Changes take time, effort and for a change to be worthwhile, often it takes a lot of planning.
Now I don’t know if this month’s topic came to me because we’re already one month into a New Year, but as a creative, entrepreneurial person I simply don’t stop thinking. After all, our livelihood depends on keeping up with, or even at times being in front of the “pack”.
It’s true that there is no new idea under the sun, just maybe it hasn’t been implemented exactly like you are thinking of doing. But this month I have been musing about how to get excited and inspired in order to get the best out of the year ahead, when it comes to our business.
Inspiration can come in many forms, through a cleverly edited Instagram Post, a beautifully curated page in a stylish magazine or by hearing someone else’s story and applying it your own situation. For me all those things play a role from time to time, but my real inspiration comes from getting out and exploring. Leaving the thoughts and cares of the day to day behind and simply immersing myself in new surroundings.
As an Aussie, while there are so many positives living on a big island on our own, I really do envy those who have the ability to easily cross a border and experience a completely different landscape, architecture, culture and cuisine. For those of us who have lived our entire lives in Oz, the novelty of jumping on a ferry in England and ending up in France only an hour or so later is simply matchless. In fact, the distance between England and Paris is less than it is from Port to Taree… yet despite the physical closeness, their cultures are obviously worlds apart.
Now I know a lot of my customers have been able to re-enter the travel scene since the world stopped in 2020, but my travel bug hasn’t been fed properly since 2019. Part of the reason for that is that the face of retail has changed since pre-covid times. It’s harder than ever to predict what a “normal” season is going to look like, which means escaping and leaving “The Girls” to it is a little harder for us now than it has been in the past.
As a business owner, I’ve been ebbing and flowing with the industry from well over a decade now, so in uncertain times I simply tighten my lifejacket and hold on, but I fear for those in our industry who are relying on floaties to help them keep above the waterline. It’s tough out there and in order to weather the storm, we need to hang on.
Having said that, sometimes when you are in the middle of literal rough seas it’s hard to remember that the ocean is massive and that where you are is just one little part in a very big sea. It’s inevitable that the conditions will change, we just have to hang in there and ride the waves until it does. This is true for business too; sometimes when times feel unbearably tough, and you are being tossed about from every angle, trying to keep your head “above water” can feel impossible, but a quick chat with someone you trust or a little weekend away from your business may be all you need to realise that there are bigger things out there, and that with fresh eyes and a bit of determination you can hold on until the storm passes.
So as we all brace for what 2025 has in store for us, if it goes as fast as the first month has gone, we will be planning our end of year parties before we know it! That said, would it surprise you to know I have already ordered some of our International Brands for December deliveries? And you wonder why I am always thinking, planning, adjusting and changing… it’s in my DNA and it’s the only way we thrive as a business.
Bring on 2025. We are READY!!!
