10 years of indie biz life
Here’s me in my first HQ in Spain 10 years ago when I’d just launched
July 2009, back when the internet was still a bit of a mystery to me, I only really used it to book flights, I never shopped online and I didn’t even have Facebook! I know, I mean…wtf?
All I knew was I wanted a fashion & vintage shop. I’d originally intended to have an actual physical boutique but when it fell through at the last minute (after investing in and even decorating the shop) I was devastated. A friend suggested I opened an online shop instead
‘it’s the way of the future’ she said,
‘internet shopping? Surely it’ll never catch on’ I said!
The thought of it just didn’t excite me as much and, as a total technophobe, I had no clue where to start.
Thankfully I heeded her advice and set out on this arduous yet rewarding journey, learning as I went and making a string of mistakes along the way too.
To say it’s been a challenge is an understatement, there have been highs and lows galore. Running a small business on your own (on a shoestring) is tough, it’s full of difficult decisions, obstacles, problems, long days & late nights and anyone with
One summer my shop was one of 5 jobs I had on the go in order to buy stock and pay the bills!
There are times when you lose faith in yourself and question your abilities and there have even been moments when I considered throwing in the towel and getting a regular ‘secure’ 9 to 5!
But this is not a violin moment, on the contrary!
To anyone considering starting up their own business, my only advice is to just go for it. As long as you’re passionate about what you do and are prepared to dig deep and work hard, you will get there. I’ve still got a long way to go and a lot to learn but I am loving every minute (most of the time) and to everyone who’s ever bought anything from me I thank you from the bottom of my heart! You have made this whole journey possible 😘
Ok, enough of the Oscar-style speech, better get back to work 👩💻