I’ve had a fair number of people comment or ask about being my own boss with an increase lately so I thought I’d take that topic on in today’s blog post! So keep reading for some insight into the daily (and I do mean daily as in 7 days a week!) approach to running a microbusiness. There are plusses but it is not all rainbows and unicorns. One of the plusses is that I rarely set an alarm and trust me that IS a big benefit for me. But I’m usually up and making my commute to the kitchen between 7-7:30. Once the coffee is started the next thing that happens is starting up my laptop. So while the day starts within minutes of getting out of bed, there is no need to shower, dress, and put makeup on before making that very short commute down the stairs.
I have a specific set of online rounds as we refer to them while I drink my coffee, eventually eat some breakfast, etc. Sometimes this is a relatively quick process and other days it takes a good deal longer. It all depends on what has come in overnight in terms of emails and messages. While the ability to keep the business open around the clock and interact with global clients is a plus, it also has a downside in this digital age with an expectation of instant response. This means even on vacation or a day away I need to be in contact. Often I am able to answer with I’m out of the studio and will get back to you with more detail and when that will be. The vast majority of customers do seem to get that when they are shopping there is ONE person on the other end doing it all. But that also means I have to remember to get back to them so when I do travel or am away for other reasons I make lists and frankly tend towards old school paper and pen. At some point I either take a break or finish the morning’s administrative tasks and get dressed.
Not going to lie this is one of the plusses of “working from home” – I get to choose what I wear. Usually jeans and a tshirt, sweatshirt, sweater, etc as the season dictates. I freely admit that if I’m not heading out hair and makeup tend towards more functional than fashionable. In part because if I am spending the day sewing I don’t want to risk transferring makeup on to fabric. But I’m also “working from home” and that is interpreted far too often as being available and that is one of the minuses. Yes I have flexibility and can take time to do other things but when I do it means making up for it some other time. Of late this has been a significant issue but I’ll work through it.
The rest of the day is spent doing a variety of tasks depending on what needs to be done, the time of year, etc. These tasks include:
purchasing – no purchasing department to send it to! If I don’t stay ahead of what I need whether it is packaging materials, fabrics, whatever at some point everything shuts down. A lot can be done online but occasionally I have to actually walk into suppliers brick and mortar locations.
quotations and processing new orders – when doing custom work a fair amount of back and forth goes on between me and the potential client to determine the details and cost. New orders have to be recorded in the financial records (no accountant sitting in an office to send these to) and then either put into WIP (Work in Progress) or RTS (ready to ship) piles. Yes I do use a bit of pile management.
pull and prep or pack – some times fabrics have to be ordered and for other products I have it on hand but it requires prep. Flannels have to be washed to remove shrinkage before cutting. If something is ready to ship either as it is already made or is vintage, then it gets pulled from inventory storage along with the appropriate packaging and set on the shipping table.
Cut and sew, photograph, edit photos, write listings, manage inventory, promotional activites…and so much more. It is a none stop juggling act.
At the end of the day – and that varies between 5-6:30 depending on the day I pack orders that are ready to ship, generate shipping labels and set up a pickup.
I am lucky to be able to have my mail carrier pick up and deliver packages right to my door as this saves a ton of time. I also have 2 people that do take on some tasks. My spouse is my “shipping department” and puts the labels on packages. If he is here he will also often meet the carrier at the door and handle that. My daughter in law also helps. If I am going to be away for several days I can forward RTS orders to her and she will pull, pack, and ship those. She also does a good chunk of the vintage photography.
Over time I’ve developed systems and processes that allow me to organize my days. When things are a little less busy I do take a bit more down time. It is easy to let it take control but when last plus is that if my boss (aka me) gets a little too pushy I can tell her to take a hike and don’t get disciplined or fired! Thinking about starting your own mircobusiness? If so I hope this has given you a little insight into how that works. And if you were just curious why that person down the road seems to be home all the time but never has time to “do” anything well now you know! Have a great day!
Patten Creations™ 