Having your own business.

In the mood to share some insights I have been having lately about what I do and why??

Before I begin I have to say I absolutely LOVE the quote above it really sums it up beautifully, I don't know the source so I can't credit it here but whoever wrote it thank you for your lovely words!!

The past week has been really busy, especially since our sale last week packing all your orders and shipping them out as quickly as possible.

I love putting orders together its such a great feeling seeing how customers choose their items the things they purchase that go together, the beautiful colours of everything, the variety of supplies.  Each order is different from the next - always.  One thing I have noticed especially in the last month is that I as I have gone out on a limb and begun to source my own supplies and using different ideas of my own, moving away from the mainstream of scrapbooking supplies and clearly it has been recieved well.  Many of these orders were filled with items that I have sourced to sell on site that I really love.  It is a confirmation to me that I am on the right track in where I am taking my business and what I would like to present to my customers.  I have always said I only sell what I absolutely love which is why I don't stock whole lines of items only parts of them that resonate with me.

You see I have so many ideas in this head of mine that sometimes its frustrating as there is only one of me and only so many hours in the day and I want to do it all.  I am highly work oriented and have been from a young child that its hard to switch off.  Often just as I get into the momentum of working it is 3.20pm and time to pick up the kids and the reality is the working day is pretty much over once the kids are home until after they have gone to bed which is great if you are a night owl, not me however, I can do the early starts but struggle with the late nights.

So with that said I am constantly evolving this lovely little business of mine which I adore so much. To those who said it couldn't be done, I say it is being done. So greatful that I can do what I love doing and raise a family at the same time and be there for them as well.  It's not always easy and it certainly is a balancing act and I have plenty of moments when I doubt myself.

If I had to sum up what I feel I miss out on working from home

1.  The social aspect of going to work and spending the day working around others, it can be a bit quiet and lonely around here sometimes.
2. Working from home can feel like you are always home, which can be isolating.
3.  Not having a regular paycheck from week to week which you can depend on week in and week out as its always fluctuating.
4. Finally one of the biggest drawbacks is that it's hard to switch off and have boundries between work and family life.

On the positive however, I get to do what I love doing and am constantly challenging myself to come up with new ideas and concepts.  I love being creative and designing.  I love the feedback from customers and networking with like minded people.  It is so important to surround yourself with people that encourage you and lift you higher and have the same work ethic you do.  I can usually discern a person and whether they operate with integrity or not pretty quickly.  Being intuitive and following your instincts when you own your business is a must have skill.

So to sum up why I have my own business.  The quote at the top of the page says it all.  I know this post hasn't been a creative one but I am sure there are those of you who love to hear about the real life stuff of having an online business.  I try to keep it real here and yes doing what you love inspires others to do what they love.  Spending 8 hours a day doing something that you hate or just because it makes lots of money but you can't stand being there is a recipe for disaster.  In the long term it will wear you down and eventually even create an illness not to mention make you a difficult person to be around because no doubt you are miserable and probably take it out on your family or those you love.  Always pursue what you love to do and are passionate about if you have the option to and if its not an option right now begin to take steps to make it possible after hours.  Another of my favourite quotes "You don't need to see the whole staircase to take the first step."  Just begin where you are and do what you can and one step will lead to the next.

Okay well its way past my bedtime and I have gone on for way too long.

Night
Anna xx