In my last post I wrote about the challenges of locking down a manufacturer. Well these challenges exist, but the way I’ve begun to think about things have evolved. I realise that there are many ways to do this manufacturing thing. I don’t think my day one manufacturer needs to be my forever manufacturer. Sometimes you write these things down and it seems so obvious, a giant ‘duuuuuhhh’ but you’d be surprised that when you’re in it, such simple revelations can feel like epiphanies. I’m probably going to have a day one manufacturer which will allow me to have very low minimums at very high prices and I’ll most likely run at a loss. Surely that’s a big no-no when running a business? Well yes, I don’t want to permanently run at a loss, but I also don’t want MOQs and a low unit price. You see in my heart my products are perfection. I love them, I’m excited about them and I want the whole world to experience them. However my head says – and thank God for this head – as I start to produce these garments they are going to evolve. There will be room for improvement. I’d rather produce fewer pieces earlier on, get feedback and get to a much better product before pushing the button and producing so many.
I feel like I’m going to end up with different manufacturers for different stages in the process till I get to a point where I’m big enough for a manufacturer to be willing to do smaller test runs with me alongside bigger orders. Now that will be an exciting time and one I look forward to. This season has taught me that I need to continue to push myself to not think of things in a linear fashion when it comes to setting up a business.
Sidenote: I find it extremely tedious looking for these post images, so please bear with me. Some of them are truly awful.
It’s been two weeks since I’ve written. I’m still going through a phase where I’m struggling to find balance and spend my time in an optimal way – the quest for boundaries continues. However it’s fine, I’m here, I’m well and many positive things have happened. One of which is that I’ve found a Coach. …
Oh Friday night, how you’ve changed! I’m in bed with a cup of redbush tea as I write this. Elsa is singing ‘Let it Go’ on repeat faintly from the babies’ room and I’m a little on edge because in the back of my mind one of them may wake up at any moment, demanding …
This week production re-commenced in our manufacturing location which was a huge milestone for me. It’s been lots of starts and stops as a result of COVID related restrictions. When production did start again in factories, PPE was prioritised, but now it looks like everything is up and running again. I’m waiting to get a …
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There Are Many Ways To Skin An Eggplant
The more common version of this saying – I won’t dignify it by writing it out – involves felines. Now I’m not an animal rights champion, I’m not even vegetarian, but it felt inhumane to write that phrase down. Fortunately the clever people at http://theanimalrightsactionsite.blogspot.com/2014/01/animal-friendly-alternatives-for-common.html gave me this alternative and here we are.
In my last post I wrote about the challenges of locking down a manufacturer. Well these challenges exist, but the way I’ve begun to think about things have evolved. I realise that there are many ways to do this manufacturing thing. I don’t think my day one manufacturer needs to be my forever manufacturer. Sometimes you write these things down and it seems so obvious, a giant ‘duuuuuhhh’ but you’d be surprised that when you’re in it, such simple revelations can feel like epiphanies. I’m probably going to have a day one manufacturer which will allow me to have very low minimums at very high prices and I’ll most likely run at a loss. Surely that’s a big no-no when running a business? Well yes, I don’t want to permanently run at a loss, but I also don’t want MOQs and a low unit price. You see in my heart my products are perfection. I love them, I’m excited about them and I want the whole world to experience them. However my head says – and thank God for this head – as I start to produce these garments they are going to evolve. There will be room for improvement. I’d rather produce fewer pieces earlier on, get feedback and get to a much better product before pushing the button and producing so many.
I feel like I’m going to end up with different manufacturers for different stages in the process till I get to a point where I’m big enough for a manufacturer to be willing to do smaller test runs with me alongside bigger orders. Now that will be an exciting time and one I look forward to. This season has taught me that I need to continue to push myself to not think of things in a linear fashion when it comes to setting up a business.
Sidenote: I find it extremely tedious looking for these post images, so please bear with me. Some of them are truly awful.
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The Coach Approach
It’s been two weeks since I’ve written. I’m still going through a phase where I’m struggling to find balance and spend my time in an optimal way – the quest for boundaries continues. However it’s fine, I’m here, I’m well and many positive things have happened. One of which is that I’ve found a Coach. …
Spreadsheets are BAE*
Oh Friday night, how you’ve changed! I’m in bed with a cup of redbush tea as I write this. Elsa is singing ‘Let it Go’ on repeat faintly from the babies’ room and I’m a little on edge because in the back of my mind one of them may wake up at any moment, demanding …
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This week production re-commenced in our manufacturing location which was a huge milestone for me. It’s been lots of starts and stops as a result of COVID related restrictions. When production did start again in factories, PPE was prioritised, but now it looks like everything is up and running again. I’m waiting to get a …