Gardening - the least interesting thing to do on your knees.
I thought I ought to own up and tell you that I know nothing about gardening. The most I know about gardening is buying candles or cream teas at garden centres and getting pissed at a bbqs and hankering after a hot tub. I was thrilled when the Daily Mail reported, "Hanging baskets are the calling cards of the lower middle class' (July 2020). That's me - I often have an underwatered trailing geranium by the front door.
The idea of the The Potting Shed came from a space to go and think. It also came from the idea of growing and nurturing ideas. I started to make products that worked and I LOVED IT!
I may not grow much in my garden but I have grown three children and am constantly finding weeds in my own personality and thinking.
So there you have it. The Potting Shed - a place to potter a while. I no longer need to buy over priced beauty products at the garden centre as I make my own and I very much hope my new business will grow!
The Making of the Potting Shed
In order to start making things I had to do a lot of buying things. I feel that I took naturally to doing this.
Of course the most important thing to do was to make a useful financial spreadsheet, plan a marketing strategy and write a long term forecast. I ignored all that and decided to do the following ...
1. Buy Stationery - vital to decoupage your own folders for 'Things to do lists'.
2. Go onto Etsy for HOURS browsing cute jewellery and cocktail cabinets and then order bespoke Apron.
3. Research and Development: Buying the competition. For this I chose products from NEOM, Neal's Yard and ESPA. I am now in the 'red' before I sell a thing.
4. Order ingredients and make the products. Using funnels and technical things like spoons and the kettle. The best fun ever. (All Covid safe and totally hygienic btw).
5. Design labels. I went with a retro feel which matched the Potting shed philosophy of doing simple things well and ordered many beautiful amber jars and bottles.
6. PR. Take photos or rather pounce around, dropping phone whilst 'effin and jeffin'.
Teenage eyes were rolled in the taking of these photos.
7. Drinking. Hydration is very important for small businesses so many Tequilas were drunk. Well shame to waist the lemon and salt.
8. Trial and Error - I have given some of the products to friends and so far the reviews have been great. I guess you will be the judge of that if you order some!
9. Designing a website and making Shed Club blog.
10. Pressing publish ... shit! I've just done that because you are reading this!!! Eeek!! I'm terrified and proud of myself all rolled into one!!
So thank you for reading this I am truly honoured. I am hoping that you can comment and join in as we go!!!
Amanda x