A Best Friend, His Wedding and A Business

'Panto'

I have known my best friend Andrew since I was 11.  We were both into the Theatre and would meet up in competitions always finding ourselves competing against each other in verse speaking. (I won't rub it in by telling you who always won!)  

He has been the sort of best friend you make movies about, the best friend you can possibly imagine.  Picked me up when I am sad, rescued me when I am in trouble and made me laugh when all I want to do is cry.   He is Godfather to both my gorgeous girls attending both christenings through a live webcam link from the UK. 

Even though we live the other side of the world from each other he is as much a part of my life now and he always has been.

'Andrew & Caterina'

Two years ago now I got a very excited phone call from my  Andrew telling me he was getting married to his beautiful girlfriend Caterina in Italy in June 2012.

This announcement is tinged with great sadness for me knowing that being a single Mum with two little girls (To which Andrew is their Godfather) the chance of me being able to get there was going to be extremely remote.  I have wracked my brains for months trying to dream up ways to raise the 10k I need to get there.  I have become the competition queen even sitting up  one night entering a competition for a dream holiday to Italy, filling in my details again and again until my fingers were numb! Of course I didn't win it! In fact there is a competition for tickets to the Queens Jubilee at the moment which would get me a fair way there, so going to be pulling another all nighter tonight getting those entries in!



KidzGrab was one idea of many crazy ideas that we decided had the legs on it to be a success and actually not only support my girls and I but get us to that wedding.  Now with time running out and suddenly April upon us I am starting to come to the awful and devastating realization we are not going to get there. 

'Teenage Fun'

KidzGrab although I still believe in my idea is slow.  The companies I would like to feature on our site are tied up with other daily deal companies who simply do not want to share any of the pie with us little folks.  They penalize these companies making them pay higher commissions should they advertise their products or activities with companies like mine (pretty low if you ask me!).  We have had some fantastic companies join us and offer beautiful and lovely products but the uptake figures for the deals are low and the business is yet to support me let alone pay out for tickets to Italy! 

'Rosie's Christening'

Building a database is taking much longer than I imagined and it's hard to do advertising on a low budget apart from using social media channels.  With facebook groups now clamping down on any sort of business advertising this is also becoming a no mans land for promoting your business. 

Our Saving Tin

Having Italy to work towards has kept me so focused and as I write this blog today I have to admit that for today at least the emotion of it all has got the better of me.  It has been the thing that has kept me going when things have got tough or the hours so long I am falling asleep at my desk.  Now two months before the wedding of the century it's hard not to let my enthusiasm dwindle and just be plain sad.

Launching a business is a hard graft and don't get me wrong I am not afraid of hard work but it can be so disheartening to see so few results for such a lot of work.  You have to really prepare yourself for the ups and downs of business and the fact it rarely happens over night.  It requires a huge amount of enthusiasm, money, self belief and sheer determination.  I would never recommend that you don't follow your business dream but try to be realistic with your expectations and make sure you have the funds to keep your business in the first year of it's life and don't plan any holidays, weekends or time off for a while!!

'My other Family'

My weight watchers journey is also taking the knocks this week from the same corner.  The thought of looking good in an Annah Stretton Chameleon dress at an Italian castle was helping me lose those pounds. This week I have definitely been suffering with the 'who cares about it now, what difference does it make' attitude, not at all helpful - hence the lack of weight watching blogs this last week! (You can always tell when lifes a bit of a struggle I go quiet!!!)





Well until I lose those last pounds I can still say 'This ain't over till the fat lady sings' and you know what I am not singing yet!!

Have a good day folks

Kate x