Bedlam

Happy New Year from Pipany and Matzen!





So here it is, another new year all fresh and bright and bursting with possibilities. I love it, this chance to grasp life by the horns and make it into whatever I want it to be. I always start of with plans and resolutions, never worrying about the fact that maybe some of last year's were not achieved; what does it matter? It is about the idea of change and hope, inspiration and a clean sweep for me. I love the mulling over of things that have annoyed me or that have not come to fruition. How can I improve them or me for that matter? What could I have done differently? I look back at the positive things too - high on that particular list would be the huge leaps in self-confidence which this particular Pipany has made which has had a massive root in the meeting of like-minded people through the wonderful world of blogging. Sharing ideas, hopes, upsets and dreams has meant I finally began to understand that I do have something to offer the world....me! I'm not so bad after all!

So what worked for me last year?
1. I joined an inspirational and wonderful blog site - Purplecoo - and through this met many wonderful people and links to other blogs outside of this site. These blogs inspire me daily and are something which made me start to realise my dreams to have my own business.

2. I began to run said business, set up a website and gave it a shot. The response was immediate and has made me grow in confidence even more.

3. I learnt how to set up and manage two completely different websites, learnt how to take decent photographs (and trust me the ones prior to this were truly awful!) and began to learn the ins and outs of deadlines/packaging/postage/materials not arriving!!!! In other words, I became a fledgling business woman.

4. I re-learnt to trust my instincts and my heartfelt belief that if you want something enough there is ALWAYS a way, just think, think and think again.


And (honest to the last) what didn't work?

1. Promising orders in too short a time - didn't allow for poorly children/ materials not arriving!/ postal strikes...

2. Not allowing enough time for sourcing packaging materials/ trimmings, etc. I cannot believe how much time this eats into and yet it is so important to a small business. Profit margins disappear and the finish of an item can be compromised, something which disheartens me terribly.

3. Planning! I should have set up a yearly planner from the start and followed it rigidly to keep me focussed. Too easy for panic to make me flip from one task to another which panics me more.


With hindsite I made it hard on myself as the site became active very close to Christmas and concentrating on designing and making stock just to get it up and running meant the time spent doing the same for a Christmas range was limited. It also meant this range was much later going onto the site than I had intended. Having said that, I am pleased with how it has gone so far. I sold a lot of Christmas stock, much more that I expected; It is all a learning curve and I am loving the ride.

Now to this year....perhaps I'll just clear away the mess that is my sewing room before I venture my thoughts on that one!

Happy New Year everyone

Pipany xxx