I HAVE MOVED AGAIN…& HOW I WORK ON THE MOVE

So, I have moved again!

This time from the chilly Nilgiris to the heat of Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

And you might not believe me when I tell you that this is the first time we have got posted to a city 😛

but that’s the life of being an army wife.

So, i’m not really sure how I’ll deal with the bustle since I am so used to the quiet of smaller towns but I do hope to get out more, meet more womentrepreneurs and taste a different style of life.

A common question that I get asked is – how do you work if you move all the time?

Here’s the answer:

Well, i haven’t perfected it. That’s honest. 

Here are some things that do to keep things going:

1. I have delegated parts of my work which I cannot do on-the-go to a team of freelancers.

2.  I take out about half an hour daily, even late at night to attend to important things like production related issues, or customer queries. (sometimes there is a delay due to network issue, but most customers understand that).

3. I keep things small and manageable. I take on very few one-on-one clients and I still have a small production unit for Burst of Happyness in Pune. I have intentionally kept a fixed range of products on my BOH store and don’t accept orders for customisation.

4. I also pre plan my launches and promotions around our postings and vacations.

5. I use Whatsapp to coordinate everything – my suppliers, my office staff, courier pick up boys – you name it!

6. I have created templates and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for various processes. This ensures that my staff can always look them if I am not reachable

7. I give my staff the freedom to take decisions even though I am a control freak. It makes them independent and more responsible for their work and they don’t expect me to mommy them. 

8. I schedule email and social media posts way in advance.

9. I work with a virtual team – social media manager, content writer, virtual assistant, and a website manager.

10. I forgive myself if I make mistakes and don’t beat up myself with guilt. 

It is not easy being on the move all the time but it’s a way of life for us. It is important for me to mold my work according to my way of life.

Now that I have settled in our guest room (haven’t got a house yet), I have started work on my next online workshop – “Marketing 101 for handmade soap makers in India“.

I’ll be launching this workshop on 20th June. If you are a soapmaker or know of one, do share my page with them and stay tuned.

In the meanwhile, if you are based in Gandhinagar or Ahmedabad, just call out to me. I would love to meet you.

#personalmusings