Independents Day

Here we are on a very windy and wet 29th of the month and our third #IndependentsDay.  Although its a Sunday I thought I would still go ahead as I know most (if not all ) independent businesses work 7 days a week.  No shutting up shop or day of rest for us.

BE AN INDIVIDUAL, SHOP INDEPENDENTS

I was interested to listen to a discussion on the radio last week about a new term that has come about  called "zig zagging" .  The phrase was coined by Sir Mervyn King, The Governor of The Bank of England and refers to the ups and downs in the recovery of the UK economy. 

The programme discussed how when we talk the economy down, it affects shoppers habits and  people stop spending.  When the economy is talked up, they start spending again !  Not rocket science is it ?

I have always felt that too much negativity on the news and tv has a detrimental effect on peoples spending patterns.  They get frightened and become cautious.  So would it really be as simple as just being more positive ?  Why is the only new bad news ?

Here are the wonderful hard working businesses I am featuring this week.

LindleyWoods - Original Handmade products

Swings and Pretty Things - Inspirational gift ideas

Showler and Showler - beautifully illustrated Art prints and postcards

Trunk Reclaimed - Makers of bespoke furniture from reclaimed wood

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS

Any type of independent business or even if you have a favourite one you love to support you can join in.

If you have a blog, please write a short post mentioning and linking to three or so independent businesses  you follow, buy from or just plain admire. You can of course link to your own business if you want to. Its all about building up the traffic to help people find our businesses.

Leave a comment below with a link to your blog so we can all pop over and take a look. It would be really great if you would link back to this post.

and/or

Tweet about the independent businesses you are supporting and mentioning the hashtag #IndependentsDay

and/or

Link or share this or your own post on your Facebook page and encourage others to share

and/or

Link up your business below

You don't have to be an independent business to get involved or have a blog. Comments, tweets and Facebook mentions will all help enormously.

Is now the right time ?

I have to admit to thriving on a challenge.   

I am always looking for more ways to make a living.  Sales of my childrens clothes in my Ebay Shop and website have taken a bit of a nose dive in the last year.  In some way due to the recession I am sure, but also if I am honest, because I haven't given that aspect of my business the attention I should have. 

I get distracted by new ideas and bored by old ones.  I have a typical Gemini Mind.

Last year I launched my own small range of Milly by the Sea clothes for little girls, it was well received and I had lots of ideas but not the money required to produce all the items I would have liked or to follow up the range. 

The clothes are hand crafted in England and it was important for me to be able to sell them at an affordable price.  A tough call.  Anyone who is involved in the manufacture of goods in the UK will know that its impossible to compete with the mass produced rates overseas manufacturers offer.  So inevitably there was little profit for me and I decided to put Milly to bed for the time being until hopefully I was in a position to develop and market the range properly.

I would dearly love to wake Milly up now, but as I also have another idea on the back boiler at the moment coming as a result of my new and second blog The White Approach (yes, another one) is it the right time ?  Should I just concentrate on one business ?

Or is this how I should be thinking in these tough times ? Running several different concerns to appeal to as many people as possible ? 

Is this Entrepreneurial Spirt ? - 

 Entrepreneur – noun

1. a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.

or

Being a Jack of all trades and master of non ?