Next market: Saturday 13th - Shrewsbury
Hello FAB followers,
I have to apologise, I have been really quiet on all social media channels for a long while now. Quiet doesn't mean not busy though, so I thought I’d write an update and bring all our followers up to speed.
So 2023 brought in big changes for us, not just as a business but on a personal level too, with the ‘Boo’ leaving home to go to university. Having been on this wonderful journey together since 2017, starting our market stall together, it was quite an upheaval, followed by a period of adjustment, as we both settled into our new roles. I also lost my cousin and ultimate FAB fan from day one, at the end of the year, which was devastating and a huge blow for both of us. 💕
I had already seen the need to make changes to the business, as we were not growing according to plan, give or take a few years lost to a pandemic, so I started to reduce the amount of artisan markets and events I attended, and spent more time at the drawing board, creating new designs.
I was the ‘bottleneck’ in the business, it seemed, so the need to step back and start creating was paramount. I think I’ve done my best work in the last twelve months … particularly, Kingfisher Blues, Peacock Butterfly and my personal favourite, the dormouse.
It was always part of the plan to become wholesale greeting card suppliers, and with 32 designs in our portfolio, 2023 felt like the right time to roll plans out and launch ourselves as B2B suppliers. I am going to create separate blog posts for every supplier, as we are really grateful to every retailer who has embraced the Buy British/Shop Local and support independent business ethos, and every retailer deserves their own mention, from our nearest independent gift shop to the National Trust … we are extremely grateful and proud that they have chosen us.
I am not resting on my laurels though, there are many new designs due to be launched in 2024. Please feel free to comment on the blog with what you’d like to see … keep it British though please! I have painted enough giraffes and elephants when I was illustrating children’s books !
As well as evolving into a wholesaler and all the paperwork and proverbial hoops that entails, I have been looking at sustainability, and making changes where I can, such as purchasing British twine, and sourcing paper stock from Britain rather than Europe. More on that in a later post.
So this is me, Lisa, co-owner of Fox and Boo, at the helm, (at least until the ‘Boo’ has sat his exams) signing off for now…. But promising to do better in future 🙂
Cheerio folks, would love to read your comments, as always ❤️🦊
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