Well we have done it...WE ARE OPEN. What an experience opening a shop
like this in Botswana. Full of fun and many painful sleepless nights.
Getting a license...WOW now there is a challenge for anyone let alone someone who faints at the sight of paperwork.
The wait alone will tear you to shreds. I had booked the Health
inspector to come in on a Tuesday, plenty of time to get the paper work
in by Wednesday afternoon. Now keep in mind, in Botswana you have to be
mostly in your new store before he can come, this means first and last
months rent, construction, moving costs etc before you even know if you
will for sure get your license (have not heard of anyone not getting it
but I have heard of 4 week delays.) Well he arrived on Thursday morning,
too late to get the papers in that week which meant SEVEN more days
closed (Rent, security, insurance and salaries must be paid with or
without license) This Thursday I went before the board and with my wit
and charm talked my way through 18 grueling minuets which felt like an
hour of questions. I though I would leave knowing the result but NO,
another restless night and Friday morning we called in and YAYAYA WE ARE
OPEN :):):) I must lay more respect on my wit and charm from now on.
Well here are some pictures of our new space which is 3 times bigger
than the old one. BTW The health inspection for my kind of store entails 1. Do you have bathrooms? YES 2. Do you have Band aids? YES
Puni's Dolls
Setting up the fabric wall
Baby corner with baby quilts, slings, balls and stuffed Zebra and Giraffes
My favorite the thread Baobab tree hanging upside down from the ceiling with fairy lights :)
Within moments we had guests. Me with my back to the camera of course (sly Marlie taking pictures without me knowing haha)
View from outside between the coffee shop and KQ
Wow this space is HUGE...lots of room for expansion
Our new range of T-shirts with some of our quilts on them. Coffee mugs
(good big ones) with our new phrase "No Matatta Sew Easy. Kalahari
Quilts (No Matatta means no problem :))
