Wow it is a 24/7 thing working at your own small business. I seem to have it on my mind constantly and Im never doing just one thing at a time now. I just thought I would make a note of a couple of things that are happening right now. I dont know if anyone reads my blog regularly but lots of people are working hard on their own business and some of this might ring true for others. It might help someone. Anyway this is more of a note I suppose to document where Im up to now. It feels like a turning point... something (good or bad ??) is going to happen.
The evil stuff - money
- I am very glad I thought about my small business for a long time. I purchased and tucked away great thread and bamboo wadding and the best quality quilting fabrics for just over a year before we started. It was a good plan. I didn't have a lot to invest but in 12 months I managed to get quite a little stash tucked away.
- Things are tight right now. Ive already had to buy more wadding and thread. I am going to have to buy fabric on a much more regular basis pretty soon. This week my goal is to keep the electricity on LOL It will be ok :)
- My partner is great and he has put some money and a whole lot of time and energy into my small business. Just to make the wood skeleton has involved a special drill bit, heaps of pine and oak dowel, sandpaper, hinges, screws, varnish... the list goes on and he has paid for all of it. I guess it is our business. I need to remember that.
- Of course I hope to find my place in the market and to make a little bit of money would be wonderful. Don't tell anyone but actually getting my creations and designs from my head onto the fabric is really what this is about. Sure I work really hard to do the very best I can... a sale can put me on clouds for months.... but mostly I really really need to make things and to FINISH things for my own happiness. Gosh that sounds selfish.
- It is so so great that there are many cheaper ways to get your work out to the public - cheaper than renting an entire shop. We have settled on a "rent space" type shop here on the main road. It is the cheapest monthly way to have some shop space. We just could never afford to rent a shop and pay for the overheads. So I am very grateful for those people who do all the cleaning and the shop fittings and sign contracts... and then let me buy some floor space each month. It is a lifesaver.
