Dave Wynne: Creating a successful self-employed future
I always believed in having a plan for tomorrow, especially a retirement plan which makes that tomorrow worthwhile. So, before I took early retirement from teaching at the beginning of 2009, I did a great deal of planning for my business. The decision to take early retirement was a major one, as it meant taking a hit on my pension but I had a great deal of faith in the success of my business and couldn’t wait till I was 60. So that was that, at age 57 I left the classroom behind, no regrets!
I came across Whirligigs when I was looking for an interesting project that my older pupils could make in their design technology lessons. At about the same time I visited the RHS Show at Tatton Park in 2008, where I saw that although there were many garden ornaments and art, there were no 'Whirligigs' or ‘Whirlies’ as I prefer to call them. Why choose these items to sell? Well, I’d spent a good day at Tatton, and saw a gap in the market, which is something that doesn’t happen very often! So I knew I had a good opportunity to develop an idea that came out of the blue.
I also wanted a business idea that incorporated my enthusiasm for Crafts, Design and Gardening. This idea pulled together the threads of those interests combining them into an exciting business idea. I wanted to supply a range of garden décor originating from differing cultures around the world that would show contemporary, traditional and alternative designs. I also needed products that were unique, quirky, folksy craft items not available in the UK & Europe.
Whirligigs fitted the bill. They first appeared in the U.S.A. about 200 years ago and are ‘comical wind driven weathervanes’, which was their original purpose. The faster the wind blows the more furiously the figures move. Whatever their practical purpose, the pleasure of watching these whirling, gaily painted wind toys in any garden accounts for their timeless popularity.
I found a great company in the US which has been making and supplying Whirligigs since 1925, at a cost and quality that I could not match...although current economic changes are affecting the import price! I have had excellent relations with this company. They supplied samples together with packaging and are very helpful and easy to do business with. After Christmas I received some bad news that the owner’s spouse had died suddenly, but she bravely decided to carry on with the family business. I have now been given sole distribution rights for the UK and Europe.
Initially I don’t want to over stretch myself, which is why I’m concentrating on this one range of thirty different ‘Whirlies’. My wife came up with the company name ’Whirliwood Garden-Décor’, which I thought sounded just right. Initially, in my business plan, my sales strategy was to concentrate on selling to garden centres and at outlets such a garden shows and fairs. But when I met the buyers at the garden centres they required a 100% markup which, because of the on-costs of importing, meant very little profit. The garden shows and fairs were again not profitable enough as the costs of the stands were way too high. Many people were interested but I wasn’t getting enough sales, some days I was just breaking even. At this point (about five months ago) I remembered the old saying “don’t be a busy fool” (which was given to me by a business advisor). It kept nagging away at me so I made the decision to look at other sales outlets.
I’m now concentrating on selling online though my websites http://www.whirliwood-gardendecor.com (I designed and built this site using a great package from http://www.mrsite.com) and my bttradespace site at Whirliwood Garden-Decor - BT Tradespace. I also sell on EBay and Folksy (which is a fairly new online craft outlet).
Although I am initially concentrating on this one product range, I’m gradually introducing other Garden-Décor, Yard-Art type products into my range. One which I am sure is very saleable are very beautiful antique flower and vegetable seed packet art pictures (again there are over 30), which again are not available in UK. I’ve recently added these to my websites.
I’m very happy with what I’ve done so far, and I’m working hard to meet my mission statement, to achieve a successful self-employed future, for many years to come.