Teacup Tuesday- Support

As I am sat drinking tea watching the rain splatter over my garden I’ve been thinking a lot about the degrees of support you rely on as a Mum and as a small business owner starting out.

Support comes in many levels and degrees.

Friends and family support us unconditionally. When we are ratbags, when we probably don’t deserve it and especially when we really do. They normally pull it out of the bag and astonish us with the level of help they offer.

Without them we’d be useless.

The support comes in many forms- As a degree of encouragement, a source of energy, to baby sit when tirelessly working, a person to bounce ideas off, to make sure you've eaten when you've been too busy to, to remind you to go to bed and most of all to believe in you.

In the past few weeks I have beckoned for help from friends and family, trying to pull together ideas and support. Always supporting other family members and friends as they too try to start something fresh and new. It’s important. What’s the point of keeping something you are good at and saving it for only you. I hope that for those who have helped me I can help them in some way soon. And for those that I have helped I hope I can call upon them when I need them. It's not a condition of helping, it's just nice to know you can call upon people. People who matter and can help.

From speaking to many starting out at the beginning of their journey, or somewhere mid point- It’s a hard time, a struggle and most certainly a time when self confidence is at it’s lowest. Even if you know you are on to a winner, at the beginning it can be tough.

So with the knowledge that I couldn’t do what I do without a little bit of help, I ask you all to do the same. Share your talent by helping someone else. Whether is be proof reading, giving advice, sharing your trade, helping to energise  someone dipping, looking after baby so you can get on or simply by making a Cuppa when they are mid flow- it all helps! I promise.

So...

Share the love,

Share your skills,

Share and support

Together we can do it!

P.s.......thank you to those who have helped in any way!

 unikgifts.co.uk

Teacup Tuesday- who is with me?

Our Teacup Tuesday blog at the end of last month was about the increase in postal charges we had swallowed up until now. We finally admitted defeat and rose our postage costs to cover Royal Mail's charges,  only to, shock horror, discover that on 1^st April they are due to rise again. So time and effort has been taken by Sarah to amend all charges just a week or so ago only to now need to increase them yet again! This is only until we are able to find a safe, fast and reasonable service as an alternative to Royal Mail.

To read about the changes to our posting charges read Sarah’s blog  here. 

With this rant and bother, Sarah and I have been grumbling about over the last week or so, It has made me reflect on how hard it is to be a small on line business now days. Or indeed any small business without a Big overdraft or a Head office and multiple shops to spread the administration costs over and to swallow up the additional fees and surcharges applied.

At the forefront of my mind is always that we are small because we choose to be. We don’t want to be a BIG company with multiple staff and multiple overheads. Our little company is to enable us to be creative, to showcase other small independent makers who work from home  and to keep the importance of a one to one special service.  And of course to enable us to be with our children as they grow.

My blog of last year “We are who we are!” Where I explain a little of the life of a small business and how important we are to the makers we work with. It is a rant yes, but I think it sums up what is important and quite honestly how I feel shopping should be. Not about mass produced nasties that swallow up all the independents who have personality and substance. Sadly independent fishmongers have slowly been disappearing from the highstreet……to make room for more Primarks, John Lewis stores & other super duper stores!? Are we to wait till all independent stores are a thing of the past that we can only tell our grandchildren about like an old story? 

So today, with my glue gun and fabric at the ready I have decided to use this grump and frustration delve it into a positive thing and turn it round into being constructive and creative. I down my laptop and pick up my paintbrush and pencils and try and make a stand against the Big wigs. I take a stand for handmade, beautiful craftspeople and makers. 

For independent companies.

Lets strive to buy local, buy handmade and support small independent businesses over the BIG DOGS!

Whose with me??

Lets make a difference.

unikgifts.co.uk