Ishka

After 8 months break, camping and relaxing I was starting to get frustrated. I hadn’t learnt how to relax and no matter how many beautiful beaches and campgrounds I was ready for a new challenge.

Then my cousin Mike Sklovsky, the owner and founder of Ishka stores phoned. He had an exciting proposition – buy in to half of the business and take over the day-to-day running starting….now! After a few weeks negotiation I took the leap and began the weekly commute to Melbourne, leaving Beechworth early Tuesday morning and returning Thursday evening.

Five months in and with a hectic Christmas trade behind us I am pondering the year ahead. It has been en enormous challenge stepping into a well established business with a culture, systems, product range and processes not of my making. In many ways it’s been harder than Anaconda and World Surplus – 2 businesses that I co-founded and grew from scratch.

The highlights have been the opening of the very successful new Southland store, new Karma Card, marketing program (some hits & misses), Christmas catalogue, increased wholesale sales, some improved systems and processes and significant cost savings.

I still have lots to learn about this unique business and there are many areas of improvement ahead. Retail trade is expected to be tough for the next year or so – not the best time to buy into a new business.

The weekly drive is wearing me down but I’m enjoying staying at Mum’s 2 days a week and re-connecting with her. An Ishka helicopter?

I now look back longingly on those lazy beach days with kids.

Regards,

The Worker