Big milestone for a small business

Being your own boss is great. Other than doing something you LOVE for a living, working for yourself has tons of perks. However, with those perks come the negatives, and in almost equal measure in recent weeks! Running your own small business, particularly in the early years demands your life and soul. Some days I wish I worked in a regular 9-5 job, at least I would have a life!

Some weeks are more productive than others, but these last few have seen me up til’ 1am/2am working on new products and collaborations that are in the pipeline and of course, catching up on a gazillion emails. I’m exhibiting at Home & Gift in Harrogate next month so on top of everything else, I’ve a lot I’m needing to get sorted for that, my list seems never-ending!

So, the other day, when I was feeling particularly stressed and tired, I saw an image that my fulfilment team sent me of my products being loaded onto 1 of 2 pallets, about to make its way to Waterstones. And it brought it all home to me, why I’m doing what I’m doing. It reminded me of a pic my husband took of me just over 3 years ago – of me packing an order for Waterstones when I first started supplying them and it dawned on me how far I (and the business) had come since that Friday evening in May 2013. I’ve huge ambitions for Cherith Harrison Ltd and so I’ve still a long way to go before those goals are realised, but together with the amazing and continued support from my customers (for which I’m forever thankful), we will get there. It’s just good every now and again to step back, look at what you’ve achieved and not what you’ve still to do and of course, give yourself a pat on the back where deserved which, for the first time in ages – I actually did.

xxx