It is finally time…I cannot believe after so many months of working tirelessly, we launched Little Ashkim! For years I’ve dreamed of sharing my love of the softest Turkish towels and beautifully crafted baby clothes with others. It’s been a very long road to finally reach this point; I have learned a lot and still continue to learn during the process. Admittedly, there were times when I didn’t think it was going to happen.
Any new business owner will tell you that being an entrepreneur and starting a new business is not an easy process. I could not agree more! It is hard work with long hours with inevitable pitfalls along the way. There were countless hours of research and hundreds of pages of government regulations to read over and over again (plus a second review from my amazing husband to ensure what I understood was correct). I feel like I went to law school when I was learning about government regulations surrounding baby and children’s products and import laws.
And there were the visits to Turkey to find the right manufacturers –some days going for five meetings without a lunch break. There was a crash course on textiles, yarn, twist, and each type of fabric. Who knew there were so many variations of the same fabric! I even got lessons in textile engineering.
Then there was the language of web design/website management… Sometimes when my developer would talk to me about my website, it really sounded like a foreign language! I learned how to use Photoshop and now take great pictures of my family.
I was lucky to draw on my business background, so did not need to learn about writing a business plan, financial forecasting, budgeting etc. Although writing my business plan took months, I did know how to write it. Yes, that businesses plan that all wise business people advise you to write!
As a working mother of two and with a husband that travels a lot for work, the process was not easy. Then again, it isn’t for anyone. After putting the kids to sleep, I would work until midnight and in the early morning hours, in addition to weekends and holidays. I had times where I was beyond exhausted and others where I felt extremely excited. All the efforts led me to this point.
Of course the journey doesn’t end here! This is just the beginning for Little Ashkim. Now, with the company launched, the website live and our amazing products available for purchase, I feel like I need to work even harder! I have a great support team. I am surrounded by great people: my husband and two little precious children, my marketing consultant, web developer/designer, a great photographer, employees, family and friends. If I did not have my children, I would not have come up with this idea. Although they are very young they have been excited to help me – helping with the design process and serving as models. They allowed me to measure them over and over again for the right sizing and never got tired of helping. Although sometimes they would complain the “job” was boring, they always smiled. And they still keep smiling.
My children, and all babies and young children are my inspiration. I look forward to sharing this journey with you.
With love, Olcan