We registered to get our vaccine shots this morning! April 23rd! 
Even as we did, the girls asked if they could play their ukulele. They had found it carefully hidden in the closet. On the top shelf. Behind all the board games. Songs rang out and Emma called for her turn in a clamorous uproar that made me thankful for my coffee and grateful our self-imposed isolation might be opening a little. Makayla is scheduled to go back to school, and we’ll be able to hangout with family again.
Even as we did, the girls asked if they could play their ukulele. They had found it carefully hidden in the closet. On the top shelf. Behind all the board games. Songs rang out and Emma called for her turn in a clamorous uproar that made me thankful for my coffee and grateful our self-imposed isolation might be opening a little. Makayla is scheduled to go back to school, and we’ll be able to hangout with family again.There’s SO much to do. We have equipment arriving every week. We just got a scale that can weigh 500 lbs. to within an ounce, I’m making tops for our tank stands this morning, and (this was a major snag) we just had 220 electric installed in the studio after finding out our heating tanks will need it. 
Finally, our biggest investment, our soap cutter will arrive mid-April. 
Finally, our biggest investment, our soap cutter will arrive mid-April.
It’s hard to believe it’s all happening. At this point, we’ve ordered everything on our wish list and have even started finishing up projects, like our new line of candles (launching as soon as labels arrive!), and we’ll be doing our first experiments with liquid soap.
You guys have made so much possible for us. Our sales in March were double that of last year (yes, double!), and we’re reinvesting it all back into Joy Lane Farm.
You guys have made so much possible for us. Our sales in March were double that of last year (yes, double!), and we’re reinvesting it all back into Joy Lane Farm.As we grow, our goals are to keep our shipping times to 1-2 days after orders are placed and to continue to launch two new products a year. This means more investments in equipment and investing in inventory, so we aren’t making products for orders, but have them waiting on the shelves. Global trade right now is facing lots of disruptions, which, believe it or not, affect little people like us, mostly in terms of containers and shipping times. It’s crazy to think about, but I’m pretty sure our candle jars, which we’re waiting to restock, will be sold out longer because that ship was stuck in the Suez Canal. 
Increasing our inventory hurts our cash flow a bit, but it guards against these kinds of disruptions.
Increasing our inventory hurts our cash flow a bit, but it guards against these kinds of disruptions.So much to think about, but for now the sun is climbing higher in the sky and those tank stands won’t get their tops unless someone goes and makes them.
I hope you have a fabulous spring day. 
