There is more to a maker business, though, than just making everything. One of the best parts of my business is connecting with and talking to like-minded people about what I do. I’ve made some great friendships and met so many wonderful folk through this business.

As the business has grown so have the product lines and colour options. It’s got to the point where I can’t keep every colour in stock all the time and managing all these options is painful.

Today I’m sharing my philosophy and thoughts about packaging. Maybe I’m a little too blunt, but I’d really appreciate your feedback, thoughts and suggestions. I’m only at the beginning of my packaging journey.

The 99U Conference is one of – if not the best – gathering of creative entrepreneurial people from around the world. You can see more here. I’m so excited to be going. I’ve never been to the United States and I’ve never really been to a big conference either.

I love discovering how other makers have started and grown their businesses. Surprisingly, there’s not a lot of good information available online. 

During my summer break, I hiked the Kepler Track in the South Island of New Zealand. After a big year for Mr. Draper, the time away gave me the space to clear my mind, reflect on what I achieved in 2016, and really focus my thoughts on what I want for 2017. 

Starting a new business can be daunting, with so many decisions to make upfront. Selling methods, payment processing, accounting, website, marketing... the list goes on.

For the past year, I’ve been keen to share more of the behind-the-scenes and how-tos of the business. I’m kicking it off today with a post on photoshoots. I’ve done a few of these – with  varying degrees of success – so I thought I would share some of the things I’ve learned.