Chapter Four – Hard times
Chapter Four – Hard times. 2006 probably contained the same amount of challenges, highlights and disappointments consistent with any other year but the personal lows came sudden and hit hard. Our step-dad, Tivey, one of the Little Dog’s biggest fans, business advisor and mentor was diagnosed with a brain tumour in the summer. Despite showing amazing courage and strength, he lost his battle for life four months later. Being a family business, this heartbreaking tragedy affected half the workforce but everyone pulled together and we are extremely grateful to our team for their loyalty and support this year. On the furry front there was also the distressing news that Smiffy had glycoma, tragically resulting in the loss of his left eye. Thankfully, he bounced back into action less than two days after the operation and still has an energy and vitality for life you simply can’t fail to admire.
On a happier note we gained two new members to the team and underwent a general fine tuning of job responsibilities. The first addition was the lovely Linda who joined us at the end of 2005 and who is never without a smile. She assists our Natalie in the packing and distribution office and is a wonder at the retail shows. It’s a delight to have her on board. The role of Company PA was filled by the glamorous, bargain hunting Miss Anderson. Not only is Esther a whiz on the computer, a fantastic researcher and incredibly quick to learn the ropes, her arrival has made a massive difference to the rest of the company.
Jo is now able to fully concentrate on keeping customer accounts up dated, deal with invoice queries and master the intricacies of the sage computer package. Her neat orderly mind means the accounts area is a working dream and data can be retrieved within minutes. Nathan’s new responsibilities include company management, overall stock control, distribution and product ordering. He organises all the trade and retail shows and somehow makes Anna’s stand visions a reality. He’s also convinced he’s the best van driver in the company! Gavin is the energy and driving force behind the business and fully deserves to sit in the BIG chair, order tea and leave the kitchen in a mess. Esther’s assistance has allowed Gavin the time and freedom to concentrate on company direction, keeping the business moving forward with new ideas, products and deals. Anna divides her time between designing and having babies, her son arrived in September 2005 and loves running riot in the warehouse, playing with the loose fill and turning the computers on and off. He has over taken Smiffy as the chief office disrupter and his visits are kept to a bare minimum! Dearest Daisy B is now profoundly deaf and visibly sighs with relief when the busy toddler has a nap, she is still very much part of the business and has maintained her talent for blocking everyone’s walk way.
2006 also saw the launch of “the little dog really likes”, our attempt to design cards for a younger, contemporary market. This new company also features other artists and designers and sets out to promote work that is refreshing and different. Really likes is our answer to staying creatively fresh, testing our business skills and broadening our appeal. We’ll know by the end of the year if we really shouldn’t have tested those skills!
Another positive came at the end of the year when the website finally went e–commerce, something we had been working towards for what seemed like forever.
It is now Esther’s job to love and nurture our little bit of space on the virtual high street and we are very flattered and grateful for your comments and suggestions. It has been an emotionally hard year and a real test of confidence and abilities, but we have a strong, talented team around us and in honour of Tivey’s memory we are determined to get our heads down, work hard and make 2007 a year he’d have been thrilled to boast about.
