sarah campbell

Clarris and co. sit to attention!

The last few months have been transition months. Like a child learning to walk I have been falling and then picking myself up. Frustrated, compelled to move on but at the same time fearful of entering new territory and leaving familiar zones. I have had to accept some stark truths about my business and how I run it and I am embarking on real, raw changes in order to make it work, and I mean REALLY work.

Firstly: Getting to grips with cash flow. After an enlightening session with Roger I now know how to create formulas in Excel. This has enabled me to draw up sheets detailing every expense, income, accurate costings, time sheets and charts and I am attending to them daily (brownie points overflowing). These charts make the business of assessing whether I can, could or can’t make a purchase so much easier because the answer is staring me in the face in black and white. Example: I realised with horror that my agent’s commission was eating up pretty much all profit on the tweedies. I either do without or reduce the commission. Phone call was made, agent understood and commission was reduced. Result! Now had I not written up the chart I would have been blissfully unaware that I was making Tweedies purely for charity.

Secondly: I need to sell LOTS, and I mean lots of tweedies in order to make a living which means I need to sell, market and design my products… not make! Enter…..Tina. Wey Hey I have acquired a fabulous sewer who has moved on to the island into a house which once was my studio and spends hours making tweedies in an exacting and methodical way, which I like. She also makes a great cup of tea and has reminded me how enjoyable company can be.

Levinias lounging

So all this change and structure seems to be, in a manifesting through thought kind of way, encouraging orders. I have just received an order from the…wait for it (drum roll…….) Scottish National Gallery !

Chuffed to bits

x Sarah