Christie McCarthy and Julia Crownshaw, co-founders of Dollop Puddings, handmade desserts, on the financial sacrifices they have made since their launch in 2009.
The financial plan
It is fair to say that from a financial perspective, we had a very steep learning curve when we launched Dollop. We had a very well thought-through plan to keep start-up costs to an absolute minimum but beyond that, the words 'cashflow' and 'working capital' were very foreign to us.
Well, we learnt very quickly what they meant. What they meant was that the start-up capital we had sunk into the business was only the tip of the iceberg. We soon realised owning our dream homes was going to be some time away, our corporate salaries were going to take a battering and overseas vacations were all but a distant memory from our OE's.
The reality of starting your own business, coupled with having very high expectations of yourself and ambitious growth targets, is that you put absolutely everything you have into the business - finance, time, energy and mental strength. This can be incredibly taxing and it is sometimes hard not to put your 'grass is greener' tinted lenses on but at the same time it is unbelievably exhilarating and extremely satisfying.