anyone manage to start a business before the Internet???

Okay, I know that sounds ridiculous and somewhat spoiled, but seriously, here is a quick list of things I've been able to accomplish with the help of my good friends Internet Explorer (I know...I haven't made the jump to Google Chrome yet) and Google.

1. Email. 'Nuf said.
2. All the pesky but oh-so-crucial documents you have to file with the State of Virginia and the Federal Government in order to form a recognized, official business.
3. Monthly sales tax filing. Everything is linked! I enter in gross sales, the program figures it out and automatically debits my operating account. No letters, no checks, no stamps, no need to pass calculus.
4. Research!! Hours of my life have been spent conducting food science research for no charge whatsoever. Like finding out the reasons behind using Dutch Processed Cocoa as opposed to the regular stuff or understanding why some of my cookies refused to puff up in the oven. Thank god because microfiche used to make me want to throw up back in the day. (All that visual moving while sitting still! Bad combo!)
5. Shopping!! With two young kids and a slew of other responsibilities, who has time to physically scour local grocery stores for all-natural, organic alternatives to mainstream ingredients? Plus, for those times I did actually have to visit a store, Google gave me the address and my navigation system led me there. Back in the day I suppose I'd consult the yellow pages and dial the phone. Hmm...I don't think I even have the yellow pages.
6. Networking. Facebook, Twitter, this blog, random searches for topics with answers found on listserves... CookieZen is "connected" to all these individuals and entities who would otherwise be so difficult to find. And since these options are all free it makes spreading the excitement much more appealing.
7. Business planning. Sometimes I wonder if I should have made a trip to the library to check out "Business Plan Writing for Dummies" or "How to Start a Cookie Company Without Monopolizing Your Kitchen", but then I remember libraries require time and using a reference book's index can be confusing if you don't know exactly what you are looking for. Plus photocopying stuff??? Remember trying to press down on the spine of a really thick book so you wouldn't get that annoying black bar in the center of your page that inevitably covered up the important stuff? Weeding through all the crap on the Internet can be time consuming, but I've discovered some of the best resources by randomly clicking my way through links.
8. Bragging. Let's face it. People, including the ladies of CookieZen, want to succeed. And we want other people to recognize or appreciate all the hard work it's taken to get from point A to point B. Minus the pitfalls and errors, of course! These negative little bits, while certainly not pleasant, make what we've managed to do seem more realistic. How else can we learn from our mistakes if we don't allow for helpful critiques and suggestions?

So yeah...I kind of consider CookieZen a card holder of "Business Planning: Doing it the 21st Century Way". It's amazing what Laura and I are able to accomplish whilst juggling a million other things.

Still, at the end of the day, I like to return to the kitchen where it's just my mixer and me and I can imagine the smiling faces of all the soon-to-be customers enjoying the cookies.

Thank you, Mr. Internet, for getting me here.