The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
Working for yourself definitely means overwhelm and juggling at times. Getting into a routine of when I work and setting boundaries made sure I could balance home life and work life. It has taken time to get to that point and is also still a work in progress.
Showing up on social media felt so unnatural for me initially. I used to worry about whether the content I was sharing was what people wanted, but as I spent more time on social media, the easier it got.
Being a product-based business, it can be a challenge knowing what stock to order/how much to keep in stock. It gets easier but as you launch new products, it can be challenging as you settle in to providing another product to customers and see how it sells. To try alleviate this, before a launch I tend to share a poll to gauge potential popularity which helps as well.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
In terms of pros, working for myself lets me be available for the kids to do school drop off and pick up. If they are unwell or if they have an excursion or something, I can be available. Also, I get so much satisfaction out of providing products to parents and families that they love. I appreciate every message I get saying someone loves their Noonys products or with every little milestone for Noonys. It gives a lot of self-satisfaction.
As for cons, no doubt I work more hours in total, but I get to be flexible where needed and if I do have to take time off, I don’t feel like I am letting an employer down. That has taken a weight off for me.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
What next? Well I’ve just launched into the wholesale market getting stores to stock Noonys products and this is a really exciting space for Noonys right now. It means we are now at the point of broadening our exposure and making our products more readily available, so I will be continuing to bring more stockists on board to help getting Noonys product easily accessible via our website and in stores in their areas. I have more products coming along the way too!
Image credits:
@blinkphotographynz_
@mrsrobinsonnz
@ella__barker
@_bianca_matthews
Visit the Noonys website to find out more and to check out their awesome products. You can also connect with them on Instagram and Facebook.
