So This Time Of Year Has Its +’s and –‘s

Ah yes, the prospect of a New Year, new opportunities and growing the business again.

The –‘s however are endless; VAT return, stock take, end of year accounts, Christmas fairs to attend, planning the calendar for all the events and summer shows we attend. It’s a busy old month! Post Christmas, we definitely get the Blues in the shop.

Our trade drops about 75% and we miss you!!!

You couldn’t get two months so different back to back; the shop never empty in December and then silence and jumping when a customer comes in through the doors in January.

Organising the shop to be cleaned top to bottom, who is stocking what areas and having a right good fettle with stock to make sure all ship shape.

Jenn and I started the Christmas and Spring gift fairs this month (I KNOW!) placing orders for Christmas to arrive in September and bits of giftware throughout the year.

I’m having meetings left right and centre with Paula who handles a lot of our social media, and company representatives who I’ve invited to get on board and host some tastings in the shop.

Chocolate, wine, gin, whisky as well as a Mixologist from Leeds to come and teach us a thing of two in mixing drinks for cocktails.

Then there are all the forms to complete for Summer shows like Howden and Selby that we attend (Howden 1st July & Selby 28th July). Health & Safety forms, insurance etc all need sorting and sending off), bars to organise staffing for such as Breighton Airfield Hangar Bash as well.

January has truly been a busy old month for paper shuffling and admin ~ Boo! But once it’s out the way, it’s full steam ahead for another fab year in the shop and finding new things to grace the shelves with. Oh yes, and a Tapas menu to devise and launch so we can serve Tapas on a lunch time and at the Pop Up Bar!

Keep eyes peeled!