I thought it might be neat to capture this sewing journey from the beginning. It gives anyone who may be thinking about starting their own business, some things to think about.
What
It's important to figure out what you aim to produce or provide as a business. I've decided what I'll start with and what products I intend to add over time. I have a mission, vision, and values defined to guide me as I go.
Location
When you set up a home-based business, it's important to figure out where in your home you will be doing the work. In my case, since I live in a small condo and want to keep my living room in a state where people can visit, I've chosen the corners of my bedroom nearest the window. As I'm also a writer, I have a desk in another corner for that. Yes, my bedroom is oddly large. As you can see by the pictures, I have a lot to do to get the area ready to sew in.
There is a desk under that mess. Some winter things need to be cleaned and put away. Some notions need better storage options. I need more little jars for the rest of my buttons.
This area will be used to store fabric and my sewing books once I figure out what to do with the stuff that is currently there. I'm assembling a bookshelf for the space, but have to finish it tomorrow as it's too late to hammer the back panels on. I wish I had finished it sooner because then I could get to organizing things. Tomorrow is another day though and I do have writing projects on the go to keep me busy until then. Also there's something called sleep that I hear is all the rage. Maybe I'll try it.
Marketing
Aside from this website, I'm also on Facebook and will get up on an online market such as Etsy once some product is ready to sell. Still deciding about Twitter and/or Instagram.
Supplies
Ideally, you want your raw materials ready once your space is so you can get going. Sometimes the timing doesn't quite work out. Or it's out of your budget. I have thread coming and a rack for it, but the rack to hold the spools is likely to arrive weeks ahead of time. I could've paid for express shipping on the spools, but it was more to ship at that point than the raw materials cost. I'm not in a hurry given that my space isn't ready yet, so I'll save the cash.
Schedule
You need to know how much time you'll be devoting to your business. Is it just something for a little extra cash here and there? Maybe you'll just do it for a couple of hours each weekend then. Is it something more to you than a hobby? I'm hoping to ensure I can pay for some food and other expenses while I'm in school learning about writing movie scripts.
Logistics
Getting the finished product to the consumer. This is something I'm still looking into. There are many options after all. And for people I know well, I can probably avoid the cost of shipping entirely.
Pricing
This is something I have to decide before putting anything up online. A combination of the cost of the materials, my time, and a profit margin. This is technically part of marketing, but it's important enough to warrant its own list item.
Well, as you can see, I still have a number of things to do. I better get some sleep, so I have the energy for it tomorrow.
Tiny Samurai
What
It's important to figure out what you aim to produce or provide as a business. I've decided what I'll start with and what products I intend to add over time. I have a mission, vision, and values defined to guide me as I go.
Location
When you set up a home-based business, it's important to figure out where in your home you will be doing the work. In my case, since I live in a small condo and want to keep my living room in a state where people can visit, I've chosen the corners of my bedroom nearest the window. As I'm also a writer, I have a desk in another corner for that. Yes, my bedroom is oddly large. As you can see by the pictures, I have a lot to do to get the area ready to sew in.
There is a desk under that mess. Some winter things need to be cleaned and put away. Some notions need better storage options. I need more little jars for the rest of my buttons.
This area will be used to store fabric and my sewing books once I figure out what to do with the stuff that is currently there. I'm assembling a bookshelf for the space, but have to finish it tomorrow as it's too late to hammer the back panels on. I wish I had finished it sooner because then I could get to organizing things. Tomorrow is another day though and I do have writing projects on the go to keep me busy until then. Also there's something called sleep that I hear is all the rage. Maybe I'll try it.
Marketing
Aside from this website, I'm also on Facebook and will get up on an online market such as Etsy once some product is ready to sell. Still deciding about Twitter and/or Instagram.
Supplies
Ideally, you want your raw materials ready once your space is so you can get going. Sometimes the timing doesn't quite work out. Or it's out of your budget. I have thread coming and a rack for it, but the rack to hold the spools is likely to arrive weeks ahead of time. I could've paid for express shipping on the spools, but it was more to ship at that point than the raw materials cost. I'm not in a hurry given that my space isn't ready yet, so I'll save the cash.
Schedule
You need to know how much time you'll be devoting to your business. Is it just something for a little extra cash here and there? Maybe you'll just do it for a couple of hours each weekend then. Is it something more to you than a hobby? I'm hoping to ensure I can pay for some food and other expenses while I'm in school learning about writing movie scripts.
Logistics
Getting the finished product to the consumer. This is something I'm still looking into. There are many options after all. And for people I know well, I can probably avoid the cost of shipping entirely.
Pricing
This is something I have to decide before putting anything up online. A combination of the cost of the materials, my time, and a profit margin. This is technically part of marketing, but it's important enough to warrant its own list item.
Well, as you can see, I still have a number of things to do. I better get some sleep, so I have the energy for it tomorrow.
Tiny Samurai