On Business
The best and worst thing about owning your own business is that you are in control of its destiny.
FMFY is having growing pains and I’m forced to streamline the way I work to make things easier on myself, as well as my customers. I have to for once sit down and figure out an actual collection and styles that can be at least repeated a few times rather than roughly 15 unique pieces every single month. I’m making moves to be able to sell wholesale soon, but I have to get all my ducks in a row before that. I’m down to my last batch of brass drops beads that I can no longer get my hands on easily, so big changes are in store – at least they feel big to me.
I’m such a self starter/lone wolf and shrug off advice and criticism that I forget how necessary the power of community is. I was reading Jenny’s post this morning about her own business, and I met with a group of small business owners last night and then there was Rena’s wonderful class over the weekend – and I cannot stress enough to other small business owners to reach out and talk and listen to your peers and colleagues because we are all in the same boat. We have such similar struggles and solutions that may have never occurred to us before. And maybe there is no easy solution or answer to your problem, but talking it out is sometimes all you need to maybe realize you’re being too hard on yourself, or what your true feelings are about something right as the words are coming out of your mouth. It calms me to not feel so alone in my irrational worrying, it really does. I’m currently turning worrisome decisions into excitement and that makes me feel good.
Photo by Kate Miss, taken on a Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic with Fujifilm Neopan SS 100 film.
April 25th, 2012 at 10:59 am
When I used to teach jewelry classes at Berkeley. The number one question I would get after the class would be, how can I take the skill I learned and reproduce it enough to the point to make a profit. And I always found that hard to answer, because I don’t even know. But at the same time I would find comfort that I wasn’t the only one lost with my craft.
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April 25th, 2012 at 10:59 am
I so feel you on this… the thing I hear most often from other business owners is that I should really commit to my own full time. But I just can’t! It’s too scary and I feel so helpless and terrified just thinking about it. We need mentors!
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April 25th, 2012 at 11:04 am
I trust you to make good decisions. You are going to do the right thing, I just know it. And Anabela, I would never tell anyone to go F/T until they were ready in so many ways – mentally, financially, organizationally.
Thanks for coming to my class, Kate! And happy you met with the other ladies too. They got yer back :)
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April 25th, 2012 at 11:15 am
Part of what is exciting to me about business is the challenge of constantly evolving to meet my customers and my own needs. It’s scary, and sometimes I’m forced to make hard choices, but it’s so exhilarating when the outcome is positive. I like what you said about how talking about your business out loud forces you to realize truths about it that you hadn’t fully considered. Yes, we business owners do need each other! I’m in favor of sharing and supporting each other. I met with business ladies in NY back when I lived there, and we shared our struggles. I miss having that as much, no longer being in NY. Now I have therapy. It’s been through talking with my therapist about my business that I’ve sloooowwwly come around to realizations that have helped me make good decisions.
I’m excited that, like me, you are making changes to your business to make things easier on you and to make it run better. Besides that being a good business decision, it’s a good life decision. I think I left that out in my post. It’s not that I don’t love making clothing collections. I love it so much that it’s a detriment to my life and relationships. I’m no longer willing to not have a life in order to be a slave to my dream job. Compromise is important. My goal is to do something creatively fulfilling, but that allows me enough time to connect with those I love and have other hobbies, but that also makes me a good enough living to afford to enjoy life and have a family. It’s a compromise from my original dream, but it’s time to start enjoying my life more!
I’m glad you posted this. Like you, I had made the decision to be more private with my blog. I’ve been burned so many times, and I wanted to protect myself. But right now I’m learning that without vulnerability there is no connection. If I can be aware of and accept my own flaws, then I won’t be so bothered when other people point them out. I so much admire you for knowing yourself well enough and having enough courage to say these things.
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indreams Reply:
April 25th, 2012 at 9:32 pm
“without vulnerability there is no connection”
jenny – that is the most concise version of my inner struggle i’ve ever come across. i hope you don’t mind if i steal that as a personal mantra! (sorry to butt in here, btw. it’s just so perfect!)
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April 25th, 2012 at 1:07 pm
I can’t agree enough that talking to your peers is infinitely helpful and inspiring. Honestly, I think a lot of people are scared to ask questions or to reach out because they don’t want to be that person who gets passive-aggressively tweeted about for asking too much about someone’s business. Obviously there is a big difference between asking for someone’s resources out of nowhere and actually wanting to have a conversation about business, but there’s definitely this vibe out that you might make some huge faux pas just by asking a question.
I guess my point is that it’s really nice to see people talk openly about different aspects of their businesses, and to encourage their peers to learn from each other and talk that shit out! I can’t even tell you how grateful I am to every single person who has offered me advice since I launched my little handmade line, I would probably be doing a lot of things wrong if it wasn’t for their friendly and supportive words of wisdom.
Good luck with the move to making a collection & all that! I’m trying to do the same, less limited edition and more pieces that can be recreated. I loved the color palette you posted recently, perfect Kate vibes!
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April 25th, 2012 at 3:15 pm
I am taking Rena’s mini workshop in Seattle in July and I absolutely can’t wait for all of her knowledge. We have just begun to get a couple wholesale/consignment orders and there is so much to know other than “hey, this is cute, maybe I’ll try and sell it!” Would always love to hear more about your business experiences.
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April 25th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
What a great conversation! Thank you for talking about this. When I first started my business, I felt I couldn’t ask anyone for advice. I think I reached out to one or two people I admired, but I never heard back and I think as a result, it made me feel like I was being a pain. So I gave up – which is so typical me! But I kept trying in my own introverted ways! As I made a niche, things seemed to fall into place and there seemed to be a community, and gradually, I began to feel a part of that. But, that was all online, and while all of that has been amazing, an email or a tweet is so different from a face to face conversation! Actually being able to sit down and hear someone struggle with the same things you are, or be inspired by one another, now that’s something special! Every time I get a chance to do that I feel so lucky and rejuvenated.
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April 25th, 2012 at 6:10 pm
Thanks for sharing. I am in the middle of juggling several balls, and I have yet to see what will work out…right now it’s too much worrying that leads to me having a difficult time knowing what to do first. I hate feeling this way, but I have to just have faith that ultimately things will work out for the best. It’s hard, though.
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April 25th, 2012 at 9:37 pm
i just started a weekly chatting ‘session’ with another work-from-home friend, so we can discuss our problems, solutions, and alternate work strategies, and it’s been awesome so far. it’s so easy to get ‘stuck’, so we always think it’ll be hard to get ‘un-stuck’, even if it’s something quite easy that we just haven’t tried yet. it’s so good to have a sounding board! or in your case, a bunch of sounding boards. :)
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April 26th, 2012 at 5:25 am
This is such a true true statement… being in charge of your own destiny is a lot of responsibility and I think about it often. It is also hard to work like a dog and find time to utilize your community. Thanks for the post, what a great reminder… xox
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April 26th, 2012 at 7:05 am
[...] you realize it or not, most small business owners share the same struggles. It’s important to reach out and build a [...]
April 29th, 2012 at 12:35 pm
Thanks so much for this post! After deciding to go completely independent last December it’s been a ride. Mostly good, but there are days when you just feel the weight of it all so much. I am relieved to hear I am not the only one, and that there is a network of support out there.
Thanks and love, Sarah B
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