My first year in office

It's been a year today since I've been in this office in the heart of Auckland City.

And what a year!

About this time last year, Marie and I were busy unpacking desks, chairs, bookshelves and trying to assemble the kitset coffee table. It took all day, and it was soo fun.

We ended up eating Wendy's (where Marie used to work many years ago) at around 9:30pm.

Since then, here are a few lessons learnt:

• Life is hard, and it's meant to be. You can't half-ass business, or life. There are ways to succeed, and they are always more expensive, more time-consuming and more detailed than you want them to be - but it is worth it, when you look at the long view.
• In a virtual world, cities are more important than ever. I love being in town, not just because I can walk to most appointments, but because I'll randomly bump into people I know. Plus, people in the city tend to be doing more exciting things than the people in Waterview (the last suburb we lived in) - although that's only based on what I can see! :)
• Sometimes it's hard to see when you've done well. Can I be really honest with you? Things have been pretty tight in the last year. Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing something wrong, but then I realise, hello!, I'm paying for an office in the centre of New Zealand's largest city, and my wife is working with me full time. All things considered, things have been pretty successful!
  

For this year, we're planning to share the office. Marie's now working from home most days, so there's a lot of empty space going begging. There's a bit of an echo in here! I want to soften the sound with some people. We'll be offering monthly, weekly and casual rates because I know often freelancers don't know their schedule (or finances) well enough to make a long-term commitment. More details soon!