Whether you’re a designer, a shop owner or a buyer, running your own business can be stressful. Here are
a few things that keep us up at night:

Jennifer Price of SoLo: “too many ideas … not enough time!”

Alan Henderson (Night Owl Paper Goods): “the thousands of cards that need to be printed and scored by no one other than Night Owl Paper goods”

Jennifer Tatham (Night Owl Paper Goods): “Inventory software, taxes, email, web maintenance, product packaging, and tote bags with smudgy ink”

Brian Reed (Old School Stationers) the fact that his “design sense is what keeps food on the table and pays the mortgage.”

Mindy Gayer (Cotton Idea Studio): “thinking up new designs … invitation designs, merchandising and store displays”

Joan Schnee (Green Paper Company) says she actually schedules
in time to relax. “There is huge merit to recharging your creative and physical energy.”

Joan adds that when she is in “real crunch time I try to look ahead to the time when things will settle
down, and focus on that rather than the momentary madness.”

Ruby Lang (SoLo): “When I’m excited about a new display I’m going to set up … I want everything to be perfect.”

I’m surprised Serge and Suzie (Twig & Fig) didn’t say “Javits Center Food” when I asked them what keeps them up at night. Instead, they said that now that they’ve had their retail store for a few years they are finally taking some time to themselves, taking the weekends off, and are working no more than 10 hours per day. There may be hope for us all yet!!!!

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