Hello ,

Greeting from Yiwu, China.

I arrived here just over a week ago with a bad leg, but happy to meet my new family member a granddaughter. You can read about it here.
Regular readers will know about Yiwu, it's a trading city with around 90,000 show-rooms you can find any small commodity here. We have offices and a warehouse here.
It used to be a wild west of a place, but is developed into a nice city with lots of infrastructure, good roads and parks. They cleaned the city up really good, now according to local government propaganda they are cleaning up the dodgy business people. No corruption, honesty and integrity are the new Yiwu standards. It's good news I think, I have met worms and blackbirds (more below) in Yiwu.. but mostly we manage to do good business with nice family businesses who work hard and believe in the products and care for their staff.

Some short updates..
Thank you for all the encouraging emails, my leg is almost recovered after an enforced (by my wife) rest.
Tomas has returned to the UK, where he has seen off a large shipment of goods from the UK to Slovakia (to our new EU distribution warehouse) and caught up with the new employees that are the seed management of this new venture. They have been in intensive training at AW HQ for the last two weeks. I will meet him and the team in Slovakia in mid July. The warehouse and production teams have made a huge heroic effort to get the launch stock ready and shipped. Well done guys!

Likewise in China and Indonesia the guys are working extra hard and containers are due to depart for Slovakia in the next few days, so its all go with the new venture.
Speaking of new ventures, the designer and team behind Agnes & Cat are making serious progress, and the range is firming up beautifully, early retail product tests are hugely encouraging. We still don't have an official launch date (we just want to get it perfect) but you can get a feel for the project here: agnesandcatpartners.com if this is for you - you can register your interest on the site.

We have two new team members at AW HQ, I'm looking forward to meeting them :)
Joshua and Amy. Joshua in Marketing and Amy in the Export/Import department.

So it's all go at Ancient Wisdom as we crack on with our branching out growth projects.

Having to rest a bad leg - at least gives you chance to think... so I have been thinking.. yes I know that can be dangerous but here are some thoughts about growing a business - hope you find them useful.

We are really lucky at AW to have an amazing team of people, it is an honor and hugely enjoyable to work with them. And maybe we magically buck this management rule.. I hope so.

I was reading about the 10/20/70 rule.. a slight variation on the 80/20 rule. An eminent behavioural scientist at MIT in the US had concluded after much research that in almost every business there are basically three types of employee (including bosses and management) . He said there are perhaps 70% of the workforce who come to work, do a decent honest job, go home. 20% who contribute more positively, making things happen, come up with ideas, take risks, help drive a business forward. And sadly there are 10% who actively disrupt the business, being negative, gossiping, undermining the work of the rest and probably destroy half the productivity of the good 20%.
Can you identify with this in your business?

My take on this is less analytical and more poetic.. The blackbird and the worm

A business is like a tree. It starts out small just a sapling.. hopefully by watering and caring for it will grow to a graceful oak tree - strong & stable (but not in a Mrs May type way heaven forbid). A busy farming team water and prune the tree and it sets down deep roots and grows big and strong. The worker bee's are the key of course, they pollinate the fruit and without them, nothing would happen. All is good, lots of fruit grows and everyone in the team (bees included) benefits with even some fruit used to plant new trees. Then one day of course a blackbird comes and makes it's home in the spreading branches, it sings a sweet tune and eats some of the fruit, no-one minds the blackbird he is quite entertaining, even if he is not doing nothing much to help the tree grow. Down below hidden from view is a more insidious threat.. a worm eats at the roots, it's getting fat and doesn't care the damage it's doing to the fruitfulness of the tree.
Unchecked the worm could even destroy the tree, but who will stop it?

A business is like this, the owners and managers of a business have to be like the diligent farmer, encouraging and caring for the tree - creating the best environment, loving the bees - whilst weeding out anything that harms it's growth.
Agnes & Cat and AW Europe (Slovakia warehouse) are delicate seeds just been planted, one day hopefully (without too many worms and blackbirds) they will grow and benefit lots of people and be hugely useful to all (especially our customers).
Anybody out there (customers, employees or anyone!).. fancy planting a new tree in the shade of AW? Do you have the seed of a new idea?.... click reply and send me a pitch..

Well that's my thought for the day.. it's not a perfect analogy but I hope it gives you some food for thought..
How are your bees, farmers, blackbirds and worms?

And what to do about the damn worm?
Sometimes the best to hope for is that the lazy blackbird get's off his perch and swoops down and eats it..
Other times you have to take action.

Take care.. more news and slightly crazy thoughts next Friday.
Some amazing new stock lines below.. everyone is really excited. The bees are buzzing..

David

These mermaid cushion covers are embellished with shiny sequins which change colour as you brush your hand along the surface, this brings some interactivity and fun to a sofa and is incredibly satisfying to play with.

They come in lots of different colour combinations to suit any customer's home or personality. Every order comes with 4 covers. We also supply the cushion inners, which are available below.

Stock up today and show your customers how fun these can be.

Wholesale Salt Rock Brazier Sets - these brazier sets are sold in 3 different shapes, with pink or white Himalayan salt chunks.
By using a Himalayan Crystal Salt Rock Brazier set you to replace the negatively charged ions in the air which help us to avoid the alleged physical and mental harm that the ‘electric smog creates.

Each Wholesale Salt Rock Brazier Set comes complete with light fitting, bulb, plug and 3kg salt chunks. These salt rock brazier sets are so nice that we can see them living quite happily anywhere in the house or just as a display in the shop window...

New Candy Jars just arrived on our last container, Jars from 500ml to 1500ml they are perfect if you are creating your own products and sell very well just as they are.
Kilner jars are good for customers creating their own homemade jams, sauces, honey...

Or you could fill them with AW products and sell as a ready-made gift.. some suggestions below. But Chills Pills and Guest Soaps popular.

Also sold by carton for really keen prices.

Perfect if you sell cushion covers. You can sell a filled cushion or offer these as an optional extra. Made of 100% recycled PET fibre, which is derived from used pop bottles. So eco-friendly as well as comfortable

INNER-03a is a larger size and will bit both 45x45cm larger cushions and 40x40cm standard size cushion cover.
If you sell Homeware or soft furnishings you will know these are an essential item.

Great value, so come on - plump up your cushion sales and order today.

This range of wholesale Travellers Backpack is just the thing. Each backpack holds all the necessary gear and will become any traveller's best friend. This range of bags are designed to complement each other and make a great display - an attractive price point means regular sales and happy customers.

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But hurry as the offer ends on Monday 3rd of July at Midnight.

This range of wholesale rope handle bags is the perfect sized shoppe or beach bag. The soft rope handles are just the right length to fit comfortably over your shoulder or down by your side and the nautical, jungle leaves or awesome cats design is stylish and on trend.

3 for 2 to choose from eight different designs and unbeatable prices. Order today and rope in those extra sales tomorrow.

One of the biggest trends in fashion bags is the fringe... The fringe graced some of the top shows recently, and thankfully, those bags are finally here to hit you. Italian Style Handbags which combined the natural brown, chocolate and black suede fringe with batik style material to give them that trendy boho chic look. Can be worn as a shoulder bag or backpack.

3 for the price of 2 to Choose from nine different designs, just add 3 bags to your shopping cart and one will become automatically FREE. Offer ends on 3rd of July at midnight.

Live music, warm cider and anxious weather-watching: the summer music festival season has become a British tradition. To help you plan a fab summer trading we’ve listed few festival essential for you. Made with an ethnic jacquard fabric these bags are for world travellers who just know how to look cool in any and every place. Perfect for uni, for the office, or the beaches of Goa.

Quality and functionality is the main feature of these Casual Bags, not to mention a great price. Backpacks for longer trips and Sling Bags for casual use.

Beautiful range of Wholesale Sarongs. These Sarongs was made in the perfect size and material to be worn as Sarongs or as Scarves.

With the summer approaching and the warmer evenings, these Sarongs will definitely sell, they are light, portable, fashionable and yet functional as Sarongs/Scarves. Your customers will love them. Featured in five different amazing designs in assorted colours plenty to choose from :-)

10% OFF on all Celtic Sarongs, they are featured in three different designs, each design comes in a pack of four beautiful Sarongs in vibrant colours. Made from 100% rayon material.