Craftisan Bay Spring Fair 2016

Can't believe we're already into the month of May, this year is just flying by! Spring has just sprung and it'll nearly be summer soon. Am I the only one that hasn't yet planned a summer holiday?! Well anyway as you'll find out in this post I've been very busy with events such as the Craftisan Bay Spring Fair, which took place a couple of weeks ago at St Martin's House in Leicester. It was their first event of the year, with the summer, autumn and Christmas fair taking place later this year. I've only recently just started doing fairs so I guess I'm still learning about what is selling, who my market is, and how to improve my setup.

I've found days like this really helpful as I not only get to showcase my products but I've also met some lovely people who hold stalls, and other designers and crafters. As I'm quite new to this I've had a few of the stallholders giving me advice which I've found has really helped me. Having other people who show you confidence and support is probably one of the best things about doing these events as it can get quite lonely sometimes when you're so caught up making new products and getting your name out there.

It's normally a very early start for these fairs so I'll be up bright and early with everything packed up and ready to go! For this event I had my lovely friend Prim helping me, and you can read his blog here if you want to know more about him. He does a lot of beauty/skincare/lifestyle/food posts on the blog. The location was in the city centre of Leicester, and the day turned out to be warm and sunny which was definitely a bonus! It did take quite a while to set up as I can be very indecisive about how I want everything laid out haha. You can see my stall setup below and if you do see anything you like you can pop over to my Etsy shop www.sukisaburdesigns.etsy.com or my website sukisabur.co.uk to purchase any of the products.

It's a Colourful Spring!

It's that time of year again where Summer is just around the corner, but with all those April showers the days just seem to be dulled down. The pink skies in the evenings and those bright sunny mornings are taken over by midday showers and grey clouds. You've got so many exciting plans for the summer and cannot wait to get your hands on the latest summer trends for your holiday. But the long days of waiting are sucking that energy out of you. Yes I pretty much feel like that at some point during the Spring months, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.

So I wanted to brighten up those dull Spring days with a few colourful accessories. And so I thought about making more of my makeup bags in lots of lush colours. Of course the colours I've used go perfectly with my silk scarves as I wanted all of them to match. I've put these new bags up on Etsy, which you can find here. I also feel like these would be the perfect gift for bridesmaids or as travel accessories for your summer getaway! and They are now available in a rainbow full of colours! You can also find them on Depop if any of you girlies use the app, just search 'sukisaburdesigns'. xo

www.sukisaburdesigns.etsy.com

Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started My Business

In no way am I saying that I 100% know what I'm doing, or that I've gone about doing things the right way, taking a straight path. But if you read my last post about diving in and going for what you want, you'll know that I mentioned not knowing what to expect and learning along the way. There are a few things I wish I'd been prepared for in advance.. although I'm not sure if that would have put me off before starting anything? But I guess I've learnt a few massive pointers as I've gone along.

Make sure you've saved enough money to live comfortably for the next six months.. maybe even longer. You've got to work out a personal budget of what you'll need to save extra money for and what expenses you'll need to account for monthly. Always remember to leave a little bit extra for going out and enjoying yourself, and also emergencies.

Don't mix your personal and business expenses. Even though you might be so involved in what you're doing and you don't feel as if it is necessary, TRY to keep them both separate. It'll probably save you a lot of confusion in the long run when you're trying to work out your expenses.

You've got to put in ten times more than what you'll get out of it at the start. This may be for the first year, maybe longer. This includes not only investing your time, but energy, ideas, and most likely even money! (Unless you're starting a business that doesn't require much spending and investment.) It will be so draining and exhausting at first, especially when you feel like you're putting in so much of your time and not seeing any results. But everything takes time, and you've got to build a strong foundation.

Don't listen to all the advice you get. Everyone will want to share their opinions with you and tell you what they think is best. Thing is, all businesses work in different ways, and there is no right or wrong way. Listen to what other people have to say but don't feel as if you have to take any of it. Don't think too much into it as most of the time people will either tell you not to take such a big risk or they will tell you to go for it in kind of a fake way. Follow your heart and trust your instincts, as this is YOUR adventure, no one else's.

Plan. Plan. Plan. You'll of course have a long list of things to accomplish, some which may not seem within your reach. But until you write it all down on paper and have something to compare your successes to, you won't be following a proper plan. Nothing will go to plan. You'll come across new obstacles and face difficult decisions. But unless you've been mentally prepared for it and thought about it beforehand, you'll be completely knocked off your feet.

Don't be overwhelmed by your competitors. There are already SO many people doing what I've set out to achieve. But a little competition is always healthy. Yes you may want to start a beauty blog or a graphic design business. And yes there may be a million other people writing about the same product or using a similar colour palette to yours. But what's different is that you're putting your own spin on things. If you're passionate about something then don't be scared to take that risk and be worried about other people doing it better. Your work and your project will be different because it's YOUR opinions, YOUR designs, YOUR thoughts and YOUR brand! And that's something you can transform into your own, with your unique touch.

I hope this advice has helped, I'd love to know what you guys think. If you're planning to start your own little venture, I'd definitely say the advice above would help, even if it's a few of the most obvious points. Let me know if you want to see any more posts similar to this, and GOOD LUCK! xo

Starting a New Business Venture

We've all got dreams and goals, no matter how different they are. We all have so many different things that make us happy and make us feel content. Some of us may plan these things with to-do lists, little sticky notes, making mental notes, and even crossing these things off. But how many of you actually complete the tasks you've always wanted to do? Maybe some things you can't complete, if they are long term goals, maybe they could take months, even years to build up.

Isn't it such a scary thought? To go after something you've always dreamt off and wanted, yet knowing that you could simply fail and lose it all. Maybe you feel as if not going after it will be better, as you won't be defeated and be disappointed. Thing is, if you don't ever go after your dreams you'll never really know. And those hopeful dreams will gradually turn into doubts and regrets and you wondering about what you could have done better, more of or just simply DONE.

After finishing university there were so many things that I wanted to do, but I just didn't really know what direction to go in, what to do first, or what I'd really love to do and enjoy. So I procrastinated for a really long time. I carried on with my day job and being completely unhappy every single day. I thought about all the things I could do and what would make me happy. Yet I did not do anything about it for a really long time. I guess I had the same worries so many other young people have. Money and finance, failure, not being fully clued up, getting stuck, feeling alone, there's just SO many things to think about.

And then one day I just decided to go for it and dive into the deep end. I didn't really have much to lose and if I was already completely unhappy there was no point carrying on the same way. So I put more time into designing and planning a collection. I sat for hours sometimes just procrastinating and planning, feeling lost. Yet every single time I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere, I was moving one step forward. I was definitely the most nervous and worried I'd ever been, yet I was so excited for this scary, unknown venture that was giving me butterflies.

I read a pile of books on branding, building a collection, and starting a business. I searched for suppliers and decided what products I wanted to get made with my designs. I got clued up on how to build my own website and planned how I wanted it to look. There was so much planning to do, so many decisions to make, and of course I'm still making them as I go along. I spent most of my time trying to get one step further, and by doing so I realised that sometimes the place you think you want to get to isn't actually where you want to be. But the more you research and the more chances you take, the more you will discover about what is the best route to take.

Once I'd completed some of the things I was previously scared of, I realised that I felt so much better. That it wasn't actually as nerve wracking as I thought it would be. And I realised that I had learnt something completely new and grown as a person. I've come to realise more of my strengths and weaknesses, I've found out how I work best and what I actually like doing, and what I despise but I am actually quite good at. I've still got SUCH a long way to do, SO much more to learn and SO many goals I've not yet achieved.

But if you've been thinking about doing something you've always dreamt off but you're not so sure, just take a chance and just go for it! Of course there will be things that will get in your way and obstacles that you've not expected. But if you don't atleast try you'll never really know what you're capable of. There's so much help out there you've just got to look for it and ask for help as you go along. Maybe you don't see it know but you'll learn so much about yourself and even if the end goal changes, or you don't get there, you will definitely get something positive out of it! xo