Disaster December: When Christmas Dreams Meet Reality

Disaster December: When Christmas Dreams Meet Reality

December was supposed to be *the* month. As a new small business owner who launched Kate Ruby & Rose in August 2024, I had pinned my hopes on the festive season's Christmas markets. Like many entrepreneurs before me, I dreamed of December being the turning point – the month where everything would click into place. Sometimes, though, life has other plans.

The month started promisingly enough. My first Christmas market was going well, and I felt that familiar surge of excitement that comes when you're watching your dreams materialize. The morning brought steady sales, and by early afternoon, I was processing my biggest sale of the day – a selection of my most beautiful nighties. That's when Mother Nature decided to throw her hat into the ring.

It started with a gust of wind that sent my mannequin tumbling. In what felt like slow motion, I watched as it knocked over several bottles of tea. As I rushed to save my products from the sudden storm, juggling multiple crises at once, I missed something crucial – the card transaction for my largest sale hadn't actually processed. By the time I realized, my customer had disappeared into the crowd, taking both my products and my profits with them.

Despite this setback, I remained optimistic. After all, isn't this what business ownership is about? Learning, adapting, growing? I chalked it up as a valuable lesson and turned my focus to the next Sunday's market. The universe, however, wasn't quite finished with its teaching moments.

By Wednesday, my voice had abandoned ship – complete laryngitis. Anyone who's tried to run a market stall knows that your voice is one of your most valuable tools. But the real knockout punch came Friday night when a severe secondary sinus infection left me sleepless and in excruciating pain. Despite my strongest resolve and entrepreneurial spirit, I had to face reality: I couldn't work the market. Another blow – this time to both my plans and my wallet, as I lost my stall fees.

Running Kate Ruby & Rose while maintaining my retail job during the Christmas rush has been a juggling act of epic proportions. Anyone who's worked retail during the holiday season knows the particular brand of chaos it brings. Add strong antibiotics and recovery into the mix, and you've got yourself quite the December cocktail.

Just when I thought I was back on track, the final market of the season beckoned – my last chance to salvage December. My family rallied around me; my partner and daughter helped pack the car the night before, and we all turned in early, setting alarms for 5 AM. But by 2 AM, I was wide awake for all the wrong reasons – my throat feeling like it was lined with razor blades, fever racing, and a cough that wouldn't quit. After two courses of antibiotics, how could this be happening again?

The answer came in the form of a COVID test I fortunately found tucked away in a drawer. It lit up like a Christmas tree, delivering the final blow to my December market dreams. Having to forfeit yet another market was devastating. The stall fees, the lost opportunities, the preparation time – all gone in a flash of two lines on a test strip.

They say entrepreneurship is a journey of ups and downs, but this December has felt like a continuous slide downhill. Starting a business is never easy – I knew that going in – but this month has been nothing short of a complete wash out. Yet here I stand, perhaps a bit battered but unbowed, looking forward to 2025 with determination. Because sometimes rock bottom is just the foundation you build upon.

So here's to you, Disaster December – you've taught me more about resilience than any business course ever could. And here's to 2025 – may you be a little kinder, a little brighter, and full of the success that December promised but couldn't deliver. After all, the only way from here is up.
Back to blog