Ignore The Sign – Springtime Update

Today is the first day of spring and I’m sat here in my shop with a lengthy to do list, but thought that I’d take a couple of minutes to do a quick update.

Spring 2022 Update

• I still haven’t updated my shop sign, but I have at least ordered it.
• I’ve been doing some teaching at a couple of universities and it’s totally rekindled my love of web design. Some people just inspire you. Prisca and Derren definitely do and it’s been amazing working with them both.
• I’ve done all the official paperwork for the shop (nothing like a 15 year financial commitment to focus the mind)
• I’m still part of the team behind S.P.A.C.E. a small charity that supports families who have children with ADHD
• I have a new apprentice doubling the workforce by 100%
• We’re recruiting for our next Wave of Change programme for unemployed ladies in Stockport
• I’m busier than I have possibly ever been and despite the occasional terrifying late night thought, I’m loving it. (I just need to make sure that I don’t cock it up!)

The Most Confusing Shop In The Village

The shop sign says that I’m running a mobility shop, but I’m not. There is an unclothed mannequin, some reusable shopping bags and no visible signs of what I actually do, so it’s not surprising that I haven’t been inundated with demand for new websites and small business training courses!

Sometimes small business owners work really hard and have absolutely no idea why their hard work isn’t paying off. I know exactly where I’m going “wrong”, but there is a method in the madness. If I had an unlimited budget and a team of people to delegate things to, it might move along more quickly, but I don’t, so I’ve chosen to pace myself. This is a marathon not a sprint.

As tempting as it is to launch off doing all the new things I have planned, I still have a very full to do list. I’m still a Wave of Change Mentor. I’m assisting on two different units, at two separate universities. I’m training my new apprentice. I’m running some workshops and I still have clients to look after. It’s tricky enough to balance all those things, so I decided not to push my luck by trying to expand too quickly. In a few weeks when I’m finished at the University of Sheffield for the year and the two websites I’m currently working on have gone live, I’ll have a bit more breathing space and hopefully a shiny new sign over the door that tells people what I actually do.