| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| KatTylee |
Posted - Dec 07 2012 : 2:02:41 PM
Some questions for some of you that have small businesses. I've been looking around my new town and I've seen a lack of organic and natural anything. Coffee and "to-go" food still comes in Styrofoam containers! I just moved from an area that is very "green." There is a farmers market here. Whew! What I'd like to know is if any of you have started a business in a not-so-green area with natural products? How was your success rate? I'm toying with several ideas right now and certainly haven't settled on anything. One thing I've noticed a lack of at the market are herbs and flowers. So that is one I'm considering once I get some property.
What have people found that sells the best? Is there one product or product line over the other that would appeal to all types of customers? There appear to be some folks in the area selling soap and there is lots of meat, cheese, and eggs.
My biggest problem right now is I have several interests regarding things to do. I spin, so hand spun yarn. I love books and would love to incorporate them in some manner. I have kids and would like to make a store/market stand kid friendly for mine and customers. I crochet and I'm teaching myself to knit. I want to get back into blacksmithing. See what I mean? I'm kind of all over the place right now.
I would really appreciate any advice for starting your own business any of you could give me.
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
|
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Rosemary |
Posted - Jan 17 2014 : 11:10:11 AM
Great progress! Can't wait to check out that link :)
You're not the first person I've heard from about Etsy being a little "fiddly" at first. Maybe some of their tutorials will help. Also, aren't their circles if like-minded Etsiers (if that's a word!) who support each other?
Go, girl! |
| KatTylee |
Posted - Jan 17 2014 : 10:03:22 AM
Reviving this a bit with an update. I've now got a market booth at our local summer and winter farmer's market and I'm selling on consignment at a local co-op grocery store that has opened since I started this thread. I am doing the hand spun yarns, wool dryer balls, and bath salts. Occasionally I also do felted bowls and the store carries knitted and crocheted cozies for mason jars used as drinking vessels. You can find me at www.littlehawkyarns.com and on Facebook at Little Hawk Yarns. I have an Etsy shop but I'm finding it a struggle to maintain.
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
Farmgirl Sister #3214
http://lazymomgardener.wordpress.com/
http://littlehawkyarns.wordpress.com
www.etsy.com/shop/LittleHawkYarns |
| naturemaiden |
Posted - Jan 21 2013 : 04:00:57 AM
Katrina i like the herb and flower idea....being already partial to horticulture i think people would appreciate herbs & flowers.
Connie
http://www.naturemaiden.com/ - Soap & Candle
http://modern-day-laura.blogspot.com/ -Filled with everything I love!
http://www.thriftyfarmgirl.com/ -Vintage Sewing Machines, Sewing machine parts and more.
|
| KatTylee |
Posted - Dec 16 2012 : 09:47:26 AM
Hmmmm... I know I don't have anything that color at the moment. I have one bundle of a natural wool that is kind of a grey/white with little chunks of colored yarn in it. The color is called Confetti but it makes me think of the Funfetti box cake. :) I don't have enough to come out with 250 yds of chunky. Now lace weight maybe. At any rate, I'll see what my supplier has for natural wools right now. I have some bamboo fiber, I have natural cotton, and I have some blue silk. I do have a blue/green mix that I'm calling Denim that is almost a chunky/bulky weight. Probably a little lighter than the commercial versions but certainly not worsted or sock weight. I'll have to look to be sure but I've got around 200 yds at least and maybe more.
Also, what kind of a price point are you looking at?
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
|
| Rosemary |
Posted - Dec 16 2012 : 08:59:35 AM
Katrina, I think there is something analogous for Droids. I'm sure a little googling will ferret it out. Since it really doesn't cost anything (unlike traditional merchant accounts), I can't see why limited potential use would be a factor. It's all free (except for the small percentage subtracted from the bottom line). You will also need a free (or super-cheap) app to accept signatures. If you have the card present and get a signature, that's the lowest fee; without the sig, it goes up a teeny bit.
As to yarns I'm interested in, I have access to all the nice store-bought stuff, through a wonderful little knitting shop in my town. There is a big gap, though, where natural fibers direct from somebody's sheep or alpacas should be! You can get these wonderful hand-spun yarns (in all the colors that animals come in, undyed), but only at craft festivals. I missed the big one this past September, and there won't be another until next year. :( So if you have natural rosy colored (as opposed to yellowy, know what I mean?) natural stuff, I'd love what the commercial yarn suppliers call the "chunky" weight, about 250 yards—enough to knit a hat and scarf. Let me know if that's something you might have up your sleeve.
You sound like you have a good head for marketing. I'm sure you'll do well, no matter how you decide to get started. |
| KatTylee |
Posted - Dec 16 2012 : 08:24:18 AM
Thanks gals. Heather, I would love to do a little bookstore/coffee shop but there is already one struggling book store and a couple little coffee shops. I just don't think this town is big enough to support more than that. Maybe in time but not at the moment. Megan, there are a couple boutique craft stores that provide a space for local artisans etc. and that may be where I start. Especially since I don't have a ton of things done at this point and I figure I can expand as my name gets out.
Rosemary, I like the idea of emphasizing the sensory pleasures of the green items. I'm in agreement that I somehow doubt the tree-hugger route will sell things. :) What kind of wool are you interested in? I have a pretty good supplier of all sorts of fiber in addition to wool. I'm not sure what all folks are looking for in the way of fiber. Are there colors you would prefer? Weight of yarn? Fiber blends? Number of plies? I have a blast spinning but I only have so many projects in mind for myself to make. There are so many different weights and fibers to work with that I want to keep spinning all sorts of stuff but not sure I want to have it all sitting around my place. :)
I've seen the do-hickey that goes on the iphone or ipad. Another friend of mine had it for her market stall. Looks like a great deal if you are doing enough business to warrent having that. I haven't started anything just yet so it would be awhile for me. Do you know if there is something similar for the Droids? Maybe I should actually check out the link too. Hehehe. :) I'll do that and let me know what you'd like as far as wool.
~"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
— Oscar Wilde~
|
| Rosemary |
Posted - Dec 15 2012 : 2:15:16 PM
You spin wool? Mmm. There's a market for that if you're willing reach out a bit beyond your local borders. I'd be interested, myself.
I wish I had good ideas for you, but I'm in a green area, so the issue of how to persuade non-green types doesn't come up. As a promotional "pitch," though, I think it makes sense to emphasize the better taste/feel/smell/economy of green products (or produce) rather than any kind of tree-hugger pitch. And charm, of course, always sells.
Just as a tip in general, I recently got myself a free do-dad that plugs into my iPhone and goes with a free app I downloaded. See about it at https://squareup.com. It allows me to swipe credit cards in the wild. There's no cost other than a roughly 2.75% fee per transaction, a little more if you want to take American Express. Accepting credit cards at a farm market or other "out and about" site gives you a nice advantage. Just price your stuff accordingly, and maybe give a discount for cash payments.
Good luck -- and let's hear some more about your spinning!
|
| walkinwalkoutcattle |
Posted - Dec 11 2012 : 2:09:25 PM
Do you have any local boutiques that cater to local artisans? Maybe a town near you that can carry your items? How about a barter day where you bring your wares to the local library and barter with others? You could also post things on Craigslist or local store bulletin boards...
Farmgirl #2879 :)
Starbucks and sushi to green fried tomatoes and corn pudding-I wouldn't change it for the world.
www.cattleandcupcakes.blogspot.com
|
| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - Dec 07 2012 : 2:13:16 PM
I love small used book stores! A coffee shop with organic teas/coffees, and real mugs/glasses would be awesome!
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
