Don't let adversity be your excuse to fail; let it be the reason you succeed

Name: Melinda Fargo

Business name: The Cushion Maven

Online & Social Media:

Website www.thecushionmaven.com

Instagram @thecushionmaven

Facebook thecushionmaven

Time in business: just under 2 years

Income bracket from your business: Part time

Location: Norfolk, England

Who are you? What do you do?

My name is Melinda Fargo and I live in Norfolk, England. I am a projects co-ordinator by profession, and a cushion maker, writer, blogger and photographer otherwise. I have returned to my love of fabrics and sewing after nearly 10 years and become a passionate cushion maker.

Is your business your only source of income, or are you also employed by someone else?

I work full-time in local government, which also helps to fund my cushion-making brand.

Do you work alone or as part of a team?

I work alone at the moment, with an incredible support network. I do not currently have employees, but the day is approaching when I will need to find another cushion maven! The ability to sew to an exceptionally high quality will be key. Being said, I don't want to be the next Harrods. I aspire to having a small, successful artisan business which is close to its customer base.

How many hours a week do you dedicate to running your business?

I’m lucky in that I am a naturally early (very early!) riser, so I can put in at least three hours before going to work, and some more time on my return. I also work most weekends on one or more areas of the business.

How has this increased or decreased over time and why?

No real decrease over time, since the business is also my way of relaxing, so it is never a chore. I am known for saying:

“Take note of where you are,

who you are with,

and/or what you are doing

when you feel like the best version of yourself.”

I’m the best version of me when I’m creating.

If you had to name one thing which has been key in the success of your business what would it be?

Although I did not consider it a blessing at the time, being swindled out of a lot of money. With no reserves in the pot, I had to get creative quickly. A natural techie, I learnt to build websites from the ground up; I’m good with numbers so do not employ an accountant; I’m a writer and creative, so run my own marketing and social media. I don’t discount needing help in the future, but having to lean on my own resources has ultimately saved me a lot of time and money. This is the basis for the title of this blog post.

What do you enjoy most about running your own business?

The autonomy. For instance, when I had a website developer, if I wanted to incorporate a change due to, say, some breaking news, I had to (1) pray it wasn’t on a weekend and (2) hold my breath when the bill came in. I was once charged £350.00 to change a sentence on my website.

What has been the most difficult thing about running your own business?

Making money stretch across all the necessary parts of running a business - marketing, shows, fabric, etc. However, lack of money can be a blessing as it makes you creative and resourceful.

Have you made any business mistakes, and how did you overcome these?

Yes. Buying show equipment which was fiddly and time-consuming to construct. Now I ensure my set-up is as simple as possible, which is nearly always the best way to show most products to best effect.

Do you have formal qualifications that were essential in starting your own business?

I went to business school, but would not say this has helped materially. The willingness to try again when things don’t go to plan is the key qualification, and you don’t have to go to business school for that.

What previous employment did you have before starting your own business, and how did that help you when starting up?

Most of my roles have involved management of people, resources and projects. I would say the ability to break down a project into smaller achievable parts, which will eventually lead to the whole completion, has helped. This gets rid of overwhelm by just concentrating on the first little thing which needs to be achieved. That success then gives you momentum to achieve the next little thing, and the next.

What advice could you offer to someone else starting up in business?

(1) Don’t believe you always have to throw money at problems. For instance, there are other creatives out there, like you, who might be willing to offer their particular service/skill in exchange for something you are able to do for them. Right there, you have also started up a business relationship and got your brand name into the mouth of someone who may go on to mention you to friends, customers and family. Mutual help and networking in one! (2) Keep things simple to let your products shine.

Are there any websites, books or organisations you would recommend to our readers thinking of starting up?

Elizabeth Gilbert’s audiobook “Big Magic,” on how to live a creative life and let go of fear. I listened to this book walking to and from work and found it incredibly inspiring.