Capacity of the small maker - and why it's important to know these things!

This is something that is increasingly cropping up in conversations from those asking how to set up their own shop so thought it might be useful to explain.  I regularly get phone calls or visitors all excited because they have this dream of setting up their own shop and are bouncing away telling me all the fabulous things they will do.  But on digging a little deeper they have often understood how much time they need to do all the fabulous things they describe. 

To give you an example of the capacity issues: a friend of mine - let's call her Lucy - wants to set up a cake shop.  It doesn't have to be cakes, it could be anything that requires your time and expertise to make.  And she is rather good at making cakes, that isn't in question at all as my tummy has enjoyed them!  This is where it gets more tricky for her - capacity. 

For any small business starter you need to know your numbers.  Here's a basic breakdown:

1. How much do you need to bring into your household each month to survive (notice I said survive, you are a startup so work on worst case scenarios as anything else is a bonus in year one)
2. How many hours can you realistically work at your business - you need to sleep, take small people to school, visit your Mum and see your friends from time to time. If it helps keep a little calendar check of your schedule for a week and then work out the hours you do have or could make available.
3. How long does it take you to make each item - if you batch make something then work out a time for 10 or 20 perhaps but as long as you know for example 20 cakes = 2 hours from start to completion.
4. Now you need to work out how much profit you have after selling your work - ignore the time for the minute, just deduct materials cost from selling price.  Remember to include packaging!

You now have your four basic figures to work out if you can survive:

1. Use the time per item and see how many you can make in your available time, eg if 20 cakes takes you 2 hours and you have 6 hours in a day then you can produce 120 cakes
2. Now multiply that number by your profit per item - again, if your cakes have a profit of £1 per cake you have £120 profit per baking day
3. Does that £120 per day multiplied over your working week or month cover what you need to survive?
4. If yes, fantastic; if no what can we change?

I am often accused of being too commercial in my approach to the small craft businesses but the reason is that you do not start out to make a loss! And without knowing your cost base you may well end up in that position.  Many crafters have no intention of turning it into a business, but if you do dream of doing that (and good luck to you) then you do need to keep one eye on the costs.

If you end up with a situation where you realise you cannot produce enough to cover your required income then look to diversify.  In the case of the cake shop, can you sell supplies for cake makers?  Could you get a friend to do some classes in exchange for something?  Rather than you launch your own cake shop can you supply local cafes or shops to start with and build up your customer base?

Capacity is the hidden curse of the small trader - we are required to be all things at the beginning, maker, seller, advertiser, accountant, shopkeeper and the list is endless! This is where it is useful to look to what is sensible, where is your time best spent? What use of your time is going to best move your idea forward? 

Having said all that, there is also an element of risk attached to any start up and you have to decide where your personal risk limit is.  Some are happy to take on a shop lease and work out as they go along, some are more cautious and need to have a full spreadsheet in advance of looking to open.  Neither way is right or wrong, it is an incredibly personal decision.  Whichever route you choose, just make sure you stay on the right side of the balance sheet and have fun discovering your potential!  Also, don't forget there is loads of help out there to bounce ideas and get going.  We love being part of Enterprise Rockers as there are so many supportive and knowledgeble folk in that group, so make sure you take full advantage of the help out there to make your business work for you.


First published by Enterprise Rockers at: http://sme-blog.com/guest-blog/capacity-the-hidden-curse-of-the-small-business-and-how-to-resolve-it

Can jaffa cakes solve competition issues?

We have noticed in the short time that we have been open that competitors take many forms and some are not so subtle about it! We know we have fabulous makers that create amazing products, we know we have a loyal and returning customer base and we know we're good at what we do.  When we first started this all up I was accused of only being commerical, and I am beginning to realise where this comment came from.  If you are used to dealing with projects that support makers you sort of expect them to not worry about the finances because they are already covered through funding.  However, if you have no experience of real business then I agree, you would consider me commerical in my outlook because folk keep expecting me to pay them for things like rent and insurance!

However, it's still a jungle out there in terms of the business.  I recently went on a course about setting up and sustaining creative businesses and it struck me how much we have done intuitively and equally how much further we could go with the Hippos.  It got the small brain all fired up again on the possibilities and the fact that things don't always move in simple straight lines.  We know that our competitors come and go and some have even openly copied our working model, even to the point of emailing me the direct questions! In many respects that's actually quite flattering that we're worth copying and replicating, but equally it's not difficult to copy us.  You find some fabulous crafters, open a shop and say ta-dah come and buy this wonderful work - not exacly rocket science is it?

I don't have an issue with competition, after all BHS can't go into Marks & Spencer and whinge that they also sell red jumpers so please remove them from the shelf.  If we want to be treated as a business then we must act like one and accept that there will always be new and varied hurdles placed in our way.  Competition keeps you on your toes, makes you maintain customer service, keeps you searching for your next break and keeps you hungry to succeed.

One thing that has become apparent is how externally funded projects doing very similar to us is having an indirect effect on the Hippos though.  We recently discovered that a venue was overcharging us for room hire because they thought we had Portas funding and when I said we were likely to drop them due to proving too costly this all came to light.  They were genuinely shocked that we don't receive any support because of how we work and instantly halved the room hire when I explained which was helpful.  However, what worried me was that they had decided that if we had funding we were able to pay more, and it got me thinking.

Another issue that's cropping up is the capacity of our makers to keep us supplied.  We try to only deal with small, independent makers and support them as they move into self employment of their own and been fairly successful in doing so.  However, popup shops often have little or no overheads and can offer them a better deal because of it. Again it's not rocket science, if your outgoings as a shop are lower you don't need to raise so much to stay open.  Makers move or prioritise those offering a better financial deal - and quite rightly on their part, who wouldn't go where they can get a better deal?  They have overheads to meet and families to look after too, it's called shopping around for the best deal for you and it's not personal.  Small makers are not factories, they have a finite capacity level so 10 items made means they have to decide which outlet to put the 10 items into.  However it potentially causes problems as without stock we cannot generate sales, without sales our doors close .... unless

We have to look at the Hippos and decide how to help our own survival - or whether we can survive as we currently are.  We have to look at whether what we're doing is viable.  There will always be pop up shops and there will always be funding for small start ups.  Again, I have no issue with either as quite frankly who wouldn't take some help if it were offered - we certainly would! But, it does make me re-examine the very sector we're trying to support and whether we can continue in the same way or whether we need to take a sideways look at what we do. 

There are some elements that are unique to the Hippos, we can offer a very personal service to customers and makers.  We know all our makers and are able to take the time to help them develop.   I know that there are issues to be pondered over, and that's going to take a lot of jaffa cakes!  But equally I know that there is an answer, it just hasn't appeared yet.  Answers have traditionally appeared from the most random sources so it's all about looking and recognising those opportunities when they crop up.  Someone once told me there is no such thing as luck because luck is merely the ability to spot and take an opportunity so Hippo's on the lookout, and armed with jaffa cakes of course!  The next cunning plan is just around the corner and Hippo's on a mission to find it .... back soon :) 

Craft Fair survival kit!

This is not intended as an exhaustive list, especially if you have very specific needs or equipment to take to a fair but it should give you a starting point of some of the more useful things to remember to bring! 

1. Table - Are tables provided at the venue?  If not you will need to make sure you have some way of displaying your work and a pasting table or similar is usually a standard size that's useful (and foldable!).
2. PRODUCTS!!! might sound daft but you could spend ages checking your details and forget to actually take what you made!
3. Covering for the table - either a table cloth, old duvet cover or door curtain - anything that is big enough to cover the entire table and hang over the edges.  It's sometimes useful to have something that covers the front completely so that you can store boxes etc underneath without customers seeing them.
4. Banner or poster to attach to the front of the table saying who you are - not essential but if you have one make sure you pack it!  Also make sure you include the pins or string to attach it.
5. Stall display material - height is a great way to make your display more inviting, rummage around charity shops or DIY shops for basic bits that you can use to your advantage.
6. Baskets or containers for smaller items you are displaying - also useful if these come with lids so that packing up is made a whole lot easier later.
7. Boxes to pack away with - where possible make them work as part of your display, cuts down on boxes under the table and makes storage and packing away much easier!
8. Pricing labels - make sure your items are priced clearly, rounding up or down to make your change easier.  We round everying to the nearest 50p which makes the float tin simple.
9. Float - don't forget your change! And the tin/box to keep it in.
10. Receipt book - probably only if you sell more expensive items, but some may ask so depending on your prices may be useful.
11. Business cards or flyers - how can people find you later?
12. Notepad and pen - you will need to record your sales somehow depending on your method of record keeping.
13. Packaging - depending on what you are selling you may need tissue, newspaper or bubble wrap to keep your items safe and bags to sell them in.
14. If you have insurances for food hygiene, CE proof or CRBs take a copy with you - chances are you will never get asked but better to have it with you just in case.
15. Useful box - I use a small plastic toolbox just for fairs and keep the following in it:
1. scissors
2. string
3. blutac
4. drawing pins
5. pens
6. plasters
7. post it notes
8. cable ties - these end up being used for the most random uses!
9. roll of stickers
10. business cards
11. count clicker - not everyone is bothered, but they are useful
16. If you have small people with you make sure you have some sweets, drinks etc and toys or games to keep them occupied (easier said than done sometimes) and please make the organiser aware that they belong to you so can be returned if found wandering!
17. Chair and cushion - if you suffer with back problems or need to sit for long periods take a fold up chair and cushion.
18. Cardboard - if the place might be cold take an old piece of carpet or cardboard box to stand on.
19. Bin bag - to clear away any food wrappers etc.
20. Food! You may be there for a while without access to tea or food so go prepared :)

That's all I can think of for now - please add bits as you think of them, and tailor the list to your particular needs.  And just remember - check it all fits in your car!!! Hippo x

How and why we work the way we do!

It has come to my attention that it's not always easy to figure out what we're up to. Not in a horrid secretive way but because we don't really broadcast it that much.  We figured you would rather shop and trade somewhere with lovely things and fabulous makers rather than listen to my political beliefs all day!  So, if you don't do politics or mission statements look away now and coo over some of Silver Ether's bunting (which I have to admit is rather gorgeous).

Firstly - we aim to make a profit.  Profit in community ventures is not an evil thing, however what you do with that profit potentially is.  Any profit made goes straight back into the shop, events, or advertising for everyone.  Like me paying for a website to show off everyone, or getting new banners done to say 'craft fair here today' as they all cost and need paying for.  No one person ever profits from someone else's work or takes a wage.

This is a grass roots group - our main target group is the start up artist or crafter.  The ones that have made a few things for their friends who have said 'you ought to sell that' and thought err how do I do that?  We run low cost events so that everyone can have a go, and even if it doesn't work for them at least they got the chance to try. 

We intend to grow and stay around for a while - we know it's starting to work.  We get a lot of interest from other community groups such as WaveLength in Telford who asked us along to their event to show how disabled people might start working for themselves if that's their choice.

Choice - it's all about your choice.  We don't tell you how much to sell for, we don't tell you what to make or how.  That's down to the makers themselves - we have absolutely no right to challenge their creativity or desires, just as they don't have the right to tell me not to watch Emmerdale!

Makers - we don't really care about your background or what drives you to create.  We just like working with creative people who have a passion for what they do and want to improve and meet like minded.  We have a wide mix of self employed artists including artists who use it to top up pensions, crafters who use it to bolster self esteem after mental illness, crafters that need an extra income on top of disability benefits.  Your background is your story, if you choose to share it that's fine but we would never judge or discriminate.  Some of our most talented crafters have had a varied life journey with many bumps along the way, but they found us somehow and we love working with them.  Also, we don't believe in putting up signs saying this person is disabled - why would we? What does that achieve? The customer is looking for a present for Margaret's birthday, not a back story.

Support - one of the over-riding things coming back to us constantly is the support we offer.  So many of our crafters arrive with hugs and presents saying 'thank you for all your help'.  Truthfully we just see it as helping someone be the best they can be, and if tweaking branding or saying maybe that would be better in yellow helps then we will.  We don't have all the answers, but we certainly have a growing communuity that might!

Community - the Hippos are growing fast and solicitors are working with us to become a legal Community Interest Company which is where we ultimately want to be. We like the challenge we place on the High Street, we like the speed that we can change at because we are grass roots and a bunch of small makers.  We like the community spirit we're building which was brought home today from an event where the venue said 'we tried this before, but obviously having the right people running it makes it work - thank you'.

If you think you could get involved, or have something to share then get in touch - and as many of the crafters already know bribery with cake will always get you an excellent first hug! Hippo x

What a difference a week makes!

Wow, what a difference a week really does make!  Last week I was a tad miffed at the lack of co-operation we were on the receiving end and this week it's like dealing with a different company - in a really good way :)

It would appear that me raising quite valid grumps was listened to, and actions are already becoming quite visible on site.  Hurrah!! So, now we are back to a bouncy happy Hippo which is probably a relief to some.  And then the most awesome people turned up with some new work for the shop so it was a double whammy of a good week.

This is a piece by Andy O'Boyle who creates the most fabulous pieces out of cast bronze, and according to his daughter Daddy is amazing (which he is) and that he uses earwax to create his work.  Not entirely sure that bit is true, but the end results are simply stunning and the tactility is such a lovely thing to have in the shop.  What was lovely about meeting Andy was that his daughter is right, Daddy is amazing, and because he was very much in agreement with us that art should be accessible.  He was uncomfortable with folk not being able to touch his work, after all if you see something of this scale your first reaction is always going to be to touch it so he seemed quite relieved that you cannot find a 'do not touch' sign anywhere in our shop.  Art should be accessible, it's not always something that should be locked away and merely admired by those in white gloves nodding and muttering 'yes I can see what he is trying to express here'.  Andy creates fun in these bronzes, there is a subtle whimsy coming out of the fact that he is extremely good at what he does and therefore is comfortable in his own work.  Next time you visit, come give the ducklings a pat on the head!

 

 

And then Katherine arrived!  We've known Katherine for just over a year now, from doing a craft fair many moons ago where I had always admired her skill in both design and the quality of her products.  And we're not the only ones to notice, since we last met she's racked up several major clients so we were extremely touched that she was happy leaving her work with us.  Katherine uses her own designs to create the most gorgeous silk scarves, ties, glasses cases and basically anything else she can think of  - and each with amazing levels of detail and quality of finish.  Again, she was of the opinion that her work needs to be touched and felt so again she was relieved not to see 'do not touch' signs around the shop.  Her attitude is very much one of it's silk, you need to be able to see it and touch it to appreciate it so please don't just fold them up in a cabinet.  And already, in true Hippo style we've put her in touch with people that might like their own designs on some of her work.  Almost forgot, she also runs courses and has offered to run some for us later in the year.  With her skills and attitude I can see folk walking away with some amazing designs they didn't realise they were capable of.

 

 

So, a week really does make a big difference to a tired and slightly frazzled brain! We started the week feeling ignored and on the hunt for new sellers and ended the week on an even fuller shop of amazing work and inclusion on site posters.  And the best bit is, it's only February so what else can we achieve in 2013?  Apologies as there are loads more new sellers that I will be showcasing over the coming weeks, so please don't feel left out if I can't get to your favourite for a while! Hippo xx

You distract them while I draw a Hippo!

We seem to have reached a plateau, normally when people say this it is seen as a negative in that you are no longer moving forward or learning something.  But in this case I see it as a positive.  We seem to have figured out our client base and are now attracting some amazing new crafters to the shop and to our events and so many are returning customers which is even more proof that what we do, we do well.  The icing on the cake is when our regulars pop in with friends and you hear them say 'this is what I wanted to show you, isn't it gorgeous?'.  Then we really know we're doing something right.

But .... we have learnt that no-one will do the work for you, and to be honest never expected it. We are an independent trader, and as such must stand or fall on our own merits and hard work, but we did expect a little better communication and promotion within the site we're on.  This may seem slightly trite but to give you an example of what we are up against.  We are based at a gorgeous farm shop in the middle of the Shropshire countryside but we are neither employees or outsiders.  We pay rent for the shop and try to support and promote any activities the site are doing as that helps everyone.  The ToyShop is independent too and we always advertise any specials they are organising.  The site is not big enough for one part to go off doing their own thing without damaging another.  So, we foolishly anticipated joint advertising of events.  But no, a simple thing like their blackboard which welcomes you to the site only includes elements that they own.  Might seem sensible, after all why should you advertise something you do not get direct benefit from?  You have your own site to promote, and that should always be your priority - we understand that.  However, we had a customer in on Sunday saying I didn't want veg and thought they only sold food till my friend told me you were here too.  She then went on to say that actually she had bought some food for her tea as it all looked rather lovely.  My point is, had they decided to advertise the whole site rather than just their own elements they would be attracting a wider audience who then impulse buy their gorgeous food and intend to return.  We get a lot of customers saying the same thing, had they realised there was more than just a farm shop they would have been down sooner and now they know where we all are will be back with their friends. 

Two of our crafters that supply the shop and are close enough to walk to us (that's how local we really do work) came through the farm shop asking why she didn't see our name anywhere and how on earth would people realise their work was being sold? We had to explain the scenario discussed above that because we are not strictly part of the site we don't get included. One cup of tea and much huffing later we were already giggling and plotting how to plant Hippos in the celery or other such subversive acts!

The other message coming back loud and clear was that folk like the craft markets we put on.  While handing out leaflets to customers the reactions were pretty much all along the lines of 'oh I'm so glad you're doing those again, we love bringing our friends up here then' one lady was really impressed that we normally have a live acoustic set going as her children were fascinated by live musicians.  Generally everyone was saying what a lovely atmosphere it created and trying to work out when their friends and family were visiting and could they all pop up for lunch. 

Because this is the rub, by getting people onto site they go for lunch they use the playbarn and generally potter around the whole site.  They may have come for a craft fair but are delighted to find so many other elements to the site so is it really that dangerous to be including us on their advertising?  We love being where we are, the scope to work with so many amazing artists is incredible and as a landlord (apart from the communication) we couldn't ask for better but the frustrated Hippo is growing daily which is a shame as it can so easily be rectified just by using a piece of chalk and adding us to a blackboard.  We shall keep plugging away, keep working with awesome crafters and listening to very contented customers and meanwhile always keep a piece of chalk in my pocket in case the chance arises to add a Hippo or two to the blackboards! 

Dreaming is what Hippo does best

Apologies for not posting for a while, been slighty chaotic inside the small brain lately!

Ok, so where have we got to? We now have over 40 makers in the shop, not exactly setting the retail world on fire but it is taking off.  We're seeing lots of returning customers and they love the stories behind our makers.  Who wouldn't? They are so varied and each maker arrived at us through such unique routes it's fascinating.

Craft fairs, again getting there.  We struggled a little last year because footfall wasn't the greatest at some events but as always we take the criticism on board, listen to the grumps and try and put them right.  We know that the venue is critical, but balancing the accessibility against venue is tricky on times.  Had an interesting conversation with our newest Hippoette about this on Sunday, and thankfully the crafters see all the hard work we put in and just feel flat for us that sometimes the venues don't seem to be as supportive as they could be.  So we are trying to be more realistic.  Stick to those that are working, try new ones for a while but need to be a little more business minded and cut them if they don't work.

I have also discovered that I am now getting bored! Not that the shop isn't great, and loving what it's achieving but I didn't set out to be a shopkeeper.  Nothing wrong whatsoever in being a shopkeeper but we're starting to get some serious interest from economic regeneration teams around our area and that part really gets me excited.  The thought of being able to create something of a meaningful scale is just too tempting to my brain.  I've already had talks with a few people about expanding the Hippos and if we can get it to work, my goodness it will be awesome for everyone.

One thing I've tried to stay away from on here and on FaceBook is the politics of it all.  However, think it's reaching that stage now where you kind of need to hear some of it.  So, for all of you that just want pictures of the cat - log off now!

One aspect of work that is particularly frustrating for many is having no control over their own destiny, even William Morris recognised this one.  And for us as the Hippos what we are trying to achieve is a working craft village where they do start to take control of their own work.  For some it may not work, but the chance to try it is something that just seems too far off for many and that needs to change.  We're not trying to say we are the only ones that can do this, however we are finding that folk trust the Hippo idea, feel confident to ask the questions and we have seen some amazing growth from so many Hippoettes that it would be fantastic to offer that out a little more. 

So, the small brain will continue to come up with random ideas - some will work some will just be too bonkers to consider.  But think about this for a second, if no-one ever tried something so silly we wouldn't have aeroplanes or radio or other such amazing inventions and ideas.  The dreamers are needed, but thankfully I have a lovely sensible group around me to flesh out details into something manageable.  Hippo xx

The sordid topic of coin

We've hit a bit of a snag! Not a major one, but if we don't address it soon it will become a major one and possibly close us down which would be a crying shame as we are so so close to being really sustainable.

The snag:  we need to create an income to pay all our bills but we're not quite managing it yet.

Possible solutions:
    increase the % we charge all our sellers
    only deal with what we call professional crafters
    buy in items to re-sell
    close down

With each of these options there is a plus and a minus, some obvious and some not so obvious.  If we increase the % we charge all our sellers then all the prices need to go up to ensure that what each crafter wants for their item is what they receive which may well put customers off.  Also, some sellers may be uncomfortable with this idea as they have an idea of what the market will bear for their work so either need to reduce what they are happy to receive or use an alternative retail outlet.

Only deal with professional crafters - the reason this option is on the table is because if each seller sold at least £150 pcm all the %s add up quite nicely to pay the bills.  However, a small crafter often produces smaller quantities or lower value items due to their capacity issues as most have a main job while they try to transition to becoming a full time crafter.  The obvious snag here is that if we only deal with professional crafters we lose the ability to offer hobby crafters the chance to show off their work and gain valuable feedback to take them to the next level.  If we had sufficient stock from everyone it would probably work, which takes us back to potentially only dealing with professional crafters who have the capacity and means of production to produce in volume.  And, again if we asked smaller crafters to produce in volume it takes away the fun and the reason they started - often to escape the 9-5 pressures of an external employer which is the role we would have to take on and that in turn would mean they say I didn't sign up for this.

Buy in items to re-sell - the obvious thing here is that it completely goes against what we stand for in that we want to offer locally hand made original work and buck the trend of only finding the same things everywhere.  However, we do stock some items that are not hand made already such as books and kits so allowing a small element of stock to be re-sold items isn't quite such a horrific thought.  But obviously we can't buy in items that one of our crafters currently makes, the easiest example is dreamcatchers. 

There is a big argument for supporting fair trade and giving workers around the world a fair deal, and we want to do that too.  If we ask crafters to reduce their costs they in turn have little or no chance of making it for themselves and we would be doing them such an injustice that quite frankly we would deserve to be closed down.  There is also the argument that we are in retail, we do have to compete with the real world and maybe the fight can't be won, maybe we were a little too ambitious in our thinking.  Or maybe we just got the figures wrong in the first place. 

But here's the rub - we are just so so close to making it work that with a few tweaks here and there it's almost touchable.  But, at what point do we draw the line and say we are unable to subsidise anymore.  Because up till now we've taken the hit, we've never taken a wage or even been paid for our work to allow for the cashflow to build up.  We don't expect sympathy, it was our choice after all but we did anticipate it turning around slowly so that the early months of not taking payment would eventually turn around but sadly it's not turning that fast and our food cupboards are constantly empty!

So, to all you crafters out there - we'd love to hear a suggestion or solution.  If you were working for a company that continually didn't pay you yet expected you to work a 60 hour week I can imagine what most of your reactions would be! Sorry if this sounds pessimistic for the Hippos, but we will work something out and I suspect the simplest one is to put the % up so that everyone can get involved if they choose to.  But if someone has an out of the box solution that we didn't consider then please shout up, Hippo xx

Humble Hippo saying thank you lots to fab folk!

Today was mainly spent button thumping - or web site building to give it it's proper name.  We now have a new shiny website to showcase the amazing and talented folk that make up the Hippo Family.  And then it dawned on the small brain that we have so many people to say thank you to that this post would rumble on for pages and be like a Gwyneth Paltrow acceptance speech if I did that.  So, I will try to narrow it down to the core bits.

Firstly, we trundled along to Apley Farm Shop with a few humble possessions, a fingers crossed attitude of 'hope this works' and a few Hippo-ettes trundling along with us.  So, firstly thank you to Clare's Prints for allowing us to fill our walls with her fab pictures in those early days.

Then the fun really started! Err, this is a big space folks and we don't actually have a lot of stock.  And then, from nowhere this voice popped round the corner saying 'hello, I do paintings, do you want to have a look?' Being blissfully ignorant of who this person was, or what they did we just said 'ooh yes please'.  And then this amazing array of pictures turned up from Simon along with various helpful things like browsers for prints.  Then there was Maureen who giggled her way into the shop with the most amazing quilts ever, and again then turned up with helpful things so we could show them off better.  We cannot thank them, and others that joined in the early days enough.

Here we were, two strangers just arrived to take on a lease who they didn't know and all these amazing artists trusted us with their stock that had taken them hours to produce.  In some cases the work they use to raise funds for their charities which means so much to them and now to us, thank you John and Kath. 

I look at the button thumping done today and realise that we are incredibly fortunate to be trusted with some fabulous work, have and continue to meet some lovely people who are just so talented it's jaw dropping on times.  From about 3 Hippo-ettes we have grown to almost 30 in a matter of four months and most have been like Simon, Maureen and John just popping their head round the door to say hello.
Apologies if you now feel like calling me Gwyneth, but this is a truly Humbled Hippo at how much we've gained in terms of new friends just from putting up that sign that says 'Hello, we are open so please pop in and say hello'.  Hippo xx

finding that USP

It's taken us a while to figure out who we are, who we sell to and more importantly why people buy from us.  In the early days of business you are so caught up with the shiny bits like 'wow, that's my branding on that bag' that you don't really get chance to sit back and analyse it.  Or more importantly, you don't really twig why you should analyse it.  There you are with a shop full of beautiful things that you adore, so why shouldn't shoppers adore them too?  But, that only works if your shoppers are exactly like you!

We twigged a few weeks ago that our USP or unique selling point is the stories behind the product.  In reality there are hundreds of fantastic photographers selling up and down the country so why buy ours?  The reason is  that we can tell you who took it, the giggle he had trying to set up a tripod in the snow and the daft sheep that were trying to escape while he balanced on the gate.  And, we can tell you his name, point out the track across the field he takes to get to us and the fact that it turns out he taught one of my friends at school.  Now you start to get our USP - and we can do that for all our products.

I was taught a long time ago by a fantastic PR guru the importance of connection, but didn't realise the importance of this till now.  People buy from people and love being able to chat and meet the makers.  We have a really unique service because we can say 'hang on, I'll call and see if they're in and able to pop down for a chat' when the customer asks 'is it possible to make that slightly bigger?'.  And while the customer goes across to the cafe for a coffee, the maker will trundle down to meet them.  Now, that's customer service by the Hippos!

The other thing that comes back to us loud and clear and on a regular basis is that our crafters love meeting up with each other, they like being part of the Hippo family as we have now become.  Our last craft fair on Sunday was full of hugs and 'how lovely to see you again' along with the err bribery of cake so that I would put people next to each other! We seem to be gaining a really fabulous bunch of happy makers that all share, get along really well and the amount of pitching in for gazebos by committee is fantastic. 

We see these building blocks as more important than the till receipts.  Get the foundations right, create a happy experience for everyone and people will come back for the next story - and they do! We have a real core of returning shoppers now eager to see what new stuff has been made.  They have a sit, and then tell us stories they know and the spider web of connections is becoming so interwoven that it's now a patchwork of people and stories with overlapping seams everywhere.  The day job has shifted - I am now a storyteller of journeys :)

New Chapter for the Hippos

We found ourselves outgrowing our previous home at the Purple Shed, but wow did we learn so much from it!  Boring things like branding, advertising and marketing - you can have the best product in the world but if no-one knows you have it then you may as well give it to the cat.

So, where are we now?  Well, we now find ourselves in a rather lovely and shiny converted barn on an existing farm shop site at Apley, near Bridgnorth.  With my usual, yeah it'll be fine attitude we packed up our things and trundled down the road with our pitiful bunch of belongings.  It was a slight shock to realise just how much extra space we had gained when what used to cram the Purple Shed didn't even make a dent in this space!  You know when you move from that first one bedroom flat to a real house and think oh maybe that sofa isn't so big after all?! It was that kind of moment. 

Also, we only had a few sellers with us to begin with - 3 in fact, and 8 weeks on and there are now 21 Hippo-ettes with us and they keep coming.  Because it's a real shop, in terms of look, feel and layout we're managing to do rather well.  Not out of the woods yet because essentially we started the Hippos with a £400 loan from my parents and been chugging along on pennies ever since.  But we always knew it would work, always knew that good handcrafted items would sell and knew that there were awesome makers out there.  We just had to put the open sign up and sit patiently and wait.  Yes yes to the heckling from the back from those that really know me. Ok, so it wasn't that patient but given that not everyone who reads this knows me personally allow me the indulgence of pretending I was patient and horribly professional (cakes as bribery for all those that nod at this point!).

The other thing that seems to be happening is we're getting a rather lovely reputation for helping - not doing anything special, just reminding folk that they are good at what they do and offering a few suggestions along the way.  Quite sure that most go home and go flip she's barking, why on earth would that be a good idea?! But can't be doing that bad as gets loads of hugs and thank yous off folk - hmm more bribery perhaps??

So, in an effort to try and be more organised I intend to update this more regularly, get the books a little straighter (any accountants reading this you really can have cake if you help).  Oh, and for those of you that follow the chunterings on Twitter the BT complaint letter is coming next post - and it's a doozie!

see you all soon, and as always many many thanks for allowing the Hippos to flourish even if we do now need to get our own tractor.  Hippo xx

The shop's growing up - and so are we

Eek this suddenly turned into a proper business!  Was I asleep when this happened, or just painting things purple?!?  Probably painting knowing me.

Well, what's been happening in the land of the Hippo - yet again I moved the shop around, keep getting told off that things never stay in the same place.  However, it now feels like a proper shop and I feel like it's a proper business.  It actually feels more like yes, we are doing this for real rather than err would you like to see some bits we made? Also, I've got over the initial crafters dread of apologising for pricing stuff - you know that horrible thing where you know that your stuff is worth money because you've seen it in catalogues or shops elsewhere but because you made it there's that stumbling moment of err yes please, if you don't mind it's £xx? To all those crafters out there struggling with that bit, believe me it's quite liberating when you actually cross that threshold.  You suddenly wake up to the fact that actually what you made is good, it is worth money and you don't have to apologise.  Just because you grew up making things that maybe your friends didn't understand or in my case Dad saying 'what on earth you doing this time Ange?' doesn't mean that your creativity and ideas are worthless. 

The other thing I've discovered is that there will always be those that in order for them to succeed they have to push others down.  It's hilarious when customers actually pop in and tell me this about other sellers - slightly awkward but still very funny.  However, we don't need to do that because we know where our shortcomings are and working hard to get around them.  A friend always described that as moving from the unconscious incompetent to the conscious incompetent then to unconscious competent and finally to the conscious competent.  I like that phrase as it sums it up quite nicely. You move from the ooh we have a shop to the eek we have a shop and then to the oh we're selling at the shop to the ahh now I know why we're selling at the shop.  Apologies if you are now all oohing and ahhing as if at a fireworks display!

I love this journey, and can't wait to see where it takes us next - and thank you to all those that have joined the rollercoaster that is the Hippo brain, and apologies if your seatbelt is a little loose :)

Trust - are you in or out of the sandpit?

Trust is one of those words that we use constantly, and usually from a negative perspective 'I don't trust them, do you remember when ....'

It's tricky isn't it?  Do you really want to be the one that assumes everyone is out to get you, or using you for their own ends or do you want to be the one that is secure enough in themselves that others letting you down is their loss not yours?

This is written because since we have taken the Hippos to a new level of working, ie actually running it as a business, we have come across some lovely and some err not so lovely people! There are those crafters who embody the spirit of crafting - like our Hippo-ettes who were chosen on a highly scientific basis of 'ooh, we like working with them' no fancy CVs no artists' statements twaddle just a gut instinct of them being lovely.  Then there are those that I call the fast buck crafters - the ones that think they can make a load of money quickly by taking ideas off everyone else and never crediting other crafters or artists. 

Time will show the real crafters but sadly the casualities along the way are building from what we can see.  Also the fast buck crew are usually the ones doing nothing but complaining that everyone else has stolen their ideas. They bore me, and they also annoy me because the genuinely creative are the least likely to shout 'look what I made' which is partly why we opened the shop so that we can do it for them.  I am not perfect, made many mistakes along the way but would never deliberately create gain off the back of someone else.  As Pooh Bear says 'it's much nicer with two' or three, or four or in fact loads of you.  The Hippos welcome all that want to play but closes the door to those not wanting to play nicely.  We banish you from our sandpit so nyah! And on that highly adult response, I am off to the making shed :)

Craft Fairs - what the small brain has learnt so far!

It occurred to me that it would be sensible to write this down - if only for my own sake next time as a reminder list, but others might find it useful too! Plus the Virgo in me just loves lists! Can never have enough lists, and this headset has come in extremely useful in collating people's information.

These are just some basic tips, may work for you or may not because everyone works slightly differently, and the scale of the event will dictate your timeline and formality required. A village hall event will not require the scale of health and safety that the NEC would demand for example. However, the principles are the same regardless of event:

learn the art of gentle delegation
too many cooks etc - make sure you know who's doing what to avoid duplication and looking foolish
have realistic deadlines and stick to them - if you need flyers out by the 10th, stick to it
have fun - you meet some fantastic new people along the way and everyone brings something new so share ideas

1. get a venue
2. get stall holders
3. advertise
4. confirm your stall holders and get payment
5. advertise again
6. chase up the stragglers
7. have a fabulous day
8. take feedback from customers and stall holders for next time
9. cup of tea
10. start all over again!

Given past experience of a 'I'd love to come along' does not always translate into hard cash and an actual stall holder, we did everything via email. I love facebook, it's great for getting general information out but given that we're fairly new to all this I was a little nervous of just counting the 'likes' on a page.
Another reason for email is that we sent quite detailed booking forms out - asking for phone numbers, photos of your work, do you want wall space to hang art? do you have to have a food hygiene certificate if you sell cakes? Would you want to book a space at a handmade event where over half sell the same thing, or worse there are more re-sellers than handmade? We wouldn't, and didn't want to do that to others.
Lists! you will save yourself hours later if you keep track of who you've invited, who's responded and their contact details. You will always have that one person running late and far easier to have their number to hand than panicking. And on the subject of phone numbers - write them down! Personally I keep everything in one folder that anyone can find things or someone can find it for you, you just know your phone battery will die at that critical point.

Floorplan - again, far far easier to print them off and leave around the venue for everyone to see rather than you getting caught up in every conversation, hence the comment about gentle delegation. Everyone can point out a map so why keep it in your head?

Advertising - this will depend largely on your event, the intended customer base and where you are. Also, depends on your advertising budget (you lucky thing if you have one). Ask all stall holders to make use of their contacts to advertise. We ran a poster competition offering a free stall to the winner and then sent them out to everyone so they all looked the same.

If you're lucky enough to have local radio - use it, they love this sort of thing, as do local press - just make sure you've decided who's contacting them to avoid 5 of you doing the same thing.

Chances are if you organise yourself from the outset and be realistic about what you intend to get from the day it will be fantastic. If you want to be the local event then get local crafters, if you want to be just weddings only invite wedding related exhibitors. It's easy to get caught up in the 'argh we need 5 more' but are they the right 5 for you? Far better to spread out a bit and have the right stall holders, customers will trust you next time and return. Also, stall holders talk to each other so will know that you stuck to your intention and spread the word. Nobody gets annoyed if you say sorry, it's a wedding venue and we only want wedding appropriate sellers. Sellers get more annoyed if you say, yes sure come along only to find that none of the customers are interested so don't be afraid of saying no.

Apologies for the glut of information, hopefully some will be useful to you!

Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

This just kind of sums up how I feel right now! Although I don't feel the disguise is quite strong enough yet, perhaps the flowery dr martens don't help that much (but they're my favourites!).


So, 2011 - what did it bring for you? For my part it was a weird and wonderful mix of events, people and new projects emerging. One of the best things was actually getting to start Chez Hippo and people starting to take it seriously.

The kiln now happily sits in the corner of a very cold shed, but the cat likes sleeping on it and chirruping (he can't purr very well) as you work up there. He's not mastered full conversation yet but does nod in agreement every now and then which is quite pleasing. Oh, and with the shed came two men into the girly house - now that took some getting used to, but also very lovely. And before you all sound disgusted at two men, one is The Boy who I now have to stand on a chair to tap him on the head and say 'go to your room'. That does provoke amusement, especially when he then leans on my head and declares he's in charge - yeah right, as if! Combining two households has proved to be err interesting - for instance, just how many light bulbs and extension leads do you actually need?? Clearly not as many as we had accumulated between us. Please can I have a tardis house, or even one that just keeps expanding while you sleep?

I am now officially on the Chez Hippo full time as my teaching contract finished in December and decided to have a proper go at this self employed lark. I mean, how hard can it be? Oh, that's right - ridiculously hard eek. However, we would much rather put effort into building a life we can sustain and doing something we actually enjoy even if it does mean the cold shed to check the kiln - after moving the cat off it first. Also, managed to track down two of my oldest friends last year - hurrah for facebook. We will have that reunion at some point boys - but not in a tent in Wales this time!

Had a lovely day today, started to look at venues for craft events with another crafter and hopefully showcase ours and others' work as a group. So, this self employed lark might just come off after all! Angie xx

Scary and exciting times ahead!

Oops, now have to put on serious business woman head, this could be dangerous!

The New Year is going to be terrifying and exciting at the same time, I'm currently employed on a temporary contract which ends in December so intend to put all my energy into making this a really successful business. I don't want to look back in a few years and go 'but it could have worked' that isn't my style. My close friends will tell you this, words like fearless come to mind in terms of me saying 'right, this needs to be done' and off I toddle and get it done. But as many of you know, it's a terrifying prospect! What if people don't buy things? What if the kiln breaks? What if there are no craft fairs suitable?

However, and I shamelessly draw on Pooh Bear for this - things have a way of working out right if you put the right energy into it. You could spend hours filling a whole notebook of all the things that could go wrong but then it could go right and you get to do what you love doing, you get to potter round making lovely things for lovely people and they pay you to say thank you that piece made me smile. And that's not a blinkered Pollyanna approach, just a realistic one of put the hard work in and get the pieces and the marketing right and you can make it work. Yes, there's lots of small businesses that fail but there's also ones that succeed - and unless I try I'll never know which camp we're in.

Been getting pretty good with the clay lately - made these for tree decorations:

but this is the one most proud of:

my poor tutor has so much patience - however on telling him that I'm going to bore you stupid as want to get better he just said go for it as he's a thrower too and loves teaching others to throw - result!! Really must try and get some pictures of his work because that's a definite we're not worthy when you see what he can do with a lump of clay and make it look the most natural thing in the world. One day in about twenty years time I may get somewhere close to his skill level (I hope!)

The one aspect of working from home that scares me most is that I must make the effort to get dressed and not spend the whole day pottering around in pjs while sending out parcels to customers. Perhaps I need to do some research into day time pjs? Angie xx

Damsons! and now lots of jam

The little damson tree in my tiny urban back garden which is only in it's third season decided to go mad this year! It produced over 35lb of fruit, which is fairly impressive given its age and size.

So, down came the jam pan, scales, sugar and off we go - lots and lots of damson jam :)

Found a really simple recipe years ago, which is basically same amount of sugar to fruit - so for every lb of fruit same of sugar.

basic destructions -
you will need to put a plate in the fridge first (honest!)
jam jars and lids that are washed and dried - personally find it best to dry in a warm oven that way you know they're cleaned properly

wash the fruit and remove the stalks, but don't drain too thoroughly and add to a large heavy pan (I was lucky enough years ago to find a preserving pan in a junk shop)
let it simmer so that the fruit starts to break up - and as it's doing that you need to try and catch all the stones out of it; sadly with damsons no easy way so just trial and error as to how you find the best way. I have a strange little dim sum catcher from the Chinese supermarket that I use as a mini sieve and just plod through them.
Once you're happy that you've got all the pips, and the fruit has broken up add the sugar - equal weight of sugar to fruit and stir it all in to dissolve
once it's dissolved, bring to the boil and rapid boil for about 10 minutes - I always put the timer for 8 and test from then on in, no fixed science on time
to test - take your plate out of the fridge (told you you'd need it!) and pour a little of the jam onto it. If it starts to set and you can push it into a shape it's done, be careful it's extremely hot at this stage. May need a little longer, so just keep boiling and testing till you're happy with it.messy bit - pouring into jars! After trying without, I really would advise getting a funnel pourer as it's so much easier but if you haven't just try not to get it everywhere!

as soon as you've filled your jars, seal the lids and let the air create it's own vacuum - add pretty labels if you wish, especially if you're going to give the jam away as presents.

The astute amongst you will have realised that 35lb makes far more jam than shown, you would be correct! So in happy hippo style we also made: damson wine, damson gin and damson vodka!

It may be a very hiccupy Christmas this year, especially as there's no yeast in the wine yet and it's already fermenting like mad!

In every stitch a memory

Just wanted to share this with you. I've been working on this for years now - probably be retired by the time it's finished! But, and this is my favourite part of this quilt - every piece of material has a mini history attached to it.

Each piece that has gone into the quilt has either been given to me by a family member or the fabric used from something that had a previous life of use. I love looking over the quilt and seeing my Mother's favourite dress fabric, or my favourite party dress when I was little.

In this close up I can see my Grandmother's apron and as I look at it can hear her giggling at being found out for cheating at cards round the dining room table while waiting for the chocolate cake to cook. She was a wonderful baker but a terrible card player and so naughty! She didn't make a sound when she had a fit of the giggles, just rocked on the chair while the eyes sparkled with mischief as the wrinkles told a whole lifetime of making stories. Also in this close up is the fabric from curtains I had in my first flat in Brighton. Again, so many stories that go with that place and all preseved in a simple hexagon of fabric. What's also fascinating is seeing the changes in fashion over the years as the colours and patterns of clothes change, clearly there was very little fashion sense happening in the 80's judging by some of the pieces! I will leave you to spot those pieces.

Having no idea of the history of patchwork it was a few years ago while talking to someone that was knowledgable who told me this is called a memory quilt because all the fabric pieces are off cuts or remnants rather than bought for the purpose of making the quilt. I love the technique and the calmness of the stitching but the impatience in me is growing steadily - it's so nearly finished and yet so much more to do. However, it looks so beautiful that I can't wait to get it done now and be surrounded by all these gorgeous memories and be able to wake up hearing the voices that go with them all - especially of those no longer with us.

Is it art or craft?

Apologies if this falls outside of the normal 'fluffy' ramblings of the Hippo brain, but lately there's been a raging debate about Folksy which I've mainly seen through tweets of friends - real and virtual. On a personal level we have not been affected as we don't sell through Folksy, but know many that have been. A friend we recently made at a craft meet up has been told her jewellery is not appropriate under their new rules. Basically the rules are now in place so that if you 'assemble' items rather than making every piece from scratch then you are not considered hand made. Apologies if I've over simplified, or misunderstood but that appears to be the gist of it. So it got me thinking - what is craft? what constitutes hand made? and how far do we need to take the definition?

I looked on the V&A museum website as a starting point and got this:

Caroline Broadhead
Practitioner

'What craft means to me is the making part, the how you make, and this is an exchange with materials - what you give to a material, and what it gives back. This exchange can be awkward, it can be a struggle, or one party can dominate, but if it is a productive exchange, then that's when it's worth looking at. But ultimately, it is the extra something that makes it special.'

So, with that in mind, does the jeweller assembling items not need skill and, as Caroline Broadhead says, add that something extra to make it special? I do, however, accept that there are different levels to this debate - otherwise this site would not have acted as they have. There will always be purists that say unless you have made every item yourself it is not truly handmade and there is some merit in that line of argument. For instance the crafter that buys items in and just paints one heart or similar and trys to claim a hand made piece. But, and this for me is the critical part, who decides? Where do we draw the line as to craft, hand made or assembled?

I suspect this debate will continue for some time, with no real satisfactory answer - but, in the meantime we would like to show our support for hand made by adding this to our site:


click here for the originator of this badge, and where we first came across the debate - Diddy Bears


For those of you that are affected, I hope you get a satisfactory outcome quickly and that it doesn't affect business too greatly.

Angie xx