The Drive: What challenges have you overcome?
Leaving behind a reliable job and regular income to develop a children’s wear line is not an inexpensive exercise – so budget was a big challenge. Lots of costs cropped up along the way that I didn’t know to expect and that became a bit disheartening at times.
And because I was determined to do as much as possible to save on third party costs, plenty of “how-to” obstacles arose…Copywriting and brand identity development were familiar territory for me because of my PR background, but creating a website (even though I was using a lovely pre-built template) was another matter. Tech lingo doesn’t come naturally to me and there were several times when it seemed like a huge brick wall was in front of me. I’m glad I stuck with it though because I’m really proud of my website now – I frequently update it myself, and I don’t feel as if I’ve compromised on the professional look and feel.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
The biggest pro is the improved work/family/life balance the business has afforded me, and the creative outlet is fantastic. The biggest con would be that it can get lonely working from home sometimes. But overall the upsides definitely outweigh the downsides and I know I’ve made the right decision on a personal and professional level.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
MARGOT + FAR is still so new and there’s a million things on my to-do list… I’d like to keep consolidating my NZ customer base and building on the great international enquiry I’m receiving. I’ve got plans to extend to the core collection to include merino pieces, and I’m going to look at limited edition prints in certain styles too.
