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| Photo that Steffani K. Burton took of me at my book signing – thankful for all these ladies in line! |
Being at Quilt Market always makes me re-evaluate what I am doing, sewing-wise. I thought it might be interesting to put some of my thoughts to typing; not that I am an expert or anything, but I feel like I am certainly in the trenches as far as getting my creative business established. Perhaps my thoughts might help someone else.
I took a class at Market called ‘The Business of the Studio’ given by Jo Packham of Where Women Create. She has established a huge brand, which includes many magazine titles. I took home one of her magazines, ‘Where Women Create Business’, and I was very interested in all of the articles it contained. Anyway, the class revolved around the three panelists: Nancy Soriano, a brand expert, certified public accountant, and a lawyer. After their presentations, we got a chance to ask them any questions that we had.
The major thing that I took away from the presentation is: “When you find it, you will know.” To me, I think this means that sometimes you’ll go through life trying different things (personally or business-wise); you won’t know what you are supposed to be doing until that lightning bolt hits you. Regarding my creative background, I thought it was a fantastic idea to start selling fabric on ebay about 8 years ago. So I got accounts from Michael Miller Fabrics and from a distributor, ordered some bolts of fabric, and began selling. I spent hours every night cutting and shipping, for very little profit, since I was selling on ebaying and trying to be competitive. At the most, I probably had about 50 bolts. It was fun, but I certainly never had that lightning bolt feeling. After that, I tried selling handmade bibs and burp cloths on Etsy, which was quite laughable. It helped me begin to learn how to market myself, though. You can’t just come out with a product and say, “Okay I’m here, come buy!” It doesn’t work that way.
I’ve had this blog for 3 years now. I started it for pure enjoyment of sewing. When I was at Jo Packham’s presentation, I was amazed to see that some of the designers in the audience had no blog or other social media presence. I don’t know what stage they were at in their creative business (maybe they were just getting started), but I think you have to have something. I’ll acknowledge that not everyone is a writer…that’s totally fine. You can have a site or a blog with beautiful photos of your work, with minimal writing. I do think it helps to be able to tell a story about your work or your business, though. And I certainly agree that being on social media takes time (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, etc.), but if you’re not doing it, someone else is. I think it’s important to establish a real and meaningful connection with fans of your work and/or customers, and how else can you do that if you aren’t reaching out on a blog or social media? I’m not saying everything you do on the internet has to be promotional; it isn’t for me. But people have to hear from you in some way to know what you do.
Anyway, back to my blog. When I started it, I was just doing it for fun, but the lightning bolt really hit me this year – designing bag patterns was completely what I was supposed to be doing. My calling. Which is odd that it hit me this year and not last year when I wrote my book, but I think I was still feeling my way around. This year everything came together with me learning how to use design software to digitize pattern pieces, put together layouts for pdf and printed patterns, etc. In other words, I feel like I became more rounded-out in my business by learning how to do these things.
I also appreciated the accountant’s part of the presentation because he brought a little view to reality. With a creative business, I think we are definitely emotionally attached to what we are doing. Sometimes we can’t see that we are either following the wrong path or maybe even shouldn’t be in business because so many emotions are attached. He said that within the first 6-12 months of business, we should have an inventory turnover of 3-4 times a year; he also stressed that it was very important to be working closely with an accountant because they are analyzing the numbers of your business and will give you the cold hard facts about what’s working and what isn’t.
In light of this, I wanted to talk about some of the things that I do in my creative business. I began selling pdf patterns in February 2013. I have really not dipped below a certain dollar amount all year, which in my mind is a great dollar amount. I suppose this was my proof of concept – I proved that I had a good product and that people actually wanted my product. So in August 2013, I sent my 6 best-selling patterns to print. I feel it has helped me send my best-selling patterns to print first because I’m not just sending to paper whatever patterns I come up with – I know these titles are already working (not that any of the pdf’s are bad, just some sell better than others). Of course I have bad days – but mostly it’s self-induced deadlines and stress. Sewing has been really good to me, but I’ve worked hard at it.
I am (trying) to take steps in a calculated way. Of course our first instinct is to just do this, that, and the other, and do it all at the same time, and wow let’s just explode onto the scene! I think there is something to be said about pacing yourself. My son is in first grade, but my daughter won’t be going to kindergarten until next year. She isn’t in pre-school, so we’re together during the day. I do this part-time while my kids are sleeping at night, since I also work a part-time job on the weekend. I have plans to do this full-time when she goes to school in September of next year. Having this situation set up, I think allows me to be creative, but not fully dependent on my business. My part-time job pays the bills, so I don’t have to stress about how the business is producing; nothing is forced. If at all possible, I’d suggest keeping your full- or part-time job. If you’re still working through your creative business a year later, you know that it is something that you really love and really want to be doing. After all, who stays up until midnight every night if not for something they really love doing? 🙂 Of course, I do hear the stories of those people that left everything and went all-in. It’s just not something that’s practical or realistic for me. That way I can put the money from my creative business back into my creative business (in my case, to send more patterns to print and pay for a booth at Quilt Market next year).
I gave a talk on the last night at I was at Quilt Market, along with some other amazing women. For my portion of the night, I decided to focus on the fact that we can all help each other get better. Jennifer Paganelli has a great quote about this, “There is room enough for all of us, and you are right where you are supposed to be.” I love this quote and I completely agree. I ran Purse Palooza 2013 this year, and it was comprised of purse pattern reviews from guest bloggers. Yeah, I was showing other people’s bag patterns on my blog. Sure, a couple people reviewed my patterns, but I didn’t force their hand or put ideas into their head about what pattern they should do, lol. I figure if my pattern is not exactly what someone was looking for in a bag to make, I’m more than happy to point them in the direction of a bag that is. So when someone asks me on Twitter for a specific bag they want to make, I don’t tell them, “Well, my laptop bag is kind of the size you wanted, but the features aren’t really what you were asking for.” I’ll tell them, “You know what, I think this Noodlehead pattern is exactly what you need.” It’s not as if you spend all your fabric dollars on all Tula Pink fabric. I’m pretty sure I’ve purchased fabric from at least 2 dozen fabric designers over the course of the year. There really is room for everyone.
And the last thing that I pointed at during my talk was that we should do all we can to help each other. If we help each other, your successes will be my successes, and that will make us all the best we can be. So many people have helped me along the way…if I had a question with software, where I should buy the plastic bags for my patterns, how to sew with laminate fabric – no one has ever been cold-shouldered to me when I’ve asked for advice. And for that I am extremely grateful.
I realize not everyone is a pattern designer – maybe you want to be an accountant for creative people, maybe you want to set up shopping carts for fabric shops, or maybe you want to sell handmade bags and pouches at local craft fairs and farmers’ markets – there is a place for everyone if it’s really what you’re meant to do.
I hope this post hasn’t been all over the place. I hope I got in all the things I meant to say. So, in closing, I wanted to leave you with a few quotes from my friends. I’d love it if you’d add your personal stories or quotes in the comments. 🙂
“There are people out there want you to succeed, and are looking to help you out. Let them!” – Mandy Leins
“My best advice is to consciously craft your business to be what YOU want it to be.” -Nichole Rivera
“Get absolutely everything in writing and then have that writing looked over by a lawyer. The craft world is full of partnerships born of good intentions that more often than not end up evaporating when those intentions intersect with reality.” -Thomas Knauer
“It takes a good amount of blood, sweat and tears to even get close to ‘making it’. Have the tenacity to see it through.” -Jill Dorsey
“One piece of advice I never followed but should have was to have a clearly defined focus. Rather than trying to sell anything and everything I could possibly sew, focusing on a few and doing them really well would have gone a long way in the success of my business as well as my own sanity!” -Kelly Hovey
“Remember to take time for yourself.” -Kim Niedzwiecki (Kim is directing the evil eye at me here)
“Find inspiration through your viewfinder.” -Roseann Kermes
“Do what only you can do. And for the most part, never mind what “they” say.” -Sam Hunter
Great post, Sara. I really enjoyed reading it and appreciate your thoughts on the topic. I was thinking back to your plans to design garments a while back, and the switch to bags being ‘it’! What a lesson, to really keep searching till you find what works for you.
Lovely post Sara! Congrats on finding your “niche” and congrats on making it happen!
Sara – sounds like you have found the natural progression of your passions, with a lot of hard work thrown in there for good measure. I love your focus and goal setting, drive and determination (that is my take from your post today). You are young and have a wonderful adventure ahead of you – enjoy the journey!
Thank you Sara, that was a very helpful post and I’ve definitely gotten some insight to help me in my own process of finding my niche. Your sense of professionalism and courtesy in the business world is very admirable.
This post could not have come at a more perfect time for me Sara! I sincerely thank you! I will be re-reading it often until memorized 🙂 … bless you & keep up the excellent & knid hearted work! Wendy of why-knot-kwilt blog
I needed this today – I feel like the lightening bolt has hot but I keep second guessing it and I’m not sure why. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Can you explain a little more about the inventory turnover? Does that simply mean that we should be moving product often? Since my items are mostly custom requests, does that still apply? I know that I’ve had to buy more materials several times in order to fill demand for orders.
Thanks for the good read! It’s great for a newbie to the Craft Business community like me. 🙂
Thanks, Sara – I really appreciate your thoughts and am glad you have met your lightning bolt!
Nicely thought out and put together – thx for the info.!
I am not the creative entrepreneur. I am the person who reads the blogs, buys the patterns, makes the projects, clicks on the links. I enjoyed reading this blog and hearing the back story of this type of business. You and others are doing a great job. I have learned a lot and I enjoy seeing all the creative efforts out there in blog world. Thank you.
Fantastic post Sara!!! I love the fact u talk about how there IS room for everyone! It’s such a HUGE market and I love how each person brings something new to the table. Something that only THEY can bring! I don’t have any amazing quotes of my own but this one stays with me “When things seem to be falling apart they might actually be falling into place”! I’m a firm believer in everything happens for a reason, and if u never give up on ur dream how can u go wrong? Thank you for sharing this post!!!!
Fantastic post, I bought your book today! Love the dress you made for Tula Pink.
You are an amazing girl. Really talented, so sweet. I love to read what you write. That was an inspiring post 🙂
What an incredibly sweet and encouraging post. Thanks so much for sharing it and I hope you continue to have such success in doing what you love! You deserve it!
Such a great post Sara and like many others it’s really struck a chord with me: my youngest has just gone off to nursery leaving me with time and wondering (trying to remember!) who I am and what I want to do with this next stage in my life, hopefully my lightening bolt will hit soon 🙂 Well done on everything you did for quilt market, I loved following all your pics on IG, S x
I enjoyed reading your post. Also, I am glad that you are now in a “happier” place. I thought the Purse Palooza was a real eye opener for me. It was great that you designers were helping each other and reviewing each other’s patterns. Reading one review would lead to another Blog and 2 or 3 more designers. It is amazing how many talented ladies are out there, and everyone can find something they like. This whole event was wonderful.
Great post Sara! I particularly love your comments about helping each other out …..and being a bag designer myself, especially those comments about other people’s bag patterns and I share those views! There IS room for all of us and why not help each other out along the way! I really appreciate the friendship of other bag designers and hey, it’s nice chatting to someone with similar goals….that is why I love to do the “Designer Interviews” on my blog and YES…..you hit the nail on the head!….if someone likes my pattern, they will buy it, if it isn’t what they are looking for, they won’t buy it anyway so why not point them onto something perfect for their needs! Thankfully most designers I have come across share the same views and are friendly, sharing and helpful ….we are allies, not enemies! BUT occasionally I have come across some that don’t share those views and I can’t help but think it must be lonely place for those that see the competition’ as someone to be avoided and stomped on! SAD!
Wishing you continuing success…you have worked hard and you deserve it! 🙂 XX
All very sensible advice. I have a 5-6 year plan. It seems dauntingly long, but then I can also remember back to when I still had 5-6 years of student debts to pay off, so I know I can plod along and get there! Along the way I’m trying to pick up information and things as I go, there have been forks in the road that I wasn’t expecting, but I’m still comfortable that I’m on the right path.
I will have to build up over time as I can’t give up my day job unless my knight in rusty chainmail comes along (I gave up expecting shining armour a while ago ;o) ) or the office lottery syndicate delivers, so I shall look forward to the journey :o)
Such encouraging words and advice!! Thank you!
Great post! I have met (on line) some bag pattern designers and I love the way all of you work and treat each other. Even thou you are different you respect each other and help each other. As a bag sewer and tester for some designers I have always felt welcome to the online community. Many have helped building my confidence in what I’m doing. My two daughters graduated college and now my life is changing towards more time for myself (and hubby). I’m letting time and experiences lead me to where I’m suppose to be or to get. I’ve always created but now, sewing bags, I really feel great. Thanks a lot for the advice and encouragement!
Thank you for this inspiring, interesting, and encouraging post! It really is so encouraging to know that we can muddle around, eventually find our feet and actually end up with a focused direction! I’ve read of two designers who have recently closed up shop – they’re just too jaded and burnt by the “industry”, so I really needed to read some good, hopeful news and this was perfect.
My daughter is also at home with me while my son is at school and will be “on my own” next year, plus my part-time work too, so I really appreciate you sharing the logistics of it all – it IS possible, but with a lot of hard work.
Great post. I am thinking about how to transition at the moment from blogging to making this more of a real thing over the next two years. It is something I really love. This helped a lot with reality. I am not sure what I want to do yet and I was happy to see that it was a natural progression – so no rush 🙂
I have a question which may be a little weird but I would love to go to quilt market next year. I sthis something you buy tickets? I don’t see it being as open or discussed as some of the events.
Insightful post. I’m not planning to run a craft business but I find that your observations apply to a lot of life decisions. Thanks for taking the time to share.
Great post Sara, so many excellent points, a really positive way of looking at things.
It’s hard to GET that focus! Seems I always wanted a quilt shop- at least since I’ve been quilting (33 years) so now I have that chance in a small way…but I’d rather be sewing/quilting on my Gammill! And teaching others to sew & quilt… Maybe I should hire a business manager!
Excellent post! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Great post Sara! My sister has been wanting to do something “creative” as a business. Neither of us really have found our “thing”. I guess we just need to keep on going and find what works for us.
I LOVE this post Sara! It’s basically everything I want to hear and know I should listen to lol
Thank you for writing this post.
As I delve into pattern writing I will be sure to incorporate this information. Thanks again!
Forgot to say… Thank you to you and all the other people who are encouraging and uplifting. I loved hearing the motto “when our friends succeed, we succeed” and “there’s enough market for everyone”. Thank you thank you!
Great post post Sara! I had that lightening bolt moment but I’m still finding the ability to just focus on the right things for me. It’s tempting to try everything lol congratulations on your success thus far and best wishes for ongoing success! 🙂
Great post post Sara! I had that lightening bolt moment but I’m still finding the ability to just focus on the right things for me. It’s tempting to try everything lol congratulations on your success thus far and best wishes for ongoing success! 🙂
you certainly hit the nail on the head when you realised bags were your way forward, so many and all so lovely, a great epistle you have shared her
Great post Sara! And congratulations on finding your passion! I do believe that bags are you!
Excellent post- support from other makers out there in the virtual world is a wonderful thing, and oh yes, the temptation to try to do EVERYTHING….but one does find that special thing, given time and experiment. You certainly have!
Good writing. You will do fine, just take one-step-at-a-time. That’s all we can do anyhow. I especially like Jennifer Paganelli’s quote. “There is room enough for all of us, and you are right where you are supposed to be”. Just trust yourself and keep going forward in your positive manner staying focused on your goals, going with the flow. Sharing with others, when you can, not only helps others, but It Feels Good. You are a good person, trust yourself and your feelings and you will be just fine.
What a fabulous post! I’m going through a similar story right now. I stared selling fabric on ebay 10 years ago, branched out into a full-time online store, then just realized in the last year or so that’s not where I’m supposed to be. I’ve spent the last year designing, blogging and discovering the joys of modern quilting. I’ve been having many “lightening bolt” moments in the process!
My favorite thing about the online sewing community is the willingness to share and help each other out. So true that there is indeed room enough for all. 🙂
Insightful to say the least:) We DO all have the ability to be creative and “share” in the creative world! This is a very comforting thing to know.
Wish you all the best Sara!
If this is you pacing yourself doing it part time, I dread to think how many patterns you’ll be releasing when you’re full time!! You make me tired just reading your blog 😀
p.s. you’re great!
What a great post, it is so inspiring to hear of other Mum’s successfully juggling being a Mum, running a house, working part time, and making a business out of creativity:) Congratulations for all the hours ypu put in, running a successful blog, and publishing your own patterns – I’m at the stage of creating my own designs, and pattern testing for others but some way to go before I have a clue how to create a PDF pattern!! Never mind a large blog readership!!