As a newly established entrepreneur, I have been met with many a reactions from friends, family and people in your network. Most reactions have been positive and followed suit with keywords such as; brave, wow, fantastic, cool, exiting. All encouraging and adding to the building of my confidence. However, as with all other things in the universe – balance is yearned for. There have been reactions with a little less impression: “…but who buy paper products these days?”, “Really? But you will keep your corporate job, right?”, “Not very profitable, huh?” Even though the more challenging reactions can make your little boat rock, the critical questions have confirmed my belief in jumping right into the entrepreneurial open sea.
Every critical question has entailed a thorough, internal discussion with myself. So, WHO does buy paper products in these digital days? I can work on detailed market analysis and segmentations, which will perhaps lead me to measureable answers. However, the first immediate answer to my internal discussion was anyone who remembers the satisfaction of putting words and drawings on paper! Personally, I wouldn’t be without my smartphone, tablet or laptop and all three instruments are able to remind me of meetings, holidays, dinners with friends, things I need to do, instant information etc. However, these tools will never be able to replace the special feeling I get, when I open the very rare and seldom phenomenon, the handwritten letter! I must also conclude that I remember things better whenever I take handwritten notes (no, it’s not an age thing). Furthermore, I have a thing with calendars. It is a yearly ritual, which begins with a calendar hunt in November or early December. When “the chosen one” has been selected, bought and brought home I spend an entire evening entering important birthdays, future arrangements and practical information. During the year, the calendar is filled with notes and meetings. It becomes my most important personal assistant. I can honestly say that I will feel just as “naked” without my calendar as without my phone.
So in my opinion, the battle between: analogue versus digital, fear of missing out (FOMO) versus joy of missing out (JOMO), offline versus online cannot be settled with a rock solid winner. Both sides contribute to different needs. Moreover, neither of them is replaceable in my life. Although, the constant access to one’s online life to some extent have resulted in my own little backlash and search for presence and offline time, which I excitingly celebrate with my new-born stationery universe and webshop www.whatsthestorycph.com…(Phone is beeping)…oops, gotta go 🙂
