The year 2023 isn't going to be one I remember fondly. It was tough, for me personally and for the business. This time last year Penny Wood was a team of 6 and now it's 3. Sales in November (our busiest month of the year) dropped 50% compared to 2022 and this is usually what sets us up and sees us through the quieter months of Jan-April - we continue to keep ourselves busy but its hard not to feel stressed and under pressure with that kind of drop in orders.
There are steps I'm making which will hopefully improve things. The first and most exciting thing is...
We're moving! A whole 1 minute drive up the road to a larger unit which works out cheaper than the current three units we work out of at the moment. Being under one roof is going to make life so much easier for workflow - it's also going to enable us to make larger items such as beds. If you've seen our current workshop you'll know making beds just wouldn't have been feasible!
Secondly, we are switching couriers. As great as DPD have been for us, they are extremely expensive and after a recent increase in prices it was about time I shopped around. They simply aren't catered for our big items and admit themselves they prefer small items. So we are moving to DX. The specialise in large items meaning we can send tops up to 6m in length! Based on last years accounts, we could have saved 1/3 of what we paid DPD so that's money that can be spent investing in the business or giving more work to someone.
Finally, I am going to dedicate more time to social media. It will mainly be videos of the day to day life in the workshop and showing you guys how our beautiful furniture is made. I don't know if the time spent making videos is financially worth it however it is something I enjoy doing and having an online presence is important! We recently featured in a Vlog style video which I really enjoyed and I would love to share videos of how our furnitures can be used and styled. Have a look if you wish to watch - we feature from around minute 6 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os0sl5vtpgI
I'm sure there's more to be said but I think that's a good enough update to start the new year with.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy browsing and hopefully you decide to place an order!
Much love,
Sam | 🌲