If only starting a business was as easy as watching men’s diving…

Phwoar!! Unfortunately its proving more like watching synchronised swimming or female weight-lifting. It’s hard going and kind of weird at times, but you just can’t turn away. We never thought it would be easy, but starting a business from scratch is proving tricky. Let alone an online wine business. The most common questions we get asked these days are “What’s happening with Kampai? and “Can we buy some wine from you?” (we particularly like that question).

We’re making great progress and there have been many funny moments. So this week’s entry is a progress update for our Kampai watchers out there …

First, the boring stuff: sorting out the legals, licencing, finances, insurance etc etc has been like swimming through treacle. But our licence application is finally in and we should be legal in a months time! (Fingers, toes and all available appendages crossed).

Second, the really cool and fun stuff: construction of our website (www.kampai.com.au) is underway; creating of a brand that you will all love; having fantastic discussions with wineries from around the country – we’re super excited about the wines we’ll be stocking in the cellar; attending wine courses to up our knowledge and skills; attending about five thousand industry events and talking and tasting until we can’t take it anymore (hard to believe but true); discovering some amazing wines and meeting the wonderful people who make them – we can’t wait to introduce them to you and the Kampai community in the coming months…

We could go on, but instead here’s the executive summary:

PROS:

• Not having to deal with (a) office gossip, (b) office dragon/s, (c) office politics
• Being passionate about what we’re doing!
• Having a business partner who buys you chocolate when you’re having a bad day
• Having free wine sent to us to sample (have we died and gone to heaven?)

CONS and OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS:

• Envelope stuffing and letter box dropping to half of Sydney’s inner west. Twice. (We’d better get this licence…)
• Dealing with ego-inflated industry dinosaurs who think we are lightweight girls who won’t last. You’re a great motivation boys, keep it up
• Getting drunk at wine tastings (but trying really hard not to)
• Not mastering the spitting technique (see point above)
• Splashback from the spittoon (ewwwww). (Fortunately due to the point above this hazard has been largely avoided)
• Budgeting (lack thereof) and the wrath of our accountant
• A marketing ‘budget’ (read spend) that uses our own money rather than that of a large company!!

What we said in our first post is still definitely true – starting Kampai is certainly a journey that we are loving. Especially having all of our wonderful friends and supporters encouraging us along the journey.

Thank you and stick with us… we’re almost there!

Kampai!