The Ups and Downs of running a small business
Sophie Lombardi
I’ve been running Poppy and Honesty for over 11 years and it has certainly been a fairground ride, specifically the ‘spinning tea cups’, which is supposed to be sedate but actually makes you feel a bit wobbly at times. Who would have thought that tinkering with beautiful fabric combinations and turning them into life long treasures could actually have a downside?
To be honest there are many fantastic aspects of running this gig. It’s very exciting when a new fabric arrives from Liberty of London and designing our own linens is a fun and creative process. I also get to hang out with my adored spaniel in our Sail Loft and generally choose my working hours. Our little corner of Falmouth is bursting with nice cafes and people always ready for a chat which makes the solitary nature of my role more fun. Our sewing team are all local, but choose to work in their own spaces and on their own timelines to fit in with other commitments. Flexible working keeps the team happy which reflects the quality of their work.
The scary part of running Poppy and Honesty is getting through low sale periods and trying to maintain some sort of equanimity. I am not very good at this and tend to spiral into a panic of ‘what ifs’ and googling dead stock outlets. Covid was booming for Poppy and Honesty and gave us a false sense of high productivity and sales. Inevitably when the furlow funds dried up, it wasn’t so great. To get us through hard times, I need to cement the fact that there will always be people who appreciate good craftsmanship and will support local, sustainable and small businesses.
I am truly grateful to you all for supporting Poppy and Honesty. All your sales, words and messages of encouragement keep this little boat bobbing along.
Sophie x
