A Day in the Life: Running an E-commerce Business from North Yorkshire
Samuel FrostPeople often ask what it's actually like running an online business from a small corner of North Yorkshire. The honest answer is that there's a lot more to it than printing T-shirts, but there is a rhythm to it. So for our first behind-the-scenes post, I thought I'd walk you through a typical working day here at Firefly Print Co. in Lockton.
Early starts and admin first
My day starts early. I'm usually up between 6 and 7am, and the first job is always the same: make a coffee and open up the emails. The first couple of hours of the day go on general admin, catching up on anything that's come in and getting everything lined up for the day ahead.
Once that's done, I print out the order sheets and print sheets needed for the day, along with the postage and shipping labels to go with them. Having all of that ready before I start means that when it's time to get going, I know exactly what needs making and where it's heading.
Printing: the main event
The actual printing starts at around 10am. I'll print for a couple of hours, then stop for lunch at about 12:30 until 1pm. After lunch, it's straight back to it for another couple of hours of printing.
This is the heart of what we do, and it's where the day's orders really take shape, each one worked through from its print sheet.
Packing up and the post office run
Around 3 or 4pm, it's time for the final touches. That means packaging up the finished orders and doing any extra shipping admin that needs sorting before they leave.
Then it's the run to the post office or the Royal Mail drop-off. Being based in Lockton, that means heading into Pickering or one of the nearby villages, depending on how busy the traffic is. It's one of the realities of running an e-commerce business from a rural spot: every parcel starts its journey with a drive through North Yorkshire.
Wrapping up the day
Once I'm back, there's a bit of cleanup to do. Any cardboard boxes lying around get broken down and put into a room, ready for a trip to the tip.
After that, it's back to the inbox for any final emails and customer service that need doing before the end of the day, plus checking that invoices have been paid. I usually finish around 5pm.
That said, when you run your own business, you never completely switch off. I still keep an eye on emails and orders coming in during the evening, but I usually won't start work again properly until the next day.
The hardest part: keeping everything balanced
If I'm honest, the hardest part of running a small business is balancing so many different things at once. Keeping on top of the accounts, the sales, the customer service, following up with people: it all needs doing, and it all comes back to you.
On top of that, you have to make sure the business keeps moving forward rather than stagnating. When you're busy with the day-to-day, that's easier said than done, and it's probably the trickiest balance of all.
At busier times, I can spend anywhere from six to ten hours a day printing. Add all the extra admin on top of that, and the work sometimes spills over into the weekends, particularly at Christmas.
Our busiest times of year
Like a lot of small businesses, our year has its peaks:
- Christmas: a big one for online orders, and usually when the weekends get busy too.
- Father's Day: another busy spell for online orders.
- The run-up to summer: when our B2B and wholesale orders pick up.
Thanks for reading
So that's a typical day at Firefly Print Co.: early starts, plenty of printing, a run to the post office and a fair bit of admin in between. It's not always easy keeping everything balanced, but every order that goes out the door has been printed, packed and posted right here in North Yorkshire.
If you'd like to see what we make, you can browse the shop. And if you've got a question about an order, just get in touch. You'll usually find me at the printer or in my inbox!