Running a small business by yourself (with a full time job) can be a rollercoaster. Since Croqi's been open for almost 2 months, I sat down and reflected on what I've learned!
So here are 5 wins and 5 challenges I've had.
Firstly, 5 wins:
1. Creating a product that people love
I have been blown away by the support I've had! It's so cool to create something that so many people are excited to receive. People I don't even know have shared my posts or created stories about my product without me ever asking them to. If you run a small business, you know that Instagram advertising is EXPENSIVE. I think a good chunk of my advertising is word of mouth and people just sharing because they like the idea of it. Thank you guys so much!
2. Getting to collaborate with amazing people
A handful of influencers have been happy to help me market my Croqis and I'm so grateful for them. I always put collaborating with influencers in the too hard basket (think trying to work with Kim Kardashian) but I was sooo wrong - I've actually had the opposite experience and nobody has been anything like Kim Kardashian. You guys know who you are. Thank you so much!
3. People freely giving me ideas for new products
I made the first batch of products on my own (obviously) and I had nobody to help me. But it feels like I've had so much help with subsequent product ideas! These are some of the messages I've had:
- "Can you make an A5 stencil?" x6 - DONE
- "Can you make different body shapes for curvy women?" x4 - DONE
- "Can you make a stencil that includes both the front and back?" x2 - DONE
etc
I never would have thought of these things (for example, I always thought bigger was better but it turns out people actually really want small stencils). Please always send me any ideas you have, I promise that I write them all down.
4. All the times I didn't know how to do something but worked it out
How do you do a customs declaration? Where do I get docuslips? How do I report my GST? What's a certificate of origin? What happens if some of my stencils are faulty? How many faulty stencils can I absorb and still be okay? How do I take product photos?
So many questions I've not known the answer to but had to work out. One day I hope to make a little course about it. I always assumed that making a small business would be easy but it's like having 5 jobs all at the same time.
5. Learning how to make reels
I was probably one of the last people to get Instagram (I first downloaded it when I finished my university degree in 2018). A few months ago, I had never posted a reel before. The only video editing I'd done was Snapchat filters (does that even count?). I'm still learning how to make posts and reels but I like to think I'm a lot better. I can probably make one in under 5 minutes now, if I have a clear idea (compared to my first one that probably took 5 hours). It's such a relief that I'm FINALLY getting over this learning curve (haha).
...and 5 challenges!
1. Australia Post logistics
Hey, they're good most of the time, but why are my Austrian parcels going to Canada? Why has my Irish parcel been returned to sender 2 times when I've been told the address is correct? These are the questions I'll never have the answer to. I've been refreshing everyone's tracking non-stop until I see that it's delivered. I never thought my greatest challenge would be what happens after you take your parcel to the post office (I always thought it would be everything leading to the sale). PS I ALWAYS want to know if you haven't received your parcel or if I can help in any way.
2. Assuming people will like certain products
I've had a lot of jackpots, but do you guys know that I haven't sold a single maternity stencil? I just assumed people would love these, and maybe they will eventually, but at the moment I'm kicking myself for ordering them! I guess it's all about the 80/20 rule - 20% of your products will get 80% of your sales. For the future I think I'll release products in very small batches (even if they're significantly more expensive to produce in very small batches), test the water, and then order more if it's working out.
3. Not having a shelving system
I'm currently limited for space by being in a small apartment, but each time someone places an order I have to hunt down the stencil in its cardboard box. The cardboard boxes are all stacked in my dining room, next to my dining set. Sometimes people order stencils that are in the bottom box and I have to unstack 4 boxes to get to them! I'm so grateful that we have recently managed to buy a house with a garage, so in the next couple of months I'll be able to get a shelving system and leave the cardboard boxes behind. Finding a stencil should be a lot more easy. I'M SO EXCITED!
4. Getting product reviews is hard
Less than 10% of people who buy my stencils write a review. As a customer, I definitely know how annoying it can be when a company asks me for a review. It feels like all of those 5 minute periods add up quickly, and soon I've spent the whole day writing reviews. I probably write reviews for 5-10% of companies I buy from - mostly small businesses and excellent salespeople I've interacted with. I assume bigger chains have enough reviews already. I'm currently at 8 reviews, and I'm so grateful for them, but I wish I could easily get more! Just small business things.
5. Not being brave
An aspirational version of me can walk into different fabric stores across WA and give them a sample of my stencils. I would love to sell these in physical stores. Shipping is a huge waste of money considering how inexpensive my stencils actually are - they're often cheaper than the shipping itself. For 2 months I have had little packs of stencils made up in my car, and I've actually sat out the front of Potter and Co (twice) trying to psych myself up to give them a sample. Does running a small business require you to put yourself out there? Probably. Am I brave? Not at all. My partner (bless him) has offered to speak to fabric stores on my behalf but I just don't think he can do the topic of fashion illustration justice.
So there you go! A few reflections. This was fun to write. Thank you to everyone for supporting my small business - I'm excited to keep getting ideas and feedback from you all and see where this goes xoxo Anna