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Introducing the Theo Paphitis #SBS Shop!

Woop woop! Another month, and another development for Rockpool!

Roll out the red carpet, prepare the fanfare and get that credit card ready – we’re very happy to announce that we’re going to be part of the brand new Theo Paphitis #SBS online shop, due to go live on Friday 8th April!

Our business has gone from strength to strength since winning out #SBS award in August 2014 , and we have so much to thank Mr P and the ever supportive community of small, independent businesses for. We’re therefore so pleased to be joining the gang on a brand spanking new online shop, selling oodles and oodles of products and services from small independent UK businesses. Make sure you check if out once it goes live; some of our favourite businesses will be represented – some local, some further afield but all fabulous! KERNOWSPA, Karen Davey, Cover My Cast, The Cake Nest, Gorgeous Gifts and many many more…

We’ve had a sneaky peek and we’ve discovered some gorgeous products we’re just itching to get our hands on. We’ve got out eye on this fabulous Green Floral Birds Print make up bag by Lylia Rose and we know mini-RT will love this Creature Peeper Insect Magnifying Jar by One Stop Bug Shop.

Can’t wait to get shopping! Have a lovely weekend one and all.

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The times they are a-changing…

Greetings from a rainy, windy, grey, but still beautiful, Plymouth. September was, all things considered, a bit of a mixed bag for the RT team, but nevertheless we’re crashing on through life’s little ups and downs with a spring in our step, a song in our hearts and a glass of Shiraz in our hands…

Starting from the top, on a personal note, Mrs RT has been told that she is going to be made redundant after 6 years with her current employer. Which sucks. But every cloud…yada-yada-yada, and this might be the kick up the backside she needs to plough all her efforts into Rockpool full time. Starting a business is super-scary, and we overcame that hurdle 3 years ago when RT first went live. Now we’re fast galloping towards the next hurdle – running the business full time and relying on it for income. Oh ‘eck. Still – as my ol’ Dad likes to say, it’s not a challenge, it’s an opportunity in disguise. And this is one whopping big opportunity.

Anyhoo – onto more positive things. We’ve been going craft fair booking CRAZY this month, and have now secured 9 fairs in November and December. Seriously – if you’re personal friends of ours and you want to see us leading up to Christmas, come to a craft fair. (And bring mince pies). It’s going to be manic, but loads and loads of fun and we can’t wait to get started. After taking RT on the road on a regular basis in 2014, we’re now really looking forward to attending fairs with a). loads of lovely new Christmas stock and b). loads of frantic people who promised themselves they’d start shopping in June but then remembered it was sunny and there was much better stuff to be doing in June, and are now desperate for some beautiful, handmade pressies for their loved ones. Enter Rockpool.

Finally, the repercussions of being awarded the #SBS Winner tag are still rippling; look out for Rockpool in the local press soon! And what’s more, our-mate-Theo has released the date for the 2015 #SBS Winner’s shindig; I feel some major networking coming on. Must remember that networking does not mean propping up the bar and chatting to people as and when they decide to get a drink…

 

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Mr Paphitis – an all round top human being

As avid readers of Rockhoppers will tell you, I’m adept at making excuses as to why I don’t blog every week; but refreshingly, the reason for this post’s tardiness is not that we’ve been swanning off, enjoying all the action the South West has to offer. No! This post is shockingly overdue because Rockpool Trading has had an unexpected, but super appreciated, boost from everybody’s favourite Dragon – Mr Theo Paphitis!

That’s right – he of Dragon’s Den fame. The shortish one with the glasses, who actually talks a lot of sense? Hang on, I’ll dig out a picture…

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There! Recognise him?? Good. Well aside from being the thinking woman’s crumpet, he’s also a pretty decent human being, and a big supporter of small business, running as he does, a support scheme for small enterprises called #SmallBusinessSunday. Every week he picks 6 businesses out of the thousands who tweet him to support and promote that week, and on 18th August, little ol’ Rockpool Trading joined this elite group of fabulousness.

And this is the reason we’ve been busy – along with the support of Theo comes a tidal wave of social media interest, local press interest, new contacts and hell, even some new orders. And whilst we love everything that comes with being an #SBS winner, it does take us to a whole new level of multi-tasking, as we try to fit in a busy small business with jobs and children. But none of this matters – we’re so so excited to get Mr P’s support and join THE BIG BOYS. The word is spreading Rockhopper fans – we’re now a tiny fish in a very large (rock)pool.