Lately I have been doing a lot of research on how to get my little business up and running. While I know there is going to be a lot to read, a lot to plan and a lot to learn before I ever get where I want to be, I know I have to start somewhere. I have decided to start with people who have successfully gotten their business to a place where it can sustain them financially and still offer the happy comforts of doing something they love. I’ve begun reading Etsy’s “Quit Your Day Job” Series (as mentioned in my earlier post). There are a lot of great inspirational stories there with some really awesome advice.

My problem lately has been knowing a general idea of what I want and not knowing how to get there. Reading about other peoples’ journey has really helped me get an inner dialog going in my head as to where I should start and how I should proceed.So this is where I am starting to brainstorm:

What do I know how to do?
I know how to sew – by no means am I an expert but I think one day with a lot of hard work I could be. I taught myself everything I know so far and I can keep learning. I’ve dabbled in resin, jewelry, embroidery, even millinery and welding a couple of times in college – but none of it has been my own work. Everything I have done has been other people’s ideas and other people items. For instance, the jewelry I make is not something I hone from scratch, its chains and clips from the local Walmart and charms I made out of bottle caps or that were purchased from Michael’s. Most of the things I’ve done has been things I’ve seen other people make. I have designed and created my own vinyl purse  but it was hard, difficult and time consuming. Not something I can do at this time since it would take me a good few months to build my purse inventory to maybe no more than 10 purses. That is something i will have to venture in later when I’m more established and maybe have some help or a better understanding on how to manage my time. That might be something I want to add to my shop AFTER I’ve found my niche.

Who am I?
I’m a college and higher education graduate. I’m a teacher and a historian by profession and a failed artist by interest. I’m a girl whom has always felt she was born in the wrong era. I’m a mommy to doggies and I have an infinite amount of shoes! I like fashion but do not consider myself fashionable.

What are my fears?
I’m afraid to sew clothes for other people. My biggest fear is having the garment unravel, fall off or tear apart while the person is wearing it. It’s a little bit like that naked in front of a crowd nightmare. I’m especially afraid of sewing pants, even for myself, mostly because I’m afraid of fit and tailoring. I do not consider myself knowledgeable enough. I’m afraid I’m not creative or talented enough to come up with my own ideas or even worse, not be able to realize my own ideas without copying someone else. I think I’m crafty and creative but I lack imagination – it’s what I mainly attribute to my “failed artist” label, that and lack of talent.

What would I like to see my shop include?
I’ve gotten a lot of ideas from my research so far and I have held onto my own ideas as well, but I think there is an issue of, “more isn’t always good, sometimes its just more” and “figure out what works, keep what does and fix what doesn’t” – So some ideas I have are making it something I believe in, like maybe donating part of the proceeds to animal charities and shelters. I also want it to be an extension of who I am and what I love. This could been anything and everything from a vintage feel, to incorporating something about me in it: teaching aspect, historical twist…..something.

I think these are something things I need to constantly be thinking about in order to start a path towards finding my niche. Otherwise I have a shop full of “stuff” that is not unique, imaginative or in demand.

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“I wrote a pretty strict business plan and stuck to it. I had a time-frame in which I wanted to be able to accomplish my goals. I budgeted the little profit that I had in the beginning as wisely as I knew how. I worked hard on finding the best, most cost-efficient suppliers that I could. I had a small amount in my budget for things like branding, packaging, and advertising and promotion. I learned so much in those first few months. I feel like all I did was read.” – RiverValleyJewelry in Quit Your Day Job