This blog post was written by HOYFC staff member Kayleigh.
Hidden on a quiet street in Glasgow, HOYFC HQ is a magical place where dreams come true! Ok, that’s maybe a little over the top, but it is a work place like no other. So sit back, relax and come see what happens behind the scenes at HOYFC.
There is no such thing as a typical day here. We all work flexibly from week to week to accommodate other aspects of our lives. This means that some days you can be working on your own, while other days it is a hive of activity.
This is what my days tend to look like.
It is fair to say that HQ runs on tea! Before heading upstairs to the office, a stop off at the kitchen to pick up a brew is required. A quick hello to the cats, Harry and Chi, if they are about, and then it’s up to the office.
After I have signed in in my logbook, I will fire up the computer to check our emails and Etsy messages. It is very important for us to reply quickly to our customers, so this is always the first thing that I do. Messages will also be checked throughout the day and a last sweep will be done just before logging off at home time.
If there are any issues arising from the messages, or at any point throughout the day, we have an HOYFC WhatsApp group where we can get an answer to almost any dilemma. There is also a reasonable amount of non HOYFC chat on there too - sightings of Danny DeVito, chats about snacks, etc.
It is then time to go through to the packing room. We have a strict “No Cats” policy in here - they are a little too fond of eating plastic, particularly Harry, so we can't trust them around all the pretty things!
The first thing that I like to do is pick something to listen to. Some days it is just whatever is on the radio or a random Spotify playlist, other days only a podcast will do. At the moment, I am particularly enjoying Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! and No Such Thing As A Fish for a little bit of geeky entertainment.
The next few hours are spent picking, packing and labeling all of your lovely orders. We understand that all of our products are gifts, even if customers are just treating themselves, so we like to always make opening our parcels a fun and joyful experience. With that in mind, we add a beautiful paper sticker and, if possible, a little bit of candy to brighten up our customers' day. If you are lucky enough to get Parma Violets, then either I didn't pack it or I was feeling very generous - they are just so tasty!
The next thing to do is take all of the orders to the Post Office. It is about a 10 minute walk from HQ to our local Post Office. When it is a nice day, this is an enjoyable job - it is nice to get a bit of fresh air. However, we are based in Glasgow...
When I get back from the post run, I like to get a fresh brew and raid the Sustenance drawer for a little afternoon sugar rush. This is the time of the day when I get some time to focus on what I generally refer to as 'web stuff'. This includes writing newsletters, blog posts and product descriptions. Sometimes I just need to make little tweaks, but I really enjoy the days where I get to write something from scratch.
It is always amazing how quickly a day flies by when working at HQ. Before I know it, it is time to head off home. But not before I say a quick goodbye to Harry and Chi.
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