2 min read
You know the saying “Time flies when you’re having fun”, well I can’t believe 2 years have gone by already. My entrepreneurial journey started when I was 29 yrs old. Disillusioned working for large organisations and always feeling I could “do it better”, I took the plunge into the business world and for 7 years ran a successful café/outside catering business. Cutting a long story short, family life changed and I was ready to sell the business as a going concern. During this time I raised a family, had a few interesting job roles and moved to Scotland but that entrepreneurial mindset never left me. So, 10 years later I was eager to put my entrepreneurial skills to the test once again!
Funny How Things Turn Out
To run a business you need motivation, determination, resilience, value and vision but also you need people in your life. You can’t do EVERYTHING by yourself and honestly, it would be boring if you could. I have met some phenomenal people along the way (including my husband!) and I can’t help but wonder where I would be now if I hadn’t met them and if they hadn’t introduced me to certain people or shared their knowledge & expertise with me. I have gained so much business knowledge along the way and here is just one of my favourite quotes that resonates with me and hopefully you too.
Some of my Favorite Moments
- There are plenty but here are just a few. The very first time I imported stock. I was so excited I took a photo of the delivery man. He thought I was strange but smiled for the photo anyway!
- The Virgin Money Lounge invited me to their event in Glasgow. It was a lovely intimate event and I got to meet some great people and made some valuable collaborations.
- The INCube course for new start-ups is obviously high on my list. After presenting my pitch, I was accepted onto the course. I was connected with other entrepreneurs, innovators and experienced business advisors. This, without a doubt, helped provide me with the knowledge to build the foundations of a solid business model.
- Our first big order! It’s a great feeling getting that first big order. I also loved the design. It was fun to process and print them and even better when the customer was delighted with them.
What Now
- I had the opportunity to visit Barbados for potential business, which sounds fantastic, doesn’t it!. Unfortunately, that isn’t going to happen this year now. That’s OK though, I’m a firm believer in “one door closing and another opening” and we have a few other plans but they are on hold until next year (due to the Covid-19 pandemic)
- We are continuously working on improving our website and customer service to make the order process as quick and easy as possible. We always value your opinion and input. So please do get in touch if you have any suggestions or comments here https://www.flipflopdesign.shop/contact-us/
- Gift Card options are now available. It’s for customers that love the idea of giving personalised flip flops as a gift but would like the receiver to be able to create their own.
- Instructional Videos will also be available soon. These will be from 1-2 mins long and a great help for those who need a bit of guidance in designing their perfect custom Flip Flops. You can check out these little gems HERE. If you want to get inspiration from past customer orders, then check these out too. Quick Tip: A couple of sites that are great for providing FREE images (that you can upload onto the Flip Flops) are Pixabay and Pexels
- Not only that but for those of you looking for more unique gift idea, we will be introducing some NEW personalised products, so watch this space!
- So, as a thank you to friends, family and loyal customers we are currently offering a 10% discount. Just click HERE for more details and to order your Personalised Flip Flops. It’s been a great 2 years and here’s to many more!