Warning! This post may (does) contain ramblings of a struggling (whiney) small business owner! (but it ends well)

Wow, what a quiet ol’ week it’s been so far, especially considering Father’s Day is just around the corner (Sunday September 5). It has meant that I have been able to do a bit of tidying up and reorganising but there is only so much of that you can do everyday! I’ve even caught up on my filing, goodness it MUST be quiet!

Last week* I added some new gifts to the range to include some yummy gifts suitable for people with special dietry needs plus the week before I included a new Peppermint gift box but unfortunately, so far, they are proving to be a very underwhelmingly popular (insert ‘fail whale’ picture here). Which has given me time to think (and eat!), what’s going on? Am I targetting the wrong people? Do people want to buy gifts full of lollies and chocolates? Is this the slow demise of Rainbow Designs? I told you I had time to think!

I’m not giving up though, I do believe people still LOVE lollies and LOVE chocolates (I know my family and I certainly do) and even if we are being more ‘health conscious’ it certainly doesn’t mean we have to give up the not so healthy foods. Lollies make people happy, chocolate makes you smile and they’re great to share (or hide!).

So, what’s going on? Why aren’t people sending more Big Lolly Boxes and Mini Multi Mixes? Who wouldn’t love to receive a ‘I love you more than chocolate‘ teddybear with a box of chocolates? When you’re feeling a bit down or had a slight mishap what better way than to add a bit of sunshine to your day than a bunny slipper wearing teddybear and his half kilo box of lollies!

Facebook is a great way to interact with our customers and has helped us spread the Rainbow Designs lolly love but I don’t think I’m making the most of it. Our ‘liker’ numbers has stalled, just can’t seem to get passed the 1064/65 mark - what do they want, what do they expect. These are things I’ve been thinking about, what can I do to engage people more plus get them to buy. hmmmmm

I send out a newsletter each month but I know I’m underutilising this also. another, hmmmmmm

Something I don’t want to do is exand our range too much. I want to keep it to the basics of boxes of lollies and boxes of chocolates. Nothing too expensive. I have deliberately keep our gifts a low/lowish prices because that’s what I look for. I want to be able to send presents to people but don’t really want to have to spend $70, $80, $90, $150 Sure you’ll have extra special occasions (or people) that you don’t mind spending a lot on but not for everyone, all the time. I believe the prices I’ve set for our gifts are very reasonable and make it so much easier (and affordable) to give more often. Shipping is pretty much the biggest expense so it can limit how low we can make a gifts, with shipping starting at around $11 it is very hard to price gifts lower than $25 without losing money (especially if we have to redeliver parcels due to incorrect delivery addresses or people being discharged from hospital early! There’s another $11). Plus everything just keeps going up!

Wish you ran your own business now Don’t get me wrong, I do love it and would hate to have to go back to being an employee but, at times, I think it would be easier and less stressful to go and work for someone else. At least then I knew I would get paid each week!

So I guess all I can do is use this quiet time to work ON my business and improve my business and maybe eat some chocolate!

I also want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has ever order from me, without you Rainbow Designs would not be here, in cyber space (and Port Macquarie) and I wouldn’t be running my own yummy business.

* To be fair, it hasn’t all been doom and gloom here, we did complete a huge order last week It just doesn’t happen all the time!

It’s been one of those weeks and I’m a little bit over it, sigh. Thankfully todays orders are done and with the courier. I’m going to do some filing (long overdue!) and make up a few more packing boxes. Be still my beating heart!

I’m trying not to let things get me down but it oh so hard. One of my main bug bears (or is it bares?) at the moment is people not reading our Delivery Information page. It’s not hard. It’s set out easy enough (isn’t it?) to understand. We even have it during our checkout page but so many people just don’t read it. Why is that? Especially if you are expecting something delivered superhumanly quick (like that same day, in WA?). I know some companies can deliver same day but they state that. We can’t so we state that.

Anyway, enough whinging it’s not helping my headache.

I think I might put some music on while I do the filing. Music often soothes the mind (1st up is PokerFace - Lady Gaga)

For those interested here is our Delivery Information page

ps: I hope everyone had a fabulous Easter!

pps: How do you wake Lady GaGa up in the morning?

Poke her face! ha ha (from one of Cate Bolts kids, via Twitter - he he)

take 3

yes, this is the 3rd attempt at getting this blog written (might I note that the title is the 1st title - I was asking for it, wasn’t I?!)

Gremlins are apparently making a come back this year, they are featuring very heavily in the Rainbow Designs new shopping cart and now, it appears, also in our blog. Frustrating to say the least (plus I don’t like to swear in public!) but in the whole scheme of things, not so bad (I’m coping, just!)

The hiccups with our new shopping cart should (fingers crossed) be fixed in a few weeks when the Bergan Blue team return but in the mean time if you are experiencing difficulties in placing an order (it appears to be Step 2 that causes the dramas) please email us or phone us (02) 6583 9618. Apologies - I know how annoying it is when you fill everything in only to have it all disappear at the click of a button (yes, I’m looking at you Mr Blog!).

The year may have started off ‘frustrating’ but it’s certainly flying by, a week has already disappeared - ohmy. I haven’t yet got over the Christmas rush (or the festivities!) and we’re already heading towards Valentine’s Day - it’s only 5 weeks away, Sunday Feb 14 and then it’s onto Easter, eegad. Sloooow down, just a tad, please.

Did you know we have a fabulous Facebook page and that we Twitter? I’m still trying to figure out Twitter and the best way to use it but we do plan on using Facebook a fair bit during 2010 to help you guys keep up to date on what’s happening here at Rainbow Designs. Will list new products, specials, up coming events and even competitions (yep, you get the chance to win some very yummy free stuff (it may include our STSP*) - Exciting hey?! (or ‘citing as the very funny and down to earth Mad Cow would say)

This time I am going to copy and save this post in Word just in case it disappears on me again, my patience has never been one of my strong suits (and I really need my computer in one piece!). Fingers doubley crossed.

Music has been my saviour in this frustrating, gremlin apearing period in 2010 (oh and chocolate but that goes without saying really) and the mix has been just right (with the exception of MeatLoaf, argh how did he get in there!) we’ve got the Biggest BBQ Album + a couple of So Fresh Albums (stear clear of the 2009 Christmas Album - crappola) + numerous Triple J Hottest 100 Album. There are a few stinkers in there but mostly they’re just right for keeping the day flowing and the swear words to a minimum.

I was going to end today with some V8 Supercars (I got the 2007 & 2008 seasons for Christmas and my Birthday - jealous!) but stumble across a couple of half decent shows on the telly. SBS - Bipolar Bears and ABC - something to do with Blues/Rock n Roll music, I think they’re both on again next Thursday night. Now I’m going to find one of the books I bought just before Chrissy at Willing and Able (for $1) and have a relaxing read in bed before the thrills and spills if Kids Bingo tomorrow - two little ducks (anyone, anyone??)

Enjoy week 2 of 2010 (sounds so futuristic doesn’t it 20 10 - might have to watch Back to the Future again, he he, weren’t we meant to be in flying cars by 2015?!)

* sweet tooth survival pack for the uninitiated

well, not actually straw more like a box and not actually a camels back but my little toe:

Who would have thought buying Easter eggs could be so stressful! It just goes to show that the best layed plans are always doomed to fail, especially if you don’t have a plan B or C?

I’ve been chasing up so many comapnies this week trying to track down some Easter eggs and let me tell you it has been no mean feat! I don’t want to jinx myself but I think we’ve found a winner!!

Anyway, here are a few of our Easter gifts with some more due in early next week (jinx, double jinx)

They’re all under $50 (most under $40) and that includes delivery right across this great land of ours (Australia that is!). Easter bunny is so generous

Goodness where has the time gone! I can’t believe I haven’t posted since mid December ‘last year’! The time spent over the Christmas and New Year period was just fabulous but the problem I now have is getting back into the rythym of Rainbow Designs and the day to day things. We official started back on the 5th of Jan but I have to admit I have been quite lax and just done the basics, nothing more. We’re getting the orders out and answering any enquiries but that’s it, I just can’t seem to find where I left my enthusiasm and excitment for my business and it’s quite frustrating actually!

I had a week of doing nothing but what I (and the family!) wanted, I had time to read, watch the tv, swim, play games brought by Santa, eat, drink and basically relax so why don’t I feel re-energised?

Actually, I don’t think it’s a case of not being re-energised I think it’s more a case of being stuck in a rut or reached a plateau with Rainbow Designs that I just can’t seem to find a way out of. We’ve been cruising along quite nicely here at Rainbow Designs but not striving higher or trying to reach any goals or targets. I’ve just let things be and I can see this being a problem if it continues much longer. People will forget about us, someone else will come along and do what we do but better, our customer service will drop off because these no ‘excitement or committment’ there, we will slowly disappear IF we don’t do something NOW.

I think one of the major things I find difficult is the isolation of running a very small business. You don’t have the office banter, the interaction with others, there’s no-one to bounce ideas off or just to chat to. Leading up to Christmas I had a couple of helpers which makes working so much more fun and enjoyable but now it’s back to just me doing it all.

I guess the only way to make things better is to start making plans, write out my goals for this year, look towards the up coming occasions (like Valentine’s Day which isn’t far away) and start organising the year ahead. Sitting staring at the wall and wishing I was somewhere else isn’t achieving anything except making myself even less enthused!

SO from today, Wednesday 14 January 2009, I will begin working ON my business (as well as working in it of course!) and the first thing I am going to do is finalised the gifts for Valentine’s Day.

I feel better already

Well, it’s not long until the silly season for Rainbow Designs comes to an end for another year and I’m feeling a little apprehensive. We’ve been busy busy busy doing corporate orders, which is just fabulous, but our sales are down on individual orders. I know each year I always worry about orders or lack there of and then suddenly we’re swamped and can barely keep up but it just seems quieter than normal. Our last week of doing orders is generally crazy busy but I am not sure it will be the same this year. What’s going on? Are people budgeting better this year, not spending as much as they normally do, having to watch their money more carefully than previous years or simply going elsewhere?

I’m sending out a quick ‘newsletter’ this morning to, hopefully, remind people about Rainbow Designs and that Christmas isn’t that far away. Whether it will bring in any orders is something I’ll just have to wait and see.

On the upside we have had many return customers including businesses who have used us before for their Christmas gifts plus quite a few referals too, which is always nice!

Another bonus of not being too busy means that I have been able to keep up with the majority of the paperwork and not just stuffed it in a draw for later!

I just wonder if other businesses are going through the same thing or is it just us? Arrr, the joys of running a business, all the ‘what ifs’, ‘whys’, ‘hows’, ‘whens’ to deal with!

I hope everyone else is chugging along nicely, send some of it this way if you can

ps: wishing Lucas Dumbrell a speedy recovery (he was injured in a Formula Ford race yesterday at Oran Park)

pps: come on Murph you can do it!

After months and months of having problems with our website (the behind the scenes stuff) and not having any luck getting if rectified I finally found someone who could do it (and did do it!). A BIG YAY goes out to Jon and Marnie from Bergan Blue - thank you Not only did Jon fix everything but it was done when they said they would do it, amazing! Plus it only took him a few hours, not a few days or a few weeks or a few months but a few hours! Love it

So, are you one of those businesses that promise the world but only deliver a suburb or do you actually do what you promise! Try and be proactive in your business and if things are taking longer than expected TELL your customer, if you’re having problems with something TELL your customer, if you realise you just can’t do it TELL your customer. Occasionally we get requests for gifts that we are unable to do so we TELL our customer this plus we also make suggestions on where they maybe able to get what they are after.

Sometimes things don’t go as we planned or we’re trying to do 12 things at the same time so things can slip between the cracks and you miss or forget it but as soon as you realise this (or your customer contacts you) TELL your customer and then DO IT. Closing your eyes and ears and hoping it will go away just doesn’t cut it. You may not hear back from your customer about that problem but here’s betting you never hear back from them ever again plus they’ll probably tell at least 10 other people why not to use your business.

You can’t please all the people all of the time but if you know you have done your best then, really, that’s all anyone can ask.

After a months trial of our new delivery options and payments we have decided to go back to an all inclusive price. No choice, no confusion, no headaches (well maybe not!) just one price. I hope this is the last time we have to change, amend, fix, rework etc etc our delivery details. I think I will continue with a couple of the couriers we started using but will definitely keep a close eye on how it all goes. With Christmas coming up I don’t want to make additional and unnecessary work.

New delivery page here - basically it means the price of the gift you see is the price you pay, no extra delivery charge, no next day delivery option, no specific date delivery option, easy peasy

Fingers crossed!!

On September 16 we blogged about our new delivery options, whilst they are still available we have unfortunately had to increase the Next Day/Specific Day price. We have found that our original price of $14.95 just wasn’t covering the actual delivery cost, it is working out to be much more expensive than we first thought.

The new delivery price for next day and specific day delivery is now $16.95, which we feel is still great pricing. We will be keeping a very close eye on this service, it is something we have wanted to offer our customers for quite sometime now but unfortunately may not be a viable option for Rainbow Designs. With us being based in a regional area (Port Macquarie) with a small airport we are very limited in the Courier services we can use plus the additonal surcharges of fuel/security can be quite expensive. The main dramas we are facing are the larger gifts, as boxes are not just priced on weight but also cubing, so even if a gift only actually weighs 1kg it may cube in at 4kg which increases the delivery charge by about 8 times! ouch! (last week we actually had a $127 delivery charge for a $50 gift - insane!)

One way around this is to only offer a limited number of gifts as being available for Next Day Delivery, something else to think about.

We are hoping this won’t cause too much pain and that we will have everything sorted out properly in time for the Christmas rush!