This is the first post of what I hope will be a monthly series: Diary of a Small Business Owner. I would like to give you an exclusive view behind the scenes of my one-woman stationery business.
Let's dive in!
May has been an emotional roller coaster. In terms of sales it wasn't a great month. In-person at markets as well as online. However, I have made fantastic progress on my autumn collection which should launch in September, as well as the update of my best-selling calendars.
Since you're here, I would love to give you a first little glimpse at the upcoming autumn collection which will again be in collaboration with KreativWerkstatt24.
This new collection excites me for a multitude of reasons:
- The pattern is an updated version of my very well-loved mushroom designs and I feel that I managed to elevate it to a whole new level.
- It will be a bigger range with a variety of mushroom products so hopefully everyone can find something that works for them.
- We are introducing a new type of product which I have been wanting to create for ages. What do you think it will be? You can take a guess in the comments!
- We have found a new production partner whose mission is to produce paper products as sustainably as possible. This collection will be printed on 100% recycled paper with plant-based ink and powered by renewable energy. Additional great news: this will not affect the retail prices of the products.
The new collection will launch on 3rd September 2024. I know that's 3 months away but I am so excited about it, I want to share that excitement with you.
By the way: if you haven't signed up to our newsletter yet, you can do that and will be the first to know about new products (and get a 10% on your first order). SIGN UP HERE!
I have also invested in a new tool for my studio. You may know that all my desk calendars are completely handmade. The previous punching tool for the wire binding was unfortunately not meant for the intense use I put it through. In preparation for the 2025 desk calendar collections I have upgraded to a heavy duty punching tool. This will make my life a lot easier.
A lot of work and money was invested in optimising the production process of the best-selling desk calendars. I will also release new designs to build out the range. Let me tease you a bit more: It will be all about Fairy Tales & Folklore!
My conclusion for May 2024 would be the following: You cannot always measure success by numbers such as sales or followers, sometimes it’s all the awesome things you have achieved in preparation for upcoming bigger things.
Looking ahead: What will June bring?
June will be an incredibly busy month with at least 6 events. The biggest one will be StationeryFest in Manchester on 29th June 2024. It is a consumer oriented event which means it’s open to the public and you can check out loads of stationery businesses from all over the UK and even Europe. There will also be talks and workshops. So if you love your stationery, get yourself a ticket and check it out.
Check out the ‘Where to find me!’ Page for all the upcoming events and details.
In other news, my aim is to go back to posting content more frequently on all social media platforms which is an important but sometimes exhausting part of running a small business all by yourself.
Thank you so much for reading this complete post. I really hope it gave you some interesting insight behind the scenes of a small business. You can leave questions or comments below!