I always find it really hard to buy presents for my parents. They seem to have all they want and are from an era where they don't want to receive material items for the sake of it. Many grandparents love practical gifts. As children our Christmas stockings were very small and usually consisted of a piece of fruit, some sweets and a couple of toys to play with and we were very happy. Now, over fifty years on Christmas 'gift giving' seems to have blown out of all proportion.
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I was thrilled to be featured in the Guardian this summer. Although I have been making personalised towels and gifts for friends and family for nearly 25 years & selling at fairs - I decided to make it an e-commerce venture five years ago. What a roller coaster it's been! Being creative and following your passion is very different to setting up a business. I've been lucky, I have some fantastic customers who keep coming back for more. Social media has enabled me to reach a different audience and enabled me to be found. I have done a lot of local networking in and around Ipswich in Suffolk and found the business community to be incredibly helpful.
My advice is to make a plan, don't waste precious money when you first start, do some networking and follow your dream! Good luck
Christmas planning seems to start later and later every year. People are busy, budgets are tight but we know we have to buy presents for loved ones.
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