Family? Oh yes I remember

[Andrew]

Hi all

I dont know what you are all feeling but I am knackered. I have not had a day of since 25th November.

In work again, Sunday, and been here from 8am to 10pm every day too.

This Christmas has been the busiest for us in online sales and work/commissions coming through the shop.

I always make a joke if anyone asks if we are busy, I say, "My children see more of Father Christmas than they do of me in December" ( I have 11 year old triplet girls )

How is everyone else managing who have families at this time of year?

Our suppliers are finding it hard to keep up with our orders this year too, especially with Nomination bracelet links as they have to be shipped over from Italy.

In bed this morning enjoying the peace and warmth, I heared that the Post Men are thinking of going on strike AGAIN before Christmas. That is really going to mess up our deliveries. It isnt so bad with the higher priced orders but the small packets that we normally send First Class may be subjected to a delay. Why do our reputations have to lie in someones elses hands?

Anyway, off to down my 4th coffee and then I'll open the case of Red Bull waiting in the corner that has been looking at me for the past week

Merry Christmas all

Andrew

[NormanRouxel]

Hehe. It's blissfully the opposite for people who help develop sites and don't run one.

Everyone's so busy with Christmas that they don't have time to change anything.

Weekends are especially stress free. Usually I have to deal with up to 30 email requests per day and Saturday 1 week ago was the first day I can remember when no-one contacted me asking for help. Yesterday only one did.

Relief beyond belief!

[chris ashdown]

Your talking up trouble Norm, Now what about that snag on your xxx add-on !!!!

[george]

Life is what you make it though. I know plenty dads who missed out on their kids childhood 'cos they were working offshore, working seven day weeks, were pissheads at the time or whatever, and all regret it now.

One of the few positives of self-employment for me is taking a bit of time out when you need it. Not that I'm lazy, I just make sure other stuff gets fitted in. Sure, I'd be richer if I worked longer but money aint what its about for me, never has been.

[RuralWeb]

I've just had a nice Christmas lunch followed by Santa giving the kids presents and then them working it all off in the swimming pool with me lounging Reading the paper.

Just about to close the website down for Christmas after the best years trading ever and then get ready to visit a client to handover a new site. Then that's it till the new year - fingers crossed!

[completerookie]

nose to the grindstone until after xmas, then on the sunday 28th, its off to mum and dad for a "true family party"
Theres going to be almost 60 immediate family (no grand parents left, so that is just immediate sons and daughters, their children and their children so on)
(cousins and the like do not count) - everyone brings something, stupid competitions, phamily photos and the like,
everyone gets a real chance to relax, everyone chips in, no-ones left out
The only way we can make this work is by hiring a church hall for the day, none of our houses are big enough

just in case youre wondering, I am one of eight

[Darren B]

Well i have a pile of orders to work through and will get them all dispatched tomorrow, this weeks is normally the busiest for me, last minute shoppers but i have a count down timer on my website so im sure it will reduce the questions about xmas delivery, not all will spot it

As for the family we still make time, i probably fit in more time out from work this time of year with the wife doing shopping than i would normally. I have already been to a panto with the little one and we have decorated the tree today so things are good. Mind you i made a conscious decision to spend more time with them last year after a reality check, more than one i add. Sometimes the wife would probably not want me around.

But i guess really i have become better at organising my personal life and working life, i probably do more in both areas.

Oh and Merry Christmas to you all
Darren

[Tricky]

Sorry it's slighty off topic, but I would like to say a big thank you to everybody that has helped me on this forum over the last year.

Without your help, I wouldn't have been able to complete my first year trading online, and developing my first website.

Obviously in the current climate, and selling seasonal items it has been tough at times, but, when it hasn't been busy I've gained the knowledge through your help to produce my second actinic site for a friend http://www.elitegolfwear.com.

I would like to wish everybody on the forum, especially the regulars, you know who you are, a very happy Christmas and a very prosperous 2009.

Best Wishes

Richard

[Sean Williams]

In my last retail business, I was a workaholic and it cost me a relationship and having to leave the household, which contained my 5 year old son, as well as eventually the business, as I got too close and lost the wood for the trees.
All water under the bridge now (he's a sucessful 25 year old and I get on with his mother just fine) but it taught me a very strong lesson - family and the home comes first, no matter what.
Now, I'm lucky enough to do the school runs as my 5 year old daughter's school is only 5 minutes walk from the office. I make sure I'm home by 9 pm. I may work later from home, but it's being home that counts.
I never work weekends, but of course I may do a bit of computery stuff, from home.
The result is no (or very little) stress, a happy home and a modest business. Not working all hours and days does mean I'll never be hugely successful, or rich, but I AM happy and (more importantly to me) so are my family.

At the expense of sounding like Claire Rayner, one single thing that has made a HUGE difference to everything was giving up my caffeine and sugar habits. I went from stressed and dangerously hypertensive to relaxed, unstressed with normal blood pressure. Even now, 20 years later, I still have more or less normal BP and this despite being a fat b'st*rd.
Shame really - you can't beat a good double espresso to stand a spoon up in

This is in fact a quiet time of year for us, so we close up this Wednesday and come back on the 5th.
If someone wants to buy what we sell, we've found they're quite happy to wait until we come back.
I doubt this attitude would work if we were Amazon or Play.com though