ooh tents at basecamp - hello all!

Ahh, someone turned the light on at the end of the tunnel - thank you xxx

Well, not quite true - several people all put their lights on and made a lovely chain of lights to make a path for me to follow, but best of all it feels like we're holding hands along the path.  The easiest way to describe it you know when it goes dusk and you're not sure whether to put the garden lights on or not?  It's that half light where you can still see, but the details have all gone a little fuzzy round the edges but because you know where things are you don't actually see them anymore? That kind of describes where I am right now.  And because these people are such a diverse bunch all the lights are different shapes and colours and some twinkle. 

There is still a huge mountain to climb, but suddenly it feels like there are loads of little tents appearing at base camp.  And this time I need to explain the route a little better which I fully intend to.  These past couple of weeks have been a wake up call to me too in terms of needing to be much more open about shouting for help, and also being much more assertive in saying 'this is what needs to be done'.  Not in a horrible way, but I have such a clear long term vision for the Hippos and where we will be in five years that it would probably be helpful if I actually told a few people! The cat, whilst a very clever cat, is not in a position to tell you because lets face it you don't offer him tuna on a regular basis :)

Sadly for reasons of top secrecy I can't actually reveal the next stage of the cunning plan - itching to, but can't due to boring legal stuff that has to be sorted out first.  However, if all the phone calls necessary next week are helpful I should be able to tell you something rather fab, if not err umm ... quickly thinks of something that sounds interesting ...... will come back to you on that one!

Think I'm runnning out of puff

Apologies if this is a negative blog, it probably is but I feel slightly like I'm drowning a little.  The Hippo name is becoming quite well known in our little circle which is great, but we didn't really think through the business model in terms of a community business and I'm starting to struggle to hold all the strands together.  As a start up there are 500 things going on at once and all happening in my head alone which is confusing me let alone those around me!

For instance, if you sell with us why on earth should you then give your time and money to essentially help us have a living?  No-one in their right mind would do that, especially if ultimately it's what you want to be doing yourself.  You're stuck in a 9-5 while I appear to be swanning around meeting lovely new people and having cups of tea and biccies with groups that I find, and then I have the audacity to say please help me? Not on your nelly is the gut reaction - and think it would be mine too!!!
So, we are going to have to have a re-think about the structure of Little Hippo.  Because as a community worker at heart I think what's happened is I assume that everyone understands what a social enterprise is, but the reality of it is that most don't.  Why should they?  Again, it's like expecting me to understand quantum physics just cause you've mentioned it once - err nope, not happening.  Also, it's not clear what the sellers get out of it for themselves because at heart whether we like it or not we are selfish creatures.  That isn't a criticism - after all I'm selfish in that I want to work for myself, want to poodle around and meet lovely new people and play with glass.  However, the other thing that has come to light is the level of risk that each deem acceptable.  I didn't realise how much of a risk taker I actually am until seeing others more cautious approach and thinking come on, get on with it, make a decision!

So, Little Hippo is going to hole up for a while and do the usual divving around to try and explain the logic and actually put it down on paper for people to read, understand and then decided if they want to play or not.  It has been pointed out on more than one occasion that I can be a bugger for not giving you the whole picture but assuming you get it and then being confused that you don't!

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 :)

lesson learning is ongoing

This seems quite apt at the moment!  We organised our first craft fair with our name on the weekend and some things were good and some were not so good - but we're not that stupid or arrogant not to recognise and learn from the not so good.

What was good - the crafters as ever were the most lovely bunch of people you could ever hope to be stuck with on a dreary afternoon.  All had made their most wonderful things, decked out their stalls in red, white and blue and generally come along with the most fab attitude.  Feedback was that it was a very well organised event, stall holders were great and the networking invaluable.  And as Hippos we seem to be building a wonderful group of dedicated people keen to see crafting develop and grow which is great.

What was not so good - footfall.  We had advertised as best we could, but it seemed that all in our town had decided to disappear for the weekend.  We even had the local press photographer tell us that too, as well as others who had come through town to see us said that people were noticeable by their absence! 

What we learned - to keep trying! Had a bit of a personal thump earlier when I found out that someone was having a pop and kind of took it personally.  However, it's not personal - well one comment was but we will assume they had been on the gin he he! But we're not that daft to believe that a good day out with lovely people makes up for spending on a stall where you don't sell much because I would be grumpy too, so completely understood their frustrations.  So, we shall re-group and take the good bits (of which there were loads) and try and put right the not so good bits (but please don't blame us for the weather!). 

And a huge thank you as always to those that help behind the scenes that you may not hear from, you know who you are ... and we know where you live!!!