As the now thriving business had a healthy turnover and customer base they could afford to be choosy and for this reason it was decided to decline the offer of this factory owner and just concentrate on offices. This did not please the factory workers and for a while they were receiving abusive phone calls and mail.

Controlled growth was the key and for the next two months they all decided that they would not take on any more customers. This time was spent streamlining the business so that they could provide their current customers with an even better service. One beneficial factor that resulted from the process that was being implemented was closer links with their suppliers. This meant that deliveries of cream supplies, cream chargers and whipped cream dispensers became more efficient and delivery times were reduced considerably.

This overhaul proved to be a great success and just by making a few changes the business became more organised and efficient and paved the way for even more controlled growth in the near future.  Now Jody and Caroline were taking it in turns to visit the office block and talking to customers asking for their opinions and feedback as well as informing them of any new products that were being planned for the future.

It appeared that this course of action seemed to work as when customers were seeing some of their suggestions being taken into account, the products were becoming more popular and in demand.  Their business was being talked about more and more and word of mouth began to take over again. This time the new business was in the name of a very large company which would mean hiring two more drivers and purchasing more vans to cope with the extra work.    .

So, after a few weeks of nights out and partying, Caroline and Jody decided that it was not for them and they would concentrate more on the people that had helped them achieve the success that they were now enjoying. Their employees would have to be their main priority if they were to build on their current success. With this in mind they began to take some of the pressure off of Owen by sharing his work load.

Another reason for the goals being achieved as they began their business was the quality of the produce and equipment that they had invested in. The whipped cream dispensers, whipped cream chargers and associated cream supplies had been instrumental in allowing them to experiment and produce new products which enabled them to keep ahead of their competition.

With all of this taken into account, the giggling little girls who started selling ice cream with the help of Betty had now grown into competent business women and the adversity that they had experienced along the way, had made them more determined to succeed. So, when Owen asked their advice about buying a property they were able to go into detail and enlighten him about the advantages and the pitfalls.

Owen was working equally hard and they could not add to his workload.  So after a great deal of discussion it was decided that they needed a full time manager.  Owen was the ideal candidate but another person had to be taken on to handle some of the menial tasks that Owen could delegate.

A number of likely candidates were interviewed over a period of several weeks until a smart young lad called Christopher seemed to tick all the boxes.  He was put on a month’s trial and Owen took over as the new sales manager.  Owen’s first task was to review all the rounds the drivers were doing and eliminating areas that were not too profitable. Meetings took place with the managers and directors of the offices where they sold a large percentage of their goods with a view to streamlining the whole operation.

Finally, it was the turn of the young girls, the demand for cream supplies, whipped cream dispensers, cream canisters and whipped cream chargers had levelled off a bit and Owen wanted to know why. All of this was carried out over the course of three weeks and in between Owen was showing Christopher the ropes. He was relishing his new role and it showed

Two months passed before the pressure on Jody and Caroline began to ease and as it did so, the fear of being left behind was lifted and they began to enjoy life again. Their role now was mainly PR, just visiting customers and finding out if there were any problems and, if so, finding solutions.  This was more like a holiday compared to the past two and a half years of working seven days a week but they weren’t complaining.

The added advantage of everybody working out of the office was that Jody and Caroline got their home back and when they arrived home after a days work it was easier to relax. Caroline was taking advantage of this by arranging a surprise party for Jody as her birthday was approaching. When the day of the party arrived, Jody, as expected, burst into tears when everybody involved in the business began arriving with bottles of wine and presents. When Owen arrived he gave Jody a kiss and a small package.  When she opened it, much to everybody’s amusement, it was a stress mouse – a small spongy object in the shape of a mouse that could be manipulated in the palm of the hand in times of stress.

The party went really well but the following day there were some sore heads although some happy memories of the night before. The following days became even more frantic as the young girls began to respond to their new working environment by spending even more time there. The result of this was that the sales of the whipped cream dispensers, whipped cream chargers and associated cream supplies increased even further.

After one of Caroline and Jody’s meetings with their accountant, Mrs Richardson, they were advised to expand even further and invest in another ice cream van and take on further staff to take some of the pressure off of themselves. This, she explained, was justified by the dramatic increase in their takings.

It was not unusual for Caroline and Jody to finish their days work and return home to find Dolly and Daisy still working hard. Very often Caroline and Jody would have to bully the girls into taking a rest so that they could all sit down together for something to eat and a girlie chat.

The five office blocks that Caroline and Jody were selling their wares to continued to be happy with the service that they were receiving. Although many hours were spent selling their produce, time was still found to perfect new flavours to maintain the originality that had now become the trademark of their business.

Due to the ever increasing work load, plans were being put in place to rent some office space where Owen could be based and the young girls could carry out their work in comfort.  It could also be where the other drivers could report to if there were any problems. This idea had been discussed for some time but nothing had been done so as usual Owen took control and proceeded to view potential office space which he thought might be suitable.

So it came as no surprise when Owen visited Caroline and Jody late one night to tell them that he had had a meeting with one of the directors of one of the office blocks that were customers. Part of a second floor office had been unused for some time and for a minimal rent the company in question would be only too pleased for the girls to make use of the space.  Caroline and Jody were extremely pleased with Owen’s accomplishment and couldn’t thank him enough.

This was a valuable lesson to the girls, falling down professionally has a vast impact on any business. However, they had an extra weapon in their arsenal in the name of Owen who kept everybody focused and on their toes. Any sign of corners being cut and he would pounce.

In addition to this, the fact that the sales of whipped cream dispensers, whipped cream chargers and all of the other cream supplies had rocketed and the young sales girls had become super affiliates. As far as their incomes were concerned Mrs Richardson had become a personal friend and mentor to the girls. What could be better than having your accountant as a personal friend?

A block of garages had been rented near where they lived and every night after all of the rounds were completed, the vans would be locked away.  In all there was only one problem – Caroline and Jody had only had a few days off in the two years that they had been working. As much as they loved the business and all the challenges that it presented, they were becoming increasingly tired and in need of a holiday.

On top of all this, Jody was not seeing David as much as she would have liked so a break was called for. It was eventually decided that Jody would have a long weekend away with David and a few weeks later Caroline would take a few days to visit her family inFrance.

Owens idea of introducing billable hours into the business would enable the girls to control the cash flow of the business. The idea was discussed with the company’s accountant who agreed that it was a good idea and would make things easier for him. This would mean that his fees would be reduced for his book keeping services but, as things were going, they would have to rely on him more for the controlling of the staff they were employing.

As Owen’s system was implemented it was becoming easier to control the every day tasks that they all carried out and in time reduced the length of duration they spent in one place without having an effect on their income. Within three months the working days became shorter as the business started to be more efficient and streamlined. What would they do without Owen?

The added leisure time enabled Caroline and Jody to go out and enjoy themselves more but Owen continued to work into the night in his quest to make the business even more efficient. As more experience was being gained all round, the girls decided to put Owen on a percentage of the profits as losing him to a competitor at this stage would be unthinkable. This decision was met with a smile and a thank you and plans for the future were spoken about in depth.

Because Owen was getting more involved in organisation and administration, the marketing of the whipped cream dispensers, whipped cream chargers and other cream supplies was starting to take a back seat so a visit to the local job centre produced two teenage girls who had never had a job since leaving school. These girls were very good on the computer and began working at selling the products. The commission that they earned kept them happy and all of a sudden what started off as two females and an ice cream van earning a meagre income, was growing into a concern that involved six people.

As the winter months dragged on, the offices developed a buzz and the excitement was due to a party that was arranged to be held on New Years Day. This was a regular occurrence and the companies involved spent a lot of money each year to show their staff how their efforts were appreciated. A catering company was employed to supply food and drink but the directors of the companies involved had requested Caroline and Jody’s input and wanted some of the unusual creations that the girls produced to be on display.

What could be better than an invitation to a lavish party while still selling your goods? The girls jumped at the chance and managed to get Owen, the two teenagers and David invited to the party as well. Although they were all supposed to be working, there was no doubt that having fun would be the order of the day.

One morning Jody went to visit Owen to check if he had enough cream supplies and she was met by a group of young girls chatting and giggling.  After a few minutes it became obvious that they were talking about Owen. When Jody finally reached Owen he was not his usual self and he seemed flustered and under pressure. This was out of character but it was obvious that he had come to the attention of a number of the young girls in the office yet they were not interested in what he was selling.

Caroline and Jody took turns in visiting Owen checking that he was all right as well as taking stock of any cream supplies that might be required. It took a few days before Owen reverted back to his old self but when he gained control of the situation he began to take more notice of one particular young girl. However, the situation had to be closely monitored because it began to cause a certain amount of jealousy in the office.

When Owen began to see this particular girl in his spare time he seemed to become even more mature and before long he was asking a number of questions relating to the business. At the beginning, this threw Jody and Caroline but because Owen had been an important part of their business for a number of months by this time and he had put his studies on hold, then it was only fair that he be included more in the day-to-day running of things.

The young lads worked hard and it was agreed that they would be paid on a commission basis. Owen kept a watchful eye over the new workers when he could but they seemed honest and trustworthy. As well as acting in a supervisory role, Owen still continued to market the various cream supplies in the evenings. Overall the company bank account was looking extremely healthy.

As the weeks passed, the time for Owen and his friends to return to university drew closer so, once again, some decisions had to be made. After some long discussions with Owen and his parents, it was decided that he would take a year off and see how the business went. The deciding factor was that at the moment he had a job whereas he could finish university and be unemployed for some time. There was also the factor that Caroline and Jody had plans for the future and they could include Owen if he wanted to become more involved.

One of Owen’s friends decided to take a year off too but the other one decided to return to university and finish his course. It was not too difficult to find a replacement and it was looking more likely that selling to office workers in their place of work was the way forward.  Owen to the rescue, once again; he was now selling ice cream throughout the day, marketing whipped cream dispensers and other cream supplies in the evenings and marketing the products to local offices.