When I started my business, I had a very clear vision: to create beautiful handmade candles that could become functional art pieces for the home, with their strong sculptural and textural style.
Here is a photo of one of my first market stalls at St Andrews Market in 2001.
Here is a photo of my first trade fair at the Royal Exhibition Building in 2007.
In my mind, the vision for my business was exactly the same: the same skills, same materials, same philosophy, same texture, and same sculptural intent. But in 2001 I hadn’t yet hit upon my three key products, which now make up over 85% of my total sales.
A friend of mine has experienced a similar trend in her photography business. Her vision, to use her photography to create beautiful useable art from recycled and sustainably produced materials, has never changed.
For 2 years she laboriously hand cut, stitched, assembled, stuck, stretched, printed and folded the products in her trademark style, minimising waste and creating objects that could have a second life, rather than merely being disposable. And while her range was lovely, and she had many loyal customers, it was slowly consuming her, taking all of her energy and spare time. It wasn’t until she tried something different that she hit upon a new product that was not only far more popular, but also far less labour-intensive for her to make.
At last, she had found that magical formula, that elusive secret that all small business owners strive for, in the eternal hope that it really does exist:
less work + more sales = more money, more opportunity and more freedom
While more money for less work is an obvious quest, achieving it is far more important than just a bit more money in your bank account. Having more time for yourself, your relationships, your creativity, and simply more time to think and plan rather than always just reacting, can bring about two of the things we’re all constantly striving for: a greater sense of wellbeing, and a greater sense of happiness.
From my own squiggly line, dotted with doubts, failures, mistakes, sleepless nights, and some good luck too, I want to say: keep on trying. Keep your vision, and keep pushing your work forward. Keep experimenting. Keep exploring that passion that first gripped your imagination. You never know which idea is going to be your magic formula.
Ombre Pillar Candles
Pear Candles
Egg Candles
Australian Bush Soy Candles
Hi Jo! So lovely (&timely!) to come across your blog. I’ve just left the agent group and now work full time in my own business. Your comment on small business and it running you totally resonate. You are years ahead of me on the biz journey so looking forward to ready more words of wisedom! Regards Therese
Hi Therese, that is so exciting that you are now working full time on your own business! I know it has been a dream for years. How exciting that the time is now right. I’m sure with your background that you won’t need to make all the mistakes that I did in the early days. I look forward to reading your comments and suggestions on future blog posts. Please post a link to your website, so that I can have a look and share it. Wishing you great success. Cheers, Jo
Fantastic Jo 🙂 I’m sitting feeding my new bub right now but I keep having ideas that I’m trying to mentally file away for once I get a bit of time again for my business. I love the idea that your magic formula idea could come at any time and its great seeing the evolution of your business between the two pics 🙂
Hi Amy,
Big congratulations on your new arrival! I love that your mind is buzzing with potential ideas, while you are in this period of hiatus. Sometimes planning is the best thing you can do for a business, rather than just being busy doing the same things over and over again. I look forward to seeing your new ideas take shape, and please let us know when you are back to business so that we can give you a little plug via A Little Light.