It's just before Christmas, I'm in a warm house, surrounded by a few hundred products of mine that I've lovingly displayed for guests to browse and buy. I guess there's around 15 women, doing what we do best on a Friday night - sharing a bottle (or two!) of wine and having a good ol' chin wag.
This home party is going really well - the guests are relaxed, there's music playing in the background and we're all having a really great time. The conversation flows, covering a huge range of topics, from childbirth to holidays right through to who's going to win the X-Factor. Then, a lady turns to me and says 'So what else do you do?' I respond with 'Well, we attend some local fairs and markets as well as selling online.' I get a small puzzled look from her and then the realisation kicks in - 'Oh, so you don't have another job?' I smile and say no, this is my full time job.
This isn't the first time I've been asked what I do and been met with the same response - 'But don't you have another 'real' job?' It can either go one of two ways - I get looked at like I'm completely mad, and I think people even feel a little sorry for me (crazy lady setting up her own business in a recession) Or, I get the 'Wow, so this is YOUR business, just you?' These conversations usually go onto talks about the recession, how independent businesses survive and why I wanted to set up a new business when I did. *
I always get a little bit excited when the conversation turns to this - I love sharing the fact that I am independent - I don't have to sell certain products, at certain prices in a certain way. I have the flexibility to pick and choose what I sell and how I sell, and in doing so, I'm able to offer my customers a range of goods they want and prices they can afford.
Would I ever want a 'real' job? No way! I'm working hard at growing my business organically and although I'm still learning, I'm so pleased to be in the driving seat of my own business.
* (I'm going to talk about these 3 topics in the next few blogs)
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