One year in... Sink or Swim

August 25, 2017

One year in... Sink or Swim

This time last year I was agonising over the choice between returning to the career I loved, or figuring out a way to earn enough money to stay at home with my daughter. The decision was made harder as the situation was very much ‘all or nothing'. I had a very demanding job with long hours and a long commute. Returning would mean my husband would have been responsible for all nursery drop offs and pick-ups whilst I left the house at 6.30am, not to arrive home until after 8pm. Essentially I would have only seen my daughter at weekends; Saturday morning till Sunday evening. Whilst that may be the right (or only) decision for some people, it wasn't right for me and it isn’t why I became a parent. I would have loved the option of returning part-time, but sadly that was out of the question. The company I worked for were far from accommodating or flexible unfortunately. Part time hours, working from home or anything other than the full five day, office-based, office hours week were not on the table or offered to me. And that was non-negotiable…

Having always been quite artistic with a love for making I wanted to take this opportunity to let my creative side free! It had been trapped, focusing purely on numbers for the past eight years. Working in retail for over a decade as well as possessing a degree in the sector, I felt confident that I had the creative ability and business mind to have a go at starting something of my own. One Little Bear Ltd was born. Starting a new business on your own, whatever it is, is extremely challenging and demanding so hats off to anyone who takes the plunge!

So here I am...one year in. Was it the right decision? It was definitely the right decision for me to stay home with my girl. She is absolutely hilarious, she keeps me on my toes, is more challenging than any job I've ever had and she makes me laugh every day. To think of all the special moments that I would have missed if I had returned to full time work... I am just so fortunate (and grateful) that I have been able to spend this time with her. As for One Little Bear Ltd... that's a much more complicated question! It often feels like I am running up an escalator the wrong way. I keep on trudging on but it never feels like I am making any progress. I feel tempted to throw in the towel almost weekly.

Trying to balance designing and creating, networking and promoting, and blogging on the side is a constant struggle. Especially when my biggest and main priority is being the best mum I possibly can be to Little Bear. As I try to stay on top of everything, I get far too hung up on all the things I haven't achieved. I see articles in the press discussing mums starting companies in their spare time and making millions. What am I doing wrong? What can I do better? Am I not working hard enough? But if I sit back and actually think about what I have achieved in my first year, I should actually be pretty darn proud!

· Set up and regularly update Social Media with a growing following

· Set up Website

· Renovated Summer House into workable Studio space

· Designed Logo and Marketing Materials

· Designed and made a range of 26 products - 22 sales so far

· 28 Blogs Published with almost 7,000 page views

· Brand Rep for MyMountainBoutique.com

· Editor of the local NCT newsletter

· Opened Etsy store and chosen to be a seller at the - Etsy Made Local market, Oxford

So why do I still feel like a failure? I know I am being impatient…Rome wasn't built in a day and all that. But the hours I spend pushing to get my name out there on social media, the time that goes in to making just one mobile, the late nights after LB has gone to bed…is it all worth it? I would estimate I am currently earning around 50p an hour when you take in to account designing, making, marketing... I spend hours agonising of SEO and Social Media Algorithms. Did you know just because you like and follow my page if you don't consistently engage with my posts Facebook will stop you seeing them in your news feed? I have posts that are seen by less than 1% of the people who like my page. I like to hope that I am setting foundations for the future of One Little Bear. That even if I am not rolling in it right now I have solid base to build from. That by the time LB goes off to school I will have a bigger following and more time to devote to the business.

The first anniversary of One Little Bear Ltd has really made me reflect on the progress I’ve made so far and think about the future of my little company and plan how I evolve from here. Do I 'Sink' or 'Swim'? 80% of businesses fail in their first year…is that going to be me? I am going to push forward for now. I am looking forward to optimising the Christmas period and coming up with some exciting Christmas-themed items. I have my first craft fairs coming up, so it will definitely be interesting to see how they go. As we head in to the festive period (I realise it is still the Summer Holidays for most but fellow crafters will understand the need to start thinking festive!!) my focus will be on stock and new products.

In closing, I’d like to repeat my plea to you all to please support your local small businesses – you have no idea the hours they are putting in! Like their social media posts, comment on photos, think of them when you are looking to buy a gift, recommend them to others etc. It means so much when someone takes the time to comment on a product/blog/service, someone recommends you or leaves a nice review. With that in mind, I’ll by recommending a few small businesses I like...

Finishing Touches by Kelly - Prop Hire

Hilary Clea - Illustration

Meadowsweet Crafts - Knitted goods and gifts

Little Pickle Creations - Baby/Kids gifts

Our Year in Pictures!

Follow me on Instagram for lots more - instagram.com/onelittlebearltd/