A small business is as a small business does...

I don't know what that means... but I think it means that if I put extra love and attention into figuring out sourcing, better shipping options, and responding to the needs of my clients, it will result in happier clients and a happier Lisa too!

This last week was difficult in the shipping department. You probably never want to mention anything negative about your own business, but let gets real. Things happen. I'm ONE person running everything (sourcing, manufacturing, bookkeeping, sales, promotion, and shipping). I've also got practically ZERO start-up capital. 

So, it wasn't until just this last week that I was able to make the time (and realize the necessity) to find the perfect box to protect and secure spindles. We discovered (my clients and I) that international shipping is REALLY hard on the mail. Things that made it easy in the US ended up harmed or broken in the international post. Specifically to Germany. What's up with Germany? So, I spent this week sitting on some of my shipments until those wonderful boxes arrived.

Also, a lot of wood turners are men. They have wives. Wives who adore them. Wives who love the attention that having a guy around that makes such cool things that their ladies friends lust after brings to them. They are thrilled to promote their husbands and to do research, and find sources, and all of that great and necessary stuff. They become business partners. I'm just me in this project. I have a husband who will help me with standing in line at the mail counter... he's awesome, but he's not really a great candidate for a business partner. He has a very demanding job too. Wood turning and selling spindles is all my thing.

What that means lately is that more than half of my time is spent working on sourcing, doing books, and trying to figure 'flow' out. The goal is to stream line the whole production process so that I can have more time to experiment and learn new things to bring to the projects. It also means that I'm not as 'fast' as I'd like, but I am getting better.

I would like to thank the 30 or so people who have made orders from me in the past 3 months. Your belief in my ability to create a spindling tool that you will use and love is what keeps me heading out to the shop every day. I'm personally growing through this small business in new dimensions and in leaps and bounds.

Also, it's encouraging me to take excellent care of myself. The self esteem and additional income that's being created has helped me to get to my doctor appointments and be enthusiastic about maintaining wellness. (I have a chronic autoimmune disease that had me laid up for most of last year, and I just had throat surgery, and now I am working on my eye health.) So, thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Thank you... Thank you so very much.

I love doing this, and I really want to make spindlers happy. It's a joy to be able to make tools that people want, appreciate, and help them smile and to feel wonderful about themselves too.