May was full of mistakes. I shipped out cake stands with the wrong date. I shipped out cake stands with the wrong name. I shipped out cake stands late. I shipped orders to the wrong address. I glazed items in the wrong color.
If it was something I could mess up, chances are pretty good that I did.
I've refunded more money than I care to think about. I've written more apologetic emails than I care to admit.
And if you were on the receiving end of one of the emails, let me say it again. I'm so sorry.
So what went wrong? Several things. Some of which had been gaining steam for a couple of months. Some are personal and some are business. March was my busiest month to-date and getting ready for my two festivals put me behind schedule. I was overwhelmed and tired.
And when things go wrong, I generally like to use band-aids. But I think this calls for something more drastic.
Enter: Kenn.
Kenn is my life partner and best friend. We spend everyday together. He has always been a cheerleader for me and my business. Now, it is time for him to get more involved.
Moving forward, he will be organizing my emails and orders. Helping out with the online mess (which I am streamlining- more on that next time.) And just generally keeping tabs on what is going on with the business.
I've resisted this for so long. I don't really want employees and I have always considered my business MINE. No matter how messy, no matter how confusing. It was MINE. The success was MINE, and this month- the failure was MINE, too. It is time to share that load. Kenn has always been a big part of keeping me moving forward and giving me a push when needed. So now he gets to do it more often!
I expect some bumps in the road while we work out the dynamic and details. But it is already moving forward smoother than before. We bought clipboards! We've organized my orders!
I would love to hear from other people about similar experiences. Any words of advice for bringing spouses/family/friends into your work life?
3 comments:
Sorry to hear you had a stressful May! Your ceramics are beautiful (I'm eyeing your wedding cake stands!)and the nice thing about buying handmade is that buyers understand you are human and can make mistakes like any other person. Cheers to a wonderful June!
Hi Valerie! Thank you for your kind words. And yes, everyone has been so kind and understanding! I am so grateful for that!
So sorry about your month of May but sounds like you're creating a positive from it all and making changes. I've been gearing down in my business but when I did do the busier show route I had to rely on my husband and he was and still is a great support. Besides the heavy lifting, tent raising, etc, he has made me tools and does a fabulous job of setting up Excel sheets for my business. I would never have anyone else help me in this way so I'm all for the family working together. Good luck and have fun with your growing partnership!
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