The biggest challenge for me is focus. I feel like my brain is divided into dozens of sections – one to look after sales, another one is product development, and then there’s design, marketing, HR, IT support, quality management and everything in between. Another section is focused on the present – sorting out manufacturing issues, customer complaints, staffing shortages and making sure things run smoothly. Then the other part of the brain is trying to learn from the lessons of the past so that I don’t repeat my mistakes. And of course, I always have to have one eye on the future, trying to figure out how we’ll hit our goals in the next 6 months, 12 months, 24 months, and even longer term.
I wouldn’t say I’ve overcome the challenges; I have simply gotten better at asking for help from my excellent and very gifted team, allowing myself to switch off when I need to concentrate, and learning to prioritise what’s worth getting worked up over and what’s just another bump in the road.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
Pros – flexibility! I can run life errands during work hours if I need to, and start earlier, work later or work from home. I can work from anywhere, anytime!
Cons – flexibility! As there is no “end” to the work day, I am prone to burn-out, but I am slowly learning to read the warning signs.
Pros – control! You get to call the shots and make decisions in line with your values and beliefs, without deferring to others.
Cons – control! You bear the onus of every mistake / issue / fault, whether it is one you made directly or one caused by your suppliers and/or staff. I have a tendency also to second-guess every decision I make because more often than not, I don’t really know which one was right until it’s too late.
Overwhelmingly, for every ‘con’ about running a business, I can easily find a ‘pro’ (and vice versa) but that is probably the same for every activity under the sun, right?
Hopes and dreams: What next?
We hope to expand into the US and UK! Excitingly, we already have a customer base in these parts of the world and we would love to be able to service them with a bigger range, minus the international shipping price tag!
Head to the Monarch website to find out more and to browse their gorgeous range of eco-friendly cloth nappies and products. You can also join their communities on Facebook and Instagram.
