A journey into business

My first blog. It's a brave new world. It's a small world too. Amazing to think I can speak to the world from the wilds of rural Teesdale in North East England. We live in a mobile network blank spot. I've got to walk up a hill to get a signal, but we do have broadband. This allows me to work from home running two businesses www.bowmansolutions.biz and www.annieandmarcusart.co.uk

I've been in training today: learning how to 'optimise my website'. Hence the blog. I started trading online a year ago, but most of my orders come through word of mouth and touring exhibitions. I also sell through galleries, but their high mark-up and commission rates make our prints and cards expensive. So I've decided to sell direct - through a home studio and the Internet.

It's a shame for the swallows. Their regular nesting site in a farmhouse outbuilding has been bird-proofed and fitted out as a studio. It's very cosy - with a wood-burning stove. The plan is to complete the decoration over Easter and have 'open studio' days over the summer. Online we're going to concentrate on selling prints and cards.

It has taken several years to get to this point. After being a 'Swot' at school I became the eternal student spending 9 years collecting qualifications at university before venturing into the world of work. Five years of commuting 2 hours daily and working 7am - 7pm convinced me that there were better things in life, and so began the move to living and working in the countryside. That was in 2000.

Three years ago the combination of a college art course and buying a digital camera rekindled my interest in art and photography. People liked my images and so I decided to set up in business.

A year ago I launched my website. This year I will open my studio. Next year - who knows? Please join me on this journey...