We managed to get away for a break this weekend, and it came at the perfect time. The last lockdown was more difficult than others, either because it felt more serious from a health perspective, or just from sheer exhaustion on our part.

 

Not a week goes by that I don’t realise how fortunate we are to have kept our doors open during the past 18 months. The support of our friends, family and customers means everything to us. Every now and again I remind myself to pass on my thanks to all of you who have watched and supported our journey as small business owners. Your support - even if it’s just in the form of a note, message of encouragement, or engagement on our social media - means the world to us! 

In our business, each order - small or large - is celebrated. We take note of your names and talk about what you ordered and how you might have found our business. That’s what being a small business owner is like - we see each order and customer and we send gratitude to you every time.

 

We are primarily a wedding industry business and it has been so hard to watch the industry suffer under such unusual circumstances. We don’t always articulate these challenges, because we understand there are greater things at stake and it is a difficult time for so many people, for so many reasons. In some ways our worries feel superfluous, but they really aren’t. This industry is an enormous part of our economy (the wedding industry is estimated to be worth a minimum of $4billion Australia-wide). I’d be willing to bet a significant portion of this industry relies on the contributions of small business, home businesses and creatives. 

 

What has helped us most this past year or so is an ability to make changes quickly. It’s something not everyone is in a position to do and we recognise how lucky we are to have that available to us. When COVID hit, we made bread and sold ingredients. When weddings were cancelled, we created Cookiegrams and elopement cakes and cupcake care packages. When our suppliers couldn’t provide decorations we made our own. We had to cut staff hours and let some go. We engage local manufacturers and let go of imported brands that became difficult to source. We ducked and weaved and persisted. We showed up each day.

 

When I was in primary school, our school motto was “success through perseverance” and we were encouraged to repeat it and understand its meaning. That saying has floated to the forefront of my mind in the past year. It was something that I had forgotten but clearly internalised, resurfacing at exactly the right moment. When things feel particularly tough, I think about Margaret running a business for decades and all the ups and downs, recessions and difficult times she must have overcome. That gives me the courage to keep going each day. That, and a healthy dose of stubbornness.

 

I said to Marcus just yesterday that I think the secret to everything in life is just showing up. So that’s what we keep doing. I want to thank you for showing up for us too.

 

~Sarah-Jane & Marcus