The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
So many! Technology changes constantly. Once upon a time, a small business owner could navigate their own social media marketing. Today, that’s not a reality (unless you dedicate hours of your time to the technical stuff). When you operate a business on your own, it is very difficult to take a holiday, so essentially when you take a break, you also take a break from any business income. That just means you need to budget and plan well. Obviously Covid has had an impact on our business, not from a demand point of view, but the challenges that come with couriers and deliveries. It’s difficult having to rely on a 3rd party courier to come through for you when a mum is anxiously waiting on their TENS to give birth. But let’s hope that’s all behind us now!
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
The pros definitely outweigh the cons. Being able to work from home and care for my family has been the biggest benefit of all. I’ve been lucky enough to be at home during their preschool years, and then at home when they came home from school. I know not all parents have that luxury, so I have been hugely grateful for this time. The part of the business I also love is hearing my mums talk about how TENS has helped them through their labour. Even after 16 years of running this business, I still get goose bumps and ‘well-up’ when I get a photo of a newborn and a mum telling me how TENS helped her through. Warm-fuzzies all around!
Hopes and dreams: What next?
We’ve been running Natal Care Naturally for 16 years now and our boys will finish high school in another 3 years, so at some point in the not-too-distant future, we’ll pass on the business to another family who will love and nurture it as much as we have. Then we’ll look for a new challenge.
Visit the Natal Care Naturally website to find out more, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
