This is an exciting time for me at the moment,
After eight months of having my commissions open for Atelier Dormir, I've finally saved up enough money to make it into a real business. I quit my job so I could give it a proper shot while I was still young. This has caused a bit of a lifestyle change in itself! You see, it would be a pretty blatant lie if I said I didn't buy things for my closet regularly. New releases are coming out all the time from brand and indie brand and now for the first time in a very long time, I've made the choice to have no stable income.
After eight months of having my commissions open for Atelier Dormir, I've finally saved up enough money to make it into a real business. I quit my job so I could give it a proper shot while I was still young. This has caused a bit of a lifestyle change in itself! You see, it would be a pretty blatant lie if I said I didn't buy things for my closet regularly. New releases are coming out all the time from brand and indie brand and now for the first time in a very long time, I've made the choice to have no stable income.
I tried to run my business while working for six months and boy did I get a rude awakening! I had to do the one thing that killed me the most, kept my customers waiting. I lost a lot of sleep thinking about how many days since payment had passed and felt like a complete failure each passing hour.
My customers are the most important people to me, I want nothing more then to give them my all.
Making your customer happy should be your first and final priority.
Making your customer happy should be your first and final priority.
There was the first step, Closing my commissions. I only way I would be happy with the service I provide is if I could ship people's orders the next day or even the same day as payment! I decided I had to make stock to make it as speedy as possible. Stock meant one thing, Wholesalers. I've spent weeks on the phone to England, China and India trying to keep the quality I maintained during the past eight months. This is a difficult ask when buying in bulk but a couple days ago I finally closed the deal on my last lace order. 100% Cotton Crotchet! The only thing my customers deserve.
This also meant new tools. Steamers, rotary blades, grid cutting mats, tailor hams. It all added up pretty quickly, with the money I've spent I could of revamped my closet 3 times over! But with each small thing I bought, right down to a specific nozzle for the steamer, meant a better quality product and that's exactly what I want.
This also meant new tools. Steamers, rotary blades, grid cutting mats, tailor hams. It all added up pretty quickly, with the money I've spent I could of revamped my closet 3 times over! But with each small thing I bought, right down to a specific nozzle for the steamer, meant a better quality product and that's exactly what I want.
Now it's almost all here and I'm terrified. Stock storage has been built, garment rail a ready with fresh hangers, the books have all been balanced and my website is ready for stock.
...now all that's left to do...is start.
I feel like I've been grinding, in an in depth RPG. I've collected all the herbs and have a sick new weapon but I'm still just stood here staring at the Boss battle's door.
I've got words of encouragement from my friends pinned above my sewing machine, "Stay Strong" - Betty.
I'm just scared I wont do well, you know? That I've had delusions of grandeur all these years.
Well. I can't just sit here. "To live" is a verb after all, it is a doing word.
and that's just what I'll do, I'll set my fears aside. Perhaps delusion is good for us all sometimes.
I feel like I've been grinding, in an in depth RPG. I've collected all the herbs and have a sick new weapon but I'm still just stood here staring at the Boss battle's door.
I've got words of encouragement from my friends pinned above my sewing machine, "Stay Strong" - Betty.
I'm just scared I wont do well, you know? That I've had delusions of grandeur all these years.
Well. I can't just sit here. "To live" is a verb after all, it is a doing word.
and that's just what I'll do, I'll set my fears aside. Perhaps delusion is good for us all sometimes.
Atelier Dormir, I'll sew my best and I'll design until each piece is perfect. I really hope I'll look back at this one day, while packing for a stall at a convention or maybe even before opening a real shop!
I know, far fetched but that's just what a dream is. A far away place that you go to, that makes the journey of your life.
Well I guess I better get back to sketching, production starts in a couple of days!
It's so nice to see people doing something that they love, and really taking a leap to realise it in real life! Keep going and will keep following your lovely shop :) Have been thinking about it myself, so good to have some ideas on how to do things!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for words of encouragement.
DeleteI had no idea how much they helped until I started all of this.
and I'm over the moon to hear you'll continue to read!