A change is as good as a rest.

Can't believe I've not posted since last September. Life continues to gallop along at an unnerving pace, the kids are growing out of everything, the bills keep coming, we keep going as best we can!

I feel a big change is coming though. I'm not really sure what that is but I think it springs from the upsets of the previous year. Uncertainty in the business, things changing that are beyond our control. I told myself that this year would be OUR year and that I needed to start the year positively and full of 'can-do' attitude.

I've mostly managed it. I feel like I finally emerged from a fog at the end of last year and I decided that I was going to do more positive things for me and my family.

I joined a gym, I'm losing weight (something I needed to do), I'm not slobbing around on the sofa so much. I'm getting out and taking opportunities when they arise.

I can't say it's been easy to stay positive at times. When you're seeing your friends and family going through hard times and illness, there are still plenty of tears at times.

Part of the 'our year' has definitely been put in place by the fact that after 17 years, me and my lobster Steve are getting married! 

Life has chucked some crappy stuff at us and certain events last year (one of them being my brother being diagnosed with cancer) put everything into perspective. We all needed something happy and exciting to look forward to! More on that one later...(any excuse to talk about weddings!!)

So that's our big news on a personal front. 

The business is also going through some big changes - we've decided that sadly putting all our eggs in a notonthehighstreet-shaped basket wasn't the best move we've ever made. The site has changed beyond recognition since we joined at the very start. It's developed in a way that no longer works well for us. At this point, we've discussed all sorts of options and we're still unsure of exactly where we're heading. I can't not be creative that's for sure..it's what I do. School, art college, art degree...I don't know what else I could do at this point! We've been running our own business for over 10 years now and we're still here. That has to count for something. I think the main issue right now is that I am fidgeting like crazy. I have absolutely no idea what I really want to do!! I guess after so many years of doing everything, dealing with the stress of running a small business, going down all the craft and design routes, I need this change.

I guess we'll wait and see what's next.

I would love to hear what other small businesses are going through right now - I do feel it is harder than ever for small designer/makers to survive

Down To Business...one from the heart

I wasn't sure how to start this post. The last few months have been a rollercoaster of emotions but I needed to write all this down for my own sanity if nothing else.

Quote by Mandy Hale

Since Christmas, I've not been at all happy with the business. The stress of running a small business has really been taking it's toll on me physically and emotionally. My health has suffered as a result and I've been struggling with the fact that most of my waking hours are taken up by work.

I've wrestled with the guilt of not spending enough time with the kids and I've felt angry at putting so many hours in with so little to show for it. This year financially has been a shocker and I'm not ashamed to say it. With the pressure of keeping sales up to a certain level in these recession-hit days, has been no mean feat. Take the mortgage, endless bills and household outgoings, add rent for premises, staff, VAT, massive commission charges on a certain marketplace website, tax, insurance (for everything!), huge amounts for supplies, even bills to listen to your own goddamn radio while you work...you get the picture.
This is our job, we don't have any other income.True, it was our choice to start the business (out of necessity at the time) but we've worked our arses off over the years.

Nobody can say we haven't tried.

Painting til 4am with tonsillitis takes dedication. Crawling out of bed with the norovirus to deliver the post takes dedication...something me and Steve have no doubt about it!
But there comes a point when all that dedication and hard work should pay off.

Don't get me wrong, we've achieved so much and I'm proud of us. Proud that we've won awards and our products have been featured in virtually EVERY national home magazine, wedding magazine, newspapers, blogs and even on the TV...we did all that. When we started the business sitting on craft markets at 5am earning peanuts, we never imagined we'd get this far!

 

 

We've bought a house and had two beautiful kids and we try our best to have a nice family life but I've had enough.

The amount of hours we work far outweighs what we earn. To be honest, I desperately need a change.

We've tried every outlet to sell our work but making everything from scratch to order, hand painting and hand finishing each item takes time. These days it seems far important to 'some' that orders are delivered within a couple of days, nobody wants to wait, everything has to be instant, there is no alternative.

Well, actually there is. It's our business and we're making some changes. We can't compete with mass produced imports taken straight out of a box. We have no problem with imports but we can't sell on the same terms. What we can do is try to appeal to those who appreciate the time it sometimes takes for a handmade product.

We're taking control back and going our own way. This means cutting back in different areas but so be it...this is where we have no choice.

Last week, we said goodbye to our office manager Charlotte. It was a heart-breaking decision for us but sadly necessary while we decide on our next step. We will miss her more than I can say.

Quotespictures

We're not giving up, just giving in to the intolerable pressures and changing things for the good of our family.
We have a little something up our sleeve for the Summer and we're taking on new ventures. For now, we're going to see what happens.

We know for a fact that it's tough out there for small businesses. The ones that speak to us privately prove that. Publicly, most business owners will put on that brave face and say that everything is fine. Nobody wants to be seen as a failure. Some days I've felt exactly that but then it dawned on me, that actually it's ok.

It's not failing, it's changing and change is good.