As a small business owner, I’ve always been really conscious about the choices I make as a consumer.  If it’s up to me I’ll always choose an independent restaurant, café or coffee shop.  I’ll always buy gifts from Etsy, notonthehighstreet or direct from small makers.  I choose services – cleaner, hairdresser etc – similarly.  Not do I consider it a better choice economically and socially, but generally speaking the food/gift/haircut is going to be better quality too.
 
There are certain chains I’ve boycotted for years – I’ll never go in a McDonalds or a KFC, for example.  And as for Starbucks – well, let’s not even go there.
 
However, until recently I had a longstanding Tesco habit.  It’s not something I’d ever really thought about – I just kept going there, zombie-like, week after week, filling my trolley, handing over my Clubcard and getting on with my life.  I’ve no idea why it’d never struck me as a bad habit, it was more of a necessary but tolerable evil, until a conversation with friends in the pub on New Years’ Eve.  At the time I was pretty defensive – Tesco is so convenient, it’s right by my house, where else would I shop?  Surely it wouldn’t be possible?
 
But the next day I had another – slightly hungover – think.  I’d been contemplating what I’d do as my January Challenge for 2018 – I was toying with Veganuary (but it sounded weird when I tried to say it out loud, and to be fair my diet is pretty close to vegan anyway, so it’s not that much of a challenge).  I’d also considered going plastic-free, but after reading up on it, I’ll be honest, it sounded pretty impossible.  And then it came to me.  I’d go supermarket-free for a whole month.
 
The challenge was pretty simple – to avoid Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.  I would also do my best not to go to Aldi or Lidl either.  I decided that the Co-op was okay, just so that I didn’t end up starving.
 
By chance, I had done a big shop (in Tesco, naturally) on the 30th December, so the first week or so was pretty straightforward – I just grabbed a few bits from the corner shop to keep me going.
 
However, as the month went on I did need to buy some food.  I love cooking, and most of my meals are cooked from scratch – so I was a bit worried I was going to end up eating tinned corner-shop food for a month.  But you know what, I needn’t have worried for a moment.

 
I properly reaquainted myself with my old favourite Matta’s, the award-winning L8 Supermarket, and the corner shop at the top of my street – which I was pleasantly surprised at.  They’re all places I have used in the past, either as a student, before I had a car, or when I had a bit more free time.  Delifonseca and Windmill Wholefoods came in handy for some more random ingredients.  As I started looking out it became obvious that there were loads of little local shops selling great fresh fruit and veg – places I’d simply walked past and overlooked previously.  Some things were trickier to get hold of – particularly fizzy water, my favourite muesli and elderflower cordial.  But I’ve managed by finding alternatives – and by making my own muesli. 

Luckily some things didn't need to change - my weekly trip to see Jess and Emily at The Wild Loaf for my sourdough fits in fine with my new spending ethos.  And their bread is just brilliant, way way better than anything you can get in a supermarket.  Same goes for delicious jalapeno bagels from The Bagelry (there's always a few hidden away in my freezer for a bagel emergency).

Unfortunately berries have been really difficult to find.  I love strawberries, raspberries and blueberries in my smoothies, on my porridge and for pudding.  And some of the fruit I have found in local shops has been a bit, well, past it’s best.  However, it struck me that berries are out of season at the moment anyway – so any that I do find have been flown in from half-way across the world, which isn’t great.  I was so happy when inspiration struck in the form of a pomegranate.  Equally sweet and juicy, much cheaper, and readily available in lots of shops at the moment!  The flip side of this is that I have had more access to lots of more unusual fruit, vegetables and grains than would be available in the supermarket.  I picked up some millet yesterday to try in a new recipe, I bet I would have struggled to find that in Park Road Tesco.

There are other compromises to be made – I struggled to find recycled toilet paper so I ordered it in bulk online from Who Gives a Crap (click on the link to get £5 off your first order).  Sanitary products were also trickier than expected - I felt really uncomfortable having to ask for them from behind the counter in my local chemist – so I invested in a Mooncup, which has been amazing so far, and will be much better for the environment in the long run.  My usual eco-cleaning products are available, but a lot more expensive than in the supermarket.  I think it’s making me be a bit less heavy-handed with the washing up liquid though, which can only be a good thing.
 
As another added bonus, plastic seems a lot easier to avoid outside of supermarkets.  Most fruit and veg is loose, which makes sense, and this also means you can choose how many of each vegetable you want to buy, therefore less waste.
 
I’ve walked a lot more – no big supermarket car-parks to park in – so, as I’m carrying it all home, I’ve been more careful about how much I am buying at a time.  It’s more mindful, and I’ve been planning every meal more carefully.  A lot of people have asked if it’s more expensive – and in all honesty I think I have saved a bit of money.  Much less chance of impulse purchases, and I feel like I’ve wasted a lot less food too.  I won’t mention the £5.50 bottle of elderflower cordial.  Needless to say it wasn’t worth it, and I won’t be making that mistake again.
 
I feel so enthusiastic about my new spending habits.  Knowing that my money is going to independent businesses sits a lot more comfortably with me - I’m still pretty ashamed that I’d not given this a lot more thought before.  Everyone I’ve spoken to about it has been really interested and positive too.  I’ve had a few friends say they are going to try it too; one friend has already joined in and done her own Tesco-free January.  I’ve had friends round for dinner a few times this month – and they’ve mostly been pretty considerate of the challenge too.  One considerate soul even decanted her contribution of mozzarella into a Tupperware so I didn’t see it was from a supermarket!
 
So, now we’re nearing the end of January, I honestly thought I’d be desperate to rush back into Tesco.  But I’m really not.  I’ve not even been to the Co-op once, never mind Aldi or Lidl!  I’m seriously considering extending the challenge to February too – after which I’m not sure if it’ll still be a “challenge” as such, maybe more an actual – dare I say it – way of life?
 
And as for the fizzy water – I think I’m just going to have to treat myself to a Soda Stream.

What do you reckon, could you go supermarket-free?  Would you try it for February to see how you get on?  Let me know if you give it a try!

This week I hit a business milestone that absolutely blew my mind.  My fifty thousandth notonthehighstreet.com order.
 
I’d realised my milestone was coming a while ago, and I did ponder briefly about sharing this publicly.  I decided that I would, cos it’s a heck of a number, and I’m bloody proud of it!
 
Since I started my business back in 2010 I’ve always shared various standout successes along the way – anniversaries, milestone orders, press features and so-on.  Social media posts celebrating these key moments have always been met largely with positivity.
 
However, in more recent times I’ve been aware of a rippling undercurrent of negativity towards such celebratory posts.  The ubiquitous “sack shot”, once extremely popular at Christmas, now divides a nation of small business owners… is it braggy and boastful, or is it simply telling your business story?  I’m still unsure myself – I do think it’s great to celebrate success, and I love to see my fellow small businesses doing well - but it always needs to be genuine (and thereby sparing) – and of course it needs to be sensitive.
 
Being completely inundated with orders that crazy Valentine’s Day back in 2014 is integral to my business story – enabling me to give up my day job – and I know it’s a tale that has subsequently inspired many other small businesses.  I’m proud of the story, and I’m not ashamed that I have shared it to death.  I’d hate to think that it was an anecdote that had ever caused anyone to feel in any way negative.
 
In the past I’ve heard unsubstantiated tales of online sellers filling Royal Mail sacks with empty boxes to get that perfect “sack shot”, and rumours of sellers photographing piles of blank paper claiming that they are delivery notes.  The quest for insta-perfection goes that one step further, and only fuels the crippling anxiety felt by other small businesses who might not be that busy either.  Building a façade of busy-ness is not helpful or constructive for anyone, but I can understand that it could be an easy trap to fall into when everyone else seems to be so busy.
 
I have other small business friends who remain steadfastly tight-lipped when it comes to order numbers and milestones – never sharing their figures with anyone.  Equally that is absolutely fine, and a totally valid business decision – though I do hope they have their own little secret celebration when the counter tips over to the next 100 or 1000 orders!
 
Behind my most recent milestone is a slightly different story to what you might actually expect.
 
I’d genuinely expected my NOTHS milestone to come during the Christmas busy period.  Christmas, to be truthful, was not really as busy as expected – in fact my business has been in a gentle decline throughout 2017, and there have been some quite scary weeks.  This year will be about consolidating my business activities and making some big decisions about the way I operate day-to-day.  It’s all going to be okay, I’m certain, but my “winging it” approach definitely needs a bit of tightening up this year.  The gifting industry is changing, with a saturation of online sales platforms, many people are giving it a go – so there’s a lot more competition. There’s also a lot more uncertainty around – people do seem to be spending less.
 
It’s also really really important to remember that a huge proportion of my sales are for £2.50 greetings cards.  And I’ve been selling on NOTHS for just short of six years.  So if you do a quick bit of maths you’ll soon realise that we’re not talking millions of pounds here.
 
Comparison is inevitable.  I do it myself.  Everyone does it.  But it’s always worth remembering – in the oft-quoted words of Theodore Roosevelt, “comparison is the thief of joy”.  No two people are the same, no two businesses are the same.
 
I’ve lost a good handful of Instagram followers as a result of my 50k post.  I’ve also had – to date – almost 400 likes and over 100 positive comments on that one post across Instagram and Facebook.  As a ratio I’m fine with that; and I will more than likely continue to celebrate my successes, but I will always endeavour to do it sparingly and mindfully.
 
I’d love to know your thoughts on this – do you enjoy seeing small business milestones?  Or do you find it distasteful?  Have you ever unfollowed someone after they've shared a milestone?

Copying is crap, there’s no two ways about it.  Seeing something that you created – that came out of your head – pop up on your Facebook feed, in an Instagram story, or in a private message from a friend or customer.  Yes, a word might’ve been changed, a layout tweaked slightly, but essentially there it is, your own creation, bastardised and ready to make money for someone else.  I genuinely get a physical reaction when I see it - I shiver and go all cold.
 
Nothing is truly original – it’s a simple fact.  Humans have been around for some six million years.  There have been over 100 billion human beings in that time.  Even if each one only ever had one creative idea in their whole lives, there’s bound to be some considerable overlap there.
 
We’re also now living in an age where we’re exposed to loads of different ideas – if the average person spends around two hours a day on social media that’s a heck of a lot of things we will see and – sometimes inadvertently – be inspired by.
 
I’d say that 99% of people in the world are good, honest souls, who would never intentionally copy anyone.  I will stand by that completely.  My initial reaction whenever anyone says “this is a copy of your work” is to question myself – “have you seen this before, did you inadvertently copy it?”.
 
I’ve been alerted to goodness knows how many Dinosaur Alphabets.  I didn’t invent dinosaurs - or alphabets - and although I didn’t find any others online when I completed mine, it’s definitely not to say I was the first person to draw one.  There are loads of other folk out there doing them and it’s no problem if it’s genuinely their own work.  I actually love seeing other people’s take on different alphabets.  I’m a proper alphabet nerd.
 
Over the weekend I saw a good friend of mine attacked on Social Media because she had created a design, which – by her own admission, when confronted with the original – was very similar to another local artist.  She’d definitely not copied it; it was a genuine coincidence.  She was really upset by the vitriol and abuse directed towards her by the “original” artist, and a group of her friends.  It was pretty distasteful, nasty name-calling - and totally unproductive.  At the end of the day, why the heck would anyone publicly share a work in progress if they’d willfully copied someone?
 
Which draws me to the main point of what I feel about copying – it’s not the being copied, it’s the way that you deal with it that really counts.
 
Coincidences happen.  And people will have the same ideas, at the same time.  Artists will also draw similar subjects – food, alphabets, skylines.  That’s been going on for centuries.  That’s not copying.  Heck, I’ve been accused of it myself – so I know how utterly distressing it can be if an unfounded accusation is made.
 
But when you see someone copy the exact wording and layout of a bestselling card design, you know damn well that it’s a copy.  So my general strategy in this instance is to deal with it quickly, privately and discreetly.  I think that causing a big fuss on social media just isn’t very dignified, and it’s going to cause ultimate distress for all concerned.

It’s also very telling, how someone who has copied you responds.  Some are very gracious and remove the product in question immediately.  I have, however, had a number of copiers argue with me “well I re-drew the cheeses, so it’s not a copy”, or “someone asked me to copy it” or – my favourite - “I’m just a sole trader trying to make a living”, are just a few that spring to mind.  Great, thanks for that guys, maybe just think of your own ideas in future, huh?
 
I have seen blatant copies of my designs in several high street stores – which really really hacks me off.  But if I am honest I don’t have the time or energy to pursue a lengthy and stressful campaign against the big boys.  I’d rather spend my precious time drawing new things, cos, well, that’s what I like doing.
 
I’m also not going to name and shame, it’s just not me.  I don’t want these ratbags to get any more publicity than they already have.  But even I have limits, and there are certain high street stores I keep a close eye on, especially round Valentine’s Day.  But I’m not going to be consumed by negativity.  My time’s more important than that - and I hate the drama and outrage that comes with it all.
 
So, copying.  In conclusion.  It’s not flattering, its downright bloody rude, and it’s stealing.  But, I have the capacity to come up with new ideas – out of my actual brain – so basically, I win.

On Saturday 12th August the Merseyside Etsy Team (which I'm honoured to be the Captain of), undertook our first ever Photo Walk.

We met just after lunch at the Albert Dock, and happily strolled our way round the Pier Head (braving a few showers and a lot of wind), up through the Business District (where the sun thankfully put in an appearance), through town to the Georgian Quarter and then on to Chinatown, finishing in Baltic Triangle.  We deviated from our original plan, as we'd slightly underestimated how long it'd take 25 people to walk through town on a busy Saturday afternoon!

Along the way we stopped to look at all sorts of landmarks - and our amazing Team Leaders had all prepared a bit of information about some of the highlights.  We learned about the workhorse statue and the Engineers' Monument on the Pier Head, the missing Banksy on Chapel Street and we had an especially informative presentation (with laminated sheets, no less!) at the Chinese Arch.  The highlight had to be, in the grounds of Our Lady and St Nicholas church, another tour group attaching themselves to our little presentation - all credit to Kerri, who carried on regardless!

Spending a Saturday afternoon surrounded by fellow Etsians was really lovely; wandering, chatting, discovering new things and getting to know everyone that little bit better.  All while getting some extra steps in too!

Here are a few of my photos, but to see many more check #merseyetsyphotowalk on Instagram.  To see photos from the other Etsy Teams who took part in walks on the same day, see #etsyphotowalk.

We are already in full planning mode, hoping to extend our adventures to locations further afield - but still within Merseyside.  Watch this space!

I'll be writing another blog really soon all about my Etsy Team - and how brilliant it is - but in the meantime, if you are looking for your local Etsy Team, here's a handy list of active teams throughout the UK, courtesy of my friend and fellow Team Captain, Joanne Hawker.

This weekend I went to Batfest in Shropshire.  I shared a few photos on social media and had a few questions - "what on earth is Batfest?"!

Well Batfest is no big secret - it's just that it's a private event, so you won't find details about it anywhere!

It all started in 2015 when I'd arranged to go to a fancy industry event in London with a group of my online small business buddies.  The event will remain nameless, but just to say it was the biggest waste of £160 ever.  We were all thoroughly dismayed by the whole thing, and started a jokey conversation about creating our own event... which would be much better, much more fun, and much much better value for money.

From an initial joke, somehow it actually became a reality, when we found a campsite in Shropshire with all the prerequisites; a nearby pub, glamping, B&B accommodation... and as an added bonus a lake with a boathouse!  We hired the whole site, in the grounds of a stately home, arranged a marquee and a fish and chip van, and in July 2016 flung open the gates to over sixty friends and their family members.

It was a total leap of faith - and amazing that people actually got in cars and drove for eight hours to get there, not knowing quite what to expect!  Fortunately (thank goodness) it was such a success we did it all again this year.

Batfest 2017 saw rain, wind and - fortunately - sunshine, rowing, walking, a sports day, SUP action, an epic pub quiz, wild swimming, lots of macrame and an entirely inappropriate game of Cards Against Humanity... among other things!

We're all small creative businesses, which is how we all met each other - but we come from all over the UK (in fact one Batfester this year flew in from Singapore); it's a great chance to get together with kids, dogs, tents, beer and food!  Business is very much on the back burner for the weekend - helped no end by the lack of 3G onsite; it's basically four days of friendship, laughter and fun.  Everyone goes away with a little grin, and a warm feeling inside, thoroughly content with a lovely weekend spend with like-minded folk.

Roll on 2018 - the campsite is already booked and I can't wait until it's Batfest time again!

If you want to put on a similar event then the campsite we use is at Walcot Hall in Lydbury North.  To enquire about the campsite visit www.thepowisarms.com, call 01588 680254 or email enquiries@thepowisarms.com. Say Becka from Batfest sent you!