Planning And Packing

After what seems like years but was really only 3 months - our house sale has finally gone through! This means that for the first time I need to not only move house but move a business as well.
The house move doesn't really phase me - I have done it several times, this will be our 6th move in 7 years, so I admit sorting out packing / change of address seems quite straightforward.
The more difficult challenge will be trying to keep the business running with as few interruptions as possible.
The first challenge as always is BT - I have to admit that I don't lose my temper very often, but I do find dealing with BT call centres very frustrating. With an online business the phone line is probably the bit I am most concerned about - followed by the internet connection. Worrying about curtains / furniture and post pales into insignificance in comparison.

Minimising the amount of disruption to the Bulldog is probably number 3 on the list. As she has got older, the sight of any bags / boxes and luggage turn her into a quivering jelly. Setting up for shows sends the poor dog into deep trauma. She will be shipped off to my parents again to have a little holiday on the farm - although now she is older she has become more demanding, so she does tend to outstay her welcome more quickly these days!

Once the dog is sorted then the more straightforward bits like office stationery / website can be dealt with, as well as shifting all the stock 

Moving will also bring some exciting new additions to the Ochre And Ocre range that we have been holding off on, until we move.

So don't be surprised if you don't see many blog updates over the next few weeks - but I hope to be able to back online and incommunicado by the second week in May, (BT willing!).

As routine as it gets!

The strange thing about this self employed lark is that there is no set routine. Where I have worked in big corporations before, set things happen on set days; meetings about the figures, meetings about ranges, meetings about meetings. Working on your own there is none of that, but it still never ceases to amaze me how bizarre my week can be sometimes.
Today I had my 5 minutes of fame on the local radio station. It was a bit of a cheesy daily feature about local businesses, who get a song played of their choice if they let someone go home early. There in lies the problem; I work on my own, from home, so I guess I might just log off a bit earlier tonight instead!
On the plus side the DJ was great and mentioned Ochre And Ocre loads, so you never know what it might bring.
Gert as usual was trying to get involved by snoring very loudly from her box - I woke her up just before my allotted time and tried to move her from my office onto the sofa. But I should have listed to that old adage "let sleeping dogs lie", because snoring is nothing compared to barking, as she decided she wanted to be let out several times in a row, just before I went "live".

I am off to Marlborough tomorrow for a show. It is a fund raiser for Cancer Research, a cause I am quite passionate about, but apparently we are in for a few days of sun shine, so I hope the local Marlbourians turn up, and don't have a garden day.

Tired but happy!!

Life is starting to get back to normal after a hectic week at the Country Living Fair. It was our most successful show to date - mainly down to the new British Collection. (Thanks Lindsey for doing the designs!)
We had so many positive comments ; "so much nicer than Cath Kidston", (my fav!),  "lovely to see something fresh", "so nice to see such soft colours".....it was a huge boost to my confidence, and it wasn't just comments, the sales reflected the feedback as well. For the first time ever we have sold out of two lines; ironing board covers and peg bags. Repeat orders are already underway, but as a evangelic non ironer, I was amazed at peoples response to the ironing board. (By the way Garden Trading I think you owe me some commission - I could have sold 25 of your boards last week!).
It is a hard and tiring week, from dragging all your stock and props up two flights, to keeping your legs crossed waiting for an opportune moment to dash to the loo!
It was touch and go when we were loading up as to whether we would have to jettison some of our props, as despite having empty bags, in the rush to load the car it didn't all quite fit in the way it had when we loaded it at home! Resulting in me having to sit with the stool around my head, two bags under my feet and one on my lap - really pleased when it took ages getting out of town due to some major football match.
As always after such a hectic week, as soon as you stop your body says it needs a rest - so I am currently sneezing and sniffling at my desk! Needless to say the dog has left the room in protest to avoid the germs!
Very annoyed as I haven't had the energy to train with Sharon at BFFA this week, so missing my weekly aggression vent as well as gossip catch up!They are about to launch their new look and revamp the dojo which will look fantastic!

The only down side to being self employed is there is no one to do your work whilst you are away - although I have to admit my husband did a sterling job last week sending out orders whilst I was away, and I've not had any complaints so they must have been ok!!!

But we still have over 50 swatch cards to send out, newsletter to finish, and the horrible accounts so I'd better get on with it!

Spring Has Sprung!

It's lovely sitting in the office first thing in the morning - the sun streams through the windows, and Edgehill Escarpment shimmers in the background. Outside in the garden the first of the bulbs are peeping through, and with lighter nights it will soon be t shirt weather!
Even the bulldog has taken to sauntering around the garden more, sniffing the air - as opposed to the dash across the lawn and jog back when it's cold.

We are mainly preparing for the Country Living show this week - packing up boxes and suitcases - preparing labels, and swatch cards, and bubble wrapping props. As ever the age old question is just how much stock should we take, especially with the new additions.
A lot depends on how much we can physically stuff into the car!

I'm also catching up with Rachel Spivey this week - officially to finally drop off her long overdue stock of the new Polka Dot range - part payment for her fab photos. Unofficially because she is taking me to a new haberdashery shop that has opened in Leamington Spa - we both have big dreams of making lots of new clothes and tarting up old ones, but at the moment neither of us have got much further than talking about it! I tend to spend my evenings sewing Lavender Hearts are sticking fabric into swatch cards. Apparently the shop is stuffed with beautiful ribbons and fabric, but knowing I've got a busy few weeks ahead I must be strong and not buy too many new projects!
 

New Range finally launched!

I'm guessing you are all really fed up with hearing about our new ranges by now! But like any proud mum, after months of planning, nearly missing deadlines and errant deliveries, (more about that later), our chic new British collection finally went live on the site this week. 

All seemed ok, the first order was almost immediate, and everything seemed normal, until the lovely Nicola from Daisy Green tried to place an order for her mam for Mothers Day. She tried, and tried, and the computer kept saying no! In a mild panic I rang Philippe, from Blue Earth Solutions, but we could not see what was wrong. He could place an order ok, but I couldn't - after a few hours of trying different browsers, and even computers, my Cluedo skills came to the fore, and by a process of elimination, and step by step analysis I found the rogue element. A small little ;  - yes just a semi colon. In computer speak apparently in the wrong place its akin to a formula when typed into a sentence. Phillippe quickly removed the offending dots, and we were back on track! 

Thankfully Nicola was patient, and willing to try again - it worked, and it was resolved just in time as another two orders came through just an hour later! 

Once again, it was times like this when you realise that you really are on your own, working from home, with no help desk to call upon. But also once again, thanks to a strong network of friends / contacts,  there are ways to resolve things. 

Being a planner, I like things to run on time, and be under control, so the fact that the lorry carrying the stock had a broken axle and was being fixed somewhere in the South of France on Wednesday did nothing to soothe my frazzled nerves - luckily all has been resolved and the shipment is back on track! 

Fortunately I had requested several samples initially, so I was able to fulfil the initial orders. 

With only two weeks now before The Country Living Show, there is still lots to sort out - and as always trying to plan what stock to take and guess at likely sales levels is no easy task!

We are going to do a miniature version of the stand we had at the NEC - it had a great reaction, and showed off the new ranges brilliantly. We still have a few tickets left for the show - so if you are interested drop a note to our customer service email, with your name and address and we will get them in the post to you. 

Unique Wooden Napkin Rings

After driving miles through snow storms, into the depths of Northamptonshire seeing the latest work from Peter the woodturner was a warm welcome.
In exchange for a large piece of Welsh Blackthorn from my Dad's farm and some hard currency I was in possession of several sets of our gorgeous new wooden napkin rings.
Peter had invested in a new polishing brush (thingy), but it has given the napkin rings a really smooth tactile surface that contrasts beautifully with the bark and natural wood textures. One set even has a bit of green moss left on them, (treated with spray lacquer so it is perfectly hygienic).
He had also done two sets of 6 - something we have been asked for in the past. Obviously as every set is unique I have found the easiest way to help customers select a set is to send them a picture of every set, and they can choose.
They are really unique gifts - the kind of thing that becomes an heirloom, and are perfect wedding presents. I have attached a few pictures of some of the sets for you to ooh and aahh over!

 

  

 

Isabella & Madelaine Launch

 

 Our new British collection was really well received at the Spring Fair at the NEC last week. It was a wholesale event, but it was great to get feedback from other retailers. Isabella the blue design was the most popular, and people were loving the fact that it wasn't yet another ditsy floral. The greyed off colourways were also loved - both in the Sage Green and Campden Blue.  

We can't wait to get the new collection online - the stock is due to arrive in 2 weeks time. It's really exciting that some really lovely stores up & down the UK will also be carrying our range.

It's funny which items attract the most interest, and our new peg bag was really popular. 

No time to rest between shows - Ochre And Ocre are taking part in the Country Living Spring Fair in a few weeks time, so we need to plan our new stand layout, and work out how we are going to fit all of our stock onto a small site. We are there under the WIRE umbrella again, (Women In Rural Enterprise). Jo Verity is also taking a stand there for the first time. Watch out for our March newsletter - we will be giving away some free tickets to the fair.