2022 is just around the corner. It's time for Meanwhile Boutique, whose journey began in mid-2020 when a pandemic struck the entire planet and which saw 2021 as its first full year, to take stock.
A lot has happened this year. To take stock, it is sometimes necessary to take a step back, to ask questions that are not always obvious. It is necessary to move forward and learn the right lessons from past experiences.
This review was first and foremost intended for me. Because it is a personal review. But it is also an entrepreneurial review... So maybe it also has its place here, on LinkedIn, with you.
Being an entrepreneur often means having to make choices, make quick decisions, accept but also refuse certain things that could jeopardize a project you are fully committed to. All this, without a guide, without a lucky star to guide us. Let's not lie: at first, it gives you vertigo, a feeling of loneliness. Today, I have learned to trust myself. And even when the choices I make are not the right ones, I accept them to try to come out stronger.
2021 was obviously filled with these difficult choices. Partnerships, opportunities, emotional rollercoasters... In detail, it looks like this:
In 2021, Meanwhile Boutique is:
- 100 creators in the collective (yes, exactly 100, I counted by hand)
- 1,430 active product listings on the site
- 11 events in amazing venues: La Villette, La Recyclerie, La Rotonde Stalingrad, the playful chance
- 1st B2B Christmas market at Spendesk (we loved it!)
- The creation of the concierge service for creators and its dedicated Instagram account
- 1,653 people subscribed to our monthly newsletter
- 1 association supported: La Maison des Femmes
- The first podcast about Creator Stories
- The first t-shirts and tote bags from Meanwhile Boutique
- 0 product returns (for now )
- Our first Advent calendar on Instagram with contests
- Acceptance for BPI subsidies next year
That's for the cool side.
But 2021 is also:
- 6 creators who are not continuing the adventure next year (some creators are even stopping their own brand, which is sometimes very sad)
- An unfinished collaboration with a major media outlet due to a divergence of personal and professional ethics, and a big disappointment at the end
- Too much energy spent on projects that are not a priority
- A failed recruitment which, in the end, will have cost the team dearly
- Second place in a call for projects for a physical store in an incredible Parisian location
What I learned:
- For some, "business is business" before ethics, even in a sector that claims to be positive and transparent
- Just because you work in ethics doesn't mean you have to trust blindly: contracts and all kinds of clauses are your best friends
- A recruitment cannot be done on feeling alone: there is no harm in asking for references or taking your time
- You don't always need an incubator to get subsidies
- Trusted people exist, and when you find them, you can partner up to share responsibilities
- The "test and learn" remains the best method
As an entrepreneur, I learned that:
- There is no point in signing up for programs (like video training...) that I don't have time to follow
- I love working, doing what I do is not a chore, and my loved ones can understand it
- I love meeting people and chatting with them at events
- I am ready to open a physical store
- My dad is proud of me
Professional resolutions for 2022:
- Do more lives on Insta
- Improve synchronization on the back office
- Find a solution for easy delivery
- Know how to say NO to certain opportunities that demand too much energy
- Do fewer events (even though I love it) and more press relations
- Introduce even more committed brands to the general public
- Have an accountant for finances
- Pay myself a salary
Personal resolutions for 2022:
- Read more books
- Go out and walk at least 30 minutes a day
- Boycott (or denounce the stores/restaurants) that still give out single-use plastic
- Take more than 6 days of vacation this year
The BIG news coming in 2022:
- A new website
- A team expansion
- And a surprise that I can't talk too much about yet but in which I would like to involve you to get your opinion... Stay tuned
THANK YOU
THANK YOU to you for your support, your trust and your loyalty.
I am proud of what I do, it is a strong, human entrepreneurial adventure. What motivates me the most is to tell myself that soon, these small committed brands will be the big ones of tomorrow, thanks to you.
Thank you for contributing with us.
More and more people are sensitive to thoughtful and responsible consumption, and we hope that in 2022, there will be even more awareness, each person can act on their own scale, step by step, according to their values or preferences… because every little gesture for the planet counts.
I wish us an even more ethical, committed and green year 2022.
See you next year,Manon, founder of Meanwhile Boutique.
