BTS Of Salisbury Grange
Working on my business at the dinner table. I am all about writing by hand!
I was recently approached by Lauren Williamson from Channel Void about my thoughts on starting a business or a side hustle.
I never could have guessed that in starting my own business I would experience all the feels, both ecstatic at creating something new and seeing so many positive responses to it and conversely, many challenging times from not knowing what to do or how to move forward. My background is as a writer and editor, so all aspects of business are super new to me, as are running a team and doing things efficiently! Creating a garden for fun versus making it a profitable business are two very different pursuits, but I am very proud of what I have created, the progress I have made and most importantly, that my seeds and information contribute something positive to the world and our environment.
I’m still very much in a learning phase, as I’m about 1.5 years into Salisbury Grange, so I thought I would share some of the reflections I shared with Lauren…
When did you get the idea for the business?
I launched Salisbury Grange in August 2019. I had the idea many years before in 2015 and sat on it for so long that I got pushed out of the nest and into action by the universe with an unbelievably toxic job. I quit and finally decided to finally put my idea into action! The timing was unbelievable. I own an organic flower and seed company and little did I know COVID, and a huge uptake in gardening, was just around the corner.
How did you progress from that initial idea?
I did things step by step. I got branding done by my friend Steph at St Clement Creative to set the look of my packaging. I made my website through Squarespace. Then I grew all the flowers, starting with a huge crop of sweet peas in my backyard. I did an online workshop from Floret to help make my flowers thrive. Once the flowers grew, I started an Instagram and taking photos (by myself with a clicker in hand) or asking family members to snap a few for me. I did as much as I could myself to keep costs low.
Is the business still a side hustle or now your full time gig? How do/did you balance between working on your business and other work?
For 6 months after that toxic job I just worked on setting up my business and building awareness. I only had a small FU Fund to last that period, so after the 6 months I went back to work on a contract to save up more funds. Rather than working a full time job and doing my business on the side, I worked for a bit and then did my business for a bit initially. For me, the empty space of no work allowed creative ideas to come through. When I had time off, I wrote my 12 Garden Guide e-books which came out of nowhere because I had the space! Now I'm more established, I'm able to let it grow at its own pace.
What have been the best and worst parts of running a side hustle?
I love that I have created something that didn't exist before. And it's satisfying to generate income from your own products. A big lesson was about learning to be honest and proactive on behalf of my business. I sold out of my bee-friendly Christmas gift packs early last November and had to re-order my packaging from Melbourne during a lockdown. Getting lots of orders while waiting weeks for my product to turn up with Christmas getting close, was not fun. Eventually I emailed all my customers about the delay and offered a refund, but every single customer wrote back and said don't worry! That was one of my sweetest moments.
What advice would you give to others looking to start a side hustle?
My advice is to have an FU Fund of money that will support your living expenses for at least 6 months if you decide to take some time off to start your side hustle. It's so hard to be creative or proactive when worrying about finances. I also think it's important to choose a side hustle where you can do most of the elements yourself, even if you get help down the track later. Most importantly, understand that building something new takes time. The quote "the day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit" is a good reminder! I work with nature every day so I know that the most beautiful incredible flowers eventually grow, but there are lots of stages along the way.