Nov 02, 2024

PLANTING A GARDEN

Beautiful clothing is in the works!

Getting work to our sisters is my top priority. I spent my Friday handing over new designs to the grading office before the weekend started. We're now on track again for having sufficient work in Nepal during the month of December!

There's been some interesting updates though, so wanted to share today!

PAUSING FACEBOOK

We ran an ad on Facebook for six weeks. Then, we halted them because of gaps in communication between our ad specialist and myself. Publishing the most timely content was not smooth.

I was curious if someone else could be a better fit for us. I had a few calls, and learned that to really do ads right, it would be a huge time and financial investment. The financial risk might have been something worthwhile, but the time trade would mean too many essentials would get neglected.

Our commitment to the sisters in Nepal is where our priority is. If anything would subtract from my ability to give them consistent work, I have to say no. Digital ads are a no for now then!

A FEW HOURS

One of our business advisors is trying to get me to think differently. He used the word 'multiplication' when he told me to prioritize more tasks that will have future fruit. Some of these have been on my list for five years. Had I done them, our current customer retention rate would be higher.

I've held off on them because they aren't essential to survival, which has been our mindset since 2020. I appreciate his challenge for me to multiply.

These tasks are like planting a garden. Lots of hard work upfront and the seeds are hidden for a while. After some time though, the garden is fully bloomed and the harvest is plentiful.

Where to find the time though to plant the garden. Elegantees- is no longer in the start-up phase, so I have a lot to do operationally right now, and they are all essential tasks.

This week and last, I caught myself when I was on my phone too long. I set my distracting phone out of sight. Then, for just a few hours each week, I did some things to improve our first-time customer experience. They aren't done yet, but they are in progress!

For a few hours per week, I'll commit to setting up these things that are going to be automated. Once they are in motion, it will significantly increase the probability of new customers placing another order again and again.

See what I mean by multiply? Planting this garden can feel tedious, but laboring through it can produce the fruit we've been praying for!