A question I don't like answering when it's thrown to me. I don't even know what to eat later tonight or even tomorrow. So something that is a year or more, is something I don't like to think about.
But something made me thought about it this morning.
After being in this small business, I have seen myself from nothing to at least something worth recognizing for myself (at this point, I don't need others to recognize me yet. It's important for me to recognize myself first).
Disclaimer: This post is never intended to bring anyone down but to share on the setbacks I've faced and maybe as a reflection for me to understand how I can further improve the processes.
It all started with wanting to try and do something different for myself, which is why I thought of starting this business. There was once a fear, but that fear slowly faded away with time and I've grown more confident over time.
Initially, the business plan was to have a partnership with my siblings because one of them had ambitions to go into the same industry as me. But things didn't work out because although the interest is the same, the way we work, is very different.
My sister is a more terjun-botol kind of person and then can suddenly decide to do something totally different the next day. There is zero consistency and planning. This is fine for someone who works the same way with her. But for me, I am the more careful kind where I'll start small and slowly build my portfolio from there. It's much safer and if I make any losses, it wont be much.
My sister's plan was to do up a waffle ice cream live station for weddings and also the full scale decor. Huge huge ambition. We suggested to her to start with something small first like an in house dais - to you know, test the comfortability and even make use of one of our houses to do up a pelamin to trial and error, but we later found out that she already terjun botol and started buying ice cream glass panels (you know those big ones macam nak bukak kedai ice cream), and a huge 20ft wooden backdrop panel and 4 acrylic platforms for the dais.
Guess who collected those huge things on her behalf? Me. While she was suddenly away on a holiday during the delivery day of the items. -.- *slow claps
Guess where those things ended up? At my mum's place - rotting away. Sheesh.
And right now, she's suddenly into photography, logo designing and sampul raya designing.
Looking at how she work, and how I work = we both can't be in the same company.
So things got a bit ugly halfway and the whole predicament ended there and then. She quietly opened her own company (that does the whole photography, logo designing and sampul raya thingy) - which I didn't know of, but I was told by my kakak about it. I just gave her my best of wishes in my heart and hope for the best for her.
Right now, there's only my husband and I running our small company. I am on the PR & Admin and the Creative department whereas my husband is on the delivery side and logistics side. I'll accompany him for delivery because an aspect of the delivery side is the PR where I've to explain to my clients on their items and our items.
Few months' back, I thought of expanding my business further and include bunga rampai into our packages. This is where I decided to rope my other sister in. She has the flair of becoming a florist one day, so I believe this was a great starting point for her.
However, as much as she has this creative side of things, out of the 4 times that we have done bunga rampai so far, I had to help her out in 3 because she couldn't finish it on time and that delayed our delivery deadline. It doesn't reflect well and something has to be improved.
I kept on emphasizing on the importance of amanah/trust and fulfilling ones' obligations especially when it involves receiving money from others. People are paying for it and we must deliver. But sadly, I think it doesn't come across as that important to her...maybe not yet. Maybe she doesn't see the seriousness of it yet because she has yet to meet any demanding clients. Again, this taught me another lesson that as much as one can be your sibling and also has the flair of doing something nice out of something, it doesn't mean he/she share the same kind of passion as you. :(
To do list: Another pep talk sesh coming up.
To do list: Another pep talk sesh coming up.
Sigh.
Business is not as easy as it seems. You have to juggle internally (your partners, and for some - employee and staff) and also externally (suppliers and clients). At the same time, manage my role as a wife and a mum to my kid(s).
Even though I am nowhere veryyyyy near the limelight, I believe I want to grow something out of this someday. Insya'Allah.
Do'akan! <3
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