As I sit halfway through a long (delayed!) night flight home from Chicago on New Year’s Eve I am reflecting on everything 2022 had to offer. I have wanted to start a blog for years, there was always something that stopped me. Imposter Syndrome, lack of focus, no time etc. I decided that the start of a new year would be the perfect time to bite the bullet and start writing and see where my thoughts take me. I don’t actually know anyone IRL that writes blogs, in fact I don’t even read any. Yet something was telling me I would enjoy getting all my thoughts online and hopefully people will read them too. I considered Googling how to write a blog, surely there’s something telling you the ideal word count or topic but I decided it wouldn’t be genuine so I’m just going for it, go easy on me!
I’m Kayleigh if you didn’t know that already. I own a gift and stationery shop in Brooklands, Milton Keynes. It’s been a tough year to say the least. Shrimp & Doodle opened in October 2021. After running an online stationery business for 6 years it felt like a natural progression. Opening the shop has felt like I have gone back to 2014 surviving on minimal money whilst trying to build up a business from scratch except this time I have a million outgoings and I can’t work in my pjs and take an afternoon nap! So why did I do it? A question I ask myself a lot lately as the shop has been struggling to survive.
I wanted my shop to be different and I don’t just mean the telephone bags and sweary pens! I had plans to make a difference to the community I live in, that is why I opened Shrimp & Doodle in Brooklands. It isn’t in a shopping centre or a busy high street but it is in a community I have lived in for over 12 years now. I offer free period products to anyone in need and I run free craft sessions on weekends and school holidays. Both these initiatives wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the generosity of my customers and social media followers. Thanks to those lovely people who have purchased from the Amazon wishlist, sent in period products or left a pay it forward donation on the table. Without you this wouldn’t be still going a year later. I like to think that although the footfall isn’t quite there yet, the word is spreading and I am making a difference.
I am not too sure what this blog will look like yet, I am hoping though that I will be able to do some cheap craft ideas for you as I know a lot of you reading this won’t be local. There will be a lot of my usual reality of running a small business, I often get cut off with Instagram as my captions are too long, oops! If you have any suggestions of what sort of blog posts you would like to see from me please let me know. In typical Kayleigh fashion it has taken me two weeks to finish this, I am no longer on that plane!