
Looking Back On 27 Years In Business
This week marks 27 years since I started my business. Hip, hip, hooray! Of course, this has got me thinking about how much has changed in our world since 1996, both generally & in business. Here is a list of 10 things that have changed in my business over the last 26 years-
- Phone calls & faxes- remember when customers used to ring you on the phone, or if they were really fancy, they would fax you an order? These were the days before full inboxes, attachments & hours of answering these emails.
- Carbon copy invoices- now, this change I don’t mind! I love my cloud based accounting software & not having to save 7 years of paper invoice books for the Tax Office. And with thousands of product codes to remember now, I am eternally grateful I am not manually writing out invoices!
- Yellow pages- oh my goodness…. I remember in the days before I connected to the internet, looking for fabric suppliers. I drove to my local post office, received my 2 allocated free yellow pages telephone books (Sydney & Brisbane, from memory) & then had to order in any additional books I required. So for me to have access to fabric suppliers in all capital cities, I required about 7 books, $30 & 2 weeks for these books to be delivered! And I didn’t even think about buying from the other side of the country, because freight was way too expensive.
- Cheques- ah, yes, cheques… most of my early orders were paid by cheque, along with the instruction, “Please don’t bank this until Friday, when my pay goes into the bank.” So, I had to wait 3 days to bank said cheque & another 6 days for it to clear!
- Local customers- 26 years ago, the only way I could reach customers further afield was to advertise in magazines & papers. Now in the present, 40% of Lahay’s sales is from overseas. It’s an amazing time to be in business!
- No social media- working in a small business, the only time we were social was when we attended a networking event or received a phone call! Despite the time & energy social media takes out of my working week, I am thoroughly thankful for it coming along. I often wonder how small business survived before the advent of Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
- Competition- in the days before the internet was readily available, I would buy all my sewing components from the rep who came to my business. These days, the same rep still visits but I also have a choice of a million similar companies, from all around the world.
- Time frames- have you noticed that people have very little patience anymore? In this fast paced world, when a click of a button buys you a product & money is taken immediately out of your account, customers expect a handmade product in a blink of an eye. With a few slight improvements & technological developments, these handmade garments still take nearly as long to make as they did 26 years ago- it’s called “craftsmanship’!
- Music choice while working- oh yes, this was either cassette tapes or the radio! Then fancy CDs came bursting in, with their brilliant sound. Now we are totally spoilt for choice- Spotify, Pandora & iTunes, with the huge range of music & podcasts they provide on any device you wish to use.
- No website needed- remember when life was simple? Yes, before I needed to make decisions about which designer would design our website or would I do it myself? If I did, which platform, which template & don’t even get me started with the best colours to use for selling! I often wonder how my business ever survived before my website & why so many businesses still don’t have a website, let alone a decent one.
Anyway, thank you for coming down Memory Lane with me. There have been some bumpy, gravelly bits in this road, with a few twists & turns -some patches have been smooth highway driving. I wouldn’t change any of it. Starting my own business 27 years ago was one of the best & biggest decisions I have ever made. I have met some amazing people & kept my family clothed & fed in the process!
I would love to hear in the comments below what changes you have made in your business during the years, including the things you miss & the things you love. Here's to the next 27 years!
Featured collection
Women's Cotton Singlet
Discover 19 shades & sizes 8-26 in our best seller of all our tops, our women's cotton singlet! It is super flattering for every figure with sl...
View full detailsWomen's Sleeveless Cotton Tunic
Be ready for any occasion with this stylish, long women's sleeveless cotton tunic. It's made with soft, breathable cotton, deep side splits for eas...
View full detailsWomen's T-shirt
Choose from 19 stunning colours and sizes 8-26! Our slightly-shaped-at-the-waist women's t-shirts will definitely flatter every shape & size. C...
View full detailsSummer Top Bundle
You will stay fresh all summer long in our Summer Top Bundle! This value bundle features a comfy singlet and t-shirt in 19 amazing shades and sizes...
View full detailsWomen's Short Sleeve Cotton Tunic
Get into the perfect look with this chic long style, women's short sleeve cotton tunic! With breathable cotton, deep side splits, and 19 dazzling ...
View full details
Leave a comment