You wouldn't believe it.... The day after my last post, I received an email from someone who wanted to come and talk to me about buying my business, an actual genuine buyer! I couldn't believe my luck! So we made an appointment for her to come and see me this morning.... As I was on my way to the shop my mobile rang. It was the woman who was supposed to be meeting with me, she told me she was unwell and couldn't make it.
I let her do the talking as I didn't want to set up another appointment only to be stood up again. So after she finished appologising profusely, she asked me if I had another day that she could come in and meet with me. When she asked this, I felt a little better about the situation. So I have made another appointment for this week - So we'll see how it goes. Hopefully she'll turn up and the sick call wasn't a fob off.
Since my last post, I really don't have anything to write about. Life has just been all work related. No cross stitching or latch hooking and the weather is just wet and miserable. I still haven't had a chance to put Tango's new day cage together, I'm hopeful that will get done during the week. Fingers crossed!
I hope you're having a great weekend!
Nothing terribly exciting has been happening here at the moment. There hasn't been much action in terms of selling my shop, I've had a lot of people comment that they wish they were in a position to buy it - but no genuine queries. So for the time being, it's business as usual. Regardless of where you live in the world you'll hear me cheering when someone hands over a cheque! You have no idea how over it I am.
On a more pleasant note I finished a latch hook kit that I started last year. I stopped for two reasons, the 1st reason was that I reached the nose section and there were two orange colours and I couldn't figure out which orange was which! It was sooo frustrating! Even my wife, who examined the colours couldn't figure them out. They were listed as light and bright orange, but telling the two apart was near impossible! The 2nd reason I stopped was because it was summer when I was doing it, and it felt like I had a rug across my knees and it was just too hot lol So when I pulled it out last month I just decided that if I stuffed the orange colours up, tough luck! I wanted it done! As it turned out, I got them right lol
So now I just have to cut the excess canvas off and buy a rod or some rug hanging clips as I'll hang it at Christmas, rather than put it on the floor because my dogs will probably play tug of war with it.
Now I know some (Okay a lot lol) of latch hook kits can look quite tacky and are really suited to kids craft, but I found doing this in front of the TV much easier than cross stitching - especially since I started my first linen project (Eeeekkk!)
So you know I love Halloween! So a couple of weeks ago when I started back on my Christmas kit, I started looking for a Halloween themed latch hook and to be honest, most of them were so basic! I couldn't find anything that I liked. Some of them only had 3-4 colours or looked like something a 5 year old designed. The I found the one pictured above from Herrschners, it was perfect! It was Halloweeny and had enough definition to keep me interested :)
The evening I finished my Christmas one, I was wondering how long until my new one would arrive as I couldn't wait to get started on it lol Guess what? It arrived the next day! Woo Hoo!!
Holey Moley! It's big! On the rug description the size says 69 x 102 cm. That's the finished size, the actual canvas is massive! I started it yesterday and trying to sit on the lounge with it in my lap was an art-form lol
This kit really is one for the latch hooking adults, I was so impressed with this kit when I opened it up. It came in a clear zip up carry bag, all of the yarn is already separated and in their own little baggies and labeled by colour and yarn dye number! This was one thing I was dreading when I ordered it! I just thought "Oh..... Going through all those colours and separating them is going to take me all day!" The other thing is that the yarn is sooo soft!! Both kits use acrylic yarn, however the Christmas latch hook kit yarn was very cheap feeling. The yarn in this kit, almost feels like real wool. I think due to the size of this kit and the awkwardness of sitting on the lounge with it, it's going to take me a little while to finish lol
I finally picked up the missing wheels for Tango's second cage, so I will put that together at some point - maybe next week if I get a chance. I can't wait to see his reaction as to why he has two cages lol I'll have to post a photo of him checking out his new digs lol
Anyway, I'll be off! Wish me luck in selling this business!
I last wrote on Wednesday and I was writing about a decision I had made. I didn't disclose what the decision was, all I could say was I didn't take the making of this decision lightly and that it was making me feel ill. I also wrote that the next time I wrote a post would be when my decision had come into effect.
So here I am, ready to spill the beans. As some of you know I purchased a retail business a while back. Prior to purchasing this business I was planing on starting my own ceramics business. Anyway the business I purchased came up for sale just prior to me starting my ceramics business. At the time I thought I could combine the two and create my ceramic pieces in the theme of the store. However the store is open 7 days a week, which leaves very little time to do anything else. So I have decided to sell the retail business for a couple of reasons.
I wrote a post on 12th August:- A Couple Of Outings.
It was about my wife and I going out for lunch. I started using a
calendar on my PC in February where I note down everything that we do,
need to go, appointments, etc. We went out for lunch because when I
looked at the calendar I noticed that we hadn't been out together since I
started the calendar! Every bit of 'free time' when we're both home
together was dedicated to the store. Running a business that's open 7 days a week, plus having an online store, plus managing staffing and then paperwork is incredibly time consuming, draining and stressful. All of these elements equal no life. I've always believed that you should work to live, not live to work.
So the lack of personal time is one reason I'm selling, the second reason I'm selling is that my heart is in ceramics. It's something I have always wanted to do, I started working on this business years back while working a regular 9-5 job before my Aunt became ill - it isn't a new idea. I put the business on hold to care for her, then when she was well again I went back to starting the business. Then sadly her illness returned and it was terminal. I ceased working on my ceramics business again to stay with her, which was my choice and one I will never regret. In my Aunts last days she actually said to my wife 'Make sure Alex keeps doing his ceramics'. She also said this to me a day or two after she said it to my wife. So I guess part of me wants to forge on ahead with my ceramics for her.
Running my own ceramics business from home will be less stressful for me and better for my health, some might say how is running one small business going to be different from another? It'll be different because I'll be able to choose when I want to work, I won't have the stress of finding replacement staff if someone is sick, I won't have to worry about shoplifters as my ceramics business will be online only, if I want to go on a holiday I won't have the worry of if the store is ok, there are so many reasons. The bottom line is that I won't be responsible for anyone but me.
The reason this choice to sell made me feel ill was that I had to tell my staff that I was selling. This is why I didn't disclose my reason the other day, because I hadn't yet spoken to them. I have a great team and we all work very well together. In my time owning this business I have hired and fired - with good reason, I'm not a nazi. In fact my staff refer to me as a softie lol It was a hard choice to make in selling this business because I do like it, I like the feel of it, I like the reputation it has, I like just about everything about it - except it takes up all of my time. It also takes up a lot of my wife's time as she does the books.
I don't feel that owning this business was a mistake, I believe everything happens for a reason and I have learnt a lot in owning it. However it's time to move on. So I have put the business up for sale, now it's just a waiting game to see who wants to buy it.
I'm looking forward to the next chapter in my life, I kind of feel that I'm starting from scratch again, in a sense I am, but in a sense I'm not. I'm not the kind of person that's scared of the unknown. My father used to tell me that he was proud of me, because I was always trying things that other people would be too scared to do.
I'm sure there's loads of people out there with business ideas, but it's the fear that holds them back. What's the worst thing that could happen? The business fails..... So you get up, dust yourself off and try something else. You only live once, I don't want to be an old person one day with the regret of 'I wish I had tried this or I wish I had done that'. If my ceramics doesn't take off, I'll have no shame or regret. Because I tried.
So onwards and upwards! No regrets, no fear, take life by the horns head on and enjoy the ride! If you follow your heart you'll never know where life will take you and the journey you'll be on. So sit back and take in the scenery!
We make decisions everyday of our lives, some are as simple as deciding what to wear, some are much harder. I recently made a decision regarding something which I didn't take lightly. The reason that I didn't take it lightly is because it involves other people and my decision will affect them. I'm not going to disclose this decision here today as it doesn't come into effect yet. However once it does, I will write about this decision, why I made it and why it was hard.
Initially when I came to the conclusion that I had come to a cross road and had to choose which fork in the road to choose, I felt relief after choosing - it was almost immediate. However, now that this choice I have made is becoming more of a reality, it's making me feel quite ill. I don't normally make life choices that affect others, any choices I make are usually small and about myself - what's right for me, how will this affect my day/future etc, do I go to the supermarket before the hardware shop, what will save me time today? Etc.
Apart from my wife, my sister is the only other person who knows about this choice I have made. I was speaking with her today via Facebook and telling her how I was feeling, after some back and forth conversation my sister said 'Remember why you're doing it'. She was the sane, calm voice of reason that gave me the jolt I needed to remind me that there was a bigger picture here, and this decision was only a small stepping stone within this larger picture.
Don't get me wrong, I still feel somewhat ill. However those five words that my sister wrote on the screen did help calm me a little. I needed someone to point out that I needed to stay focused in the present so that I can move forward onto the next part of the picture. I don't know if it's a bipolar thing, an ADHD thing or just a me thing. But sometimes I do get stuck on something and either can't get around it or see past it. Having someone point out something as simple as 'Remember why you're doing it', enables me to get around that road block and see further down the road.
I guess we all get stuck on things in life and all it takes is the perspective of another who can view the issue from a different angle or who's removed from the situation and can see clearer than yourself to offer advice. I guess the point I'm making here is that you might be stuck and not even realise it, like I was today. Just expressing a current issue you're having with someone else will help, even if all they do is listen.
Don't keep fears or negative thoughts to yourself because you think there's no alternative or way out, the chances are that you're so consumed by the issue that you're not thinking or viewing it clearly enough. Talk to someone about, if it helps, write about it. I know that writing this blog (when I get time) is quite therapeutic, and hey - if someone else reads it and helps them, then it's a win - win.
In any case the next time I write will probably be when my decision comes into effect. I will let you know how it goes. Remember - we make decisions for a reason, keep your eye on the bigger picture.
