This is the last day of week 4 of the 2013 31 Days of Crochet Business Blogging Challenge. Instead of incorporating this day into my week 4 post, I decided to write a separate post so that I can track it per the instructions in today’s writing prompt.
Write a post today about why you love your crochet business. Set up analytics for your post and track it for 7 days. Return to the post and share your results.
So this is why I love my crochet business …
I Gave Up My “Good Government Job”
Image via Flickr by Vince Alongi
When I worked for the Federal government many years ago, I always dreamed of being self-employed. But because I was petrified of leaving my “good government job” for the unpredictable world of self employment, it took me a good two years to get up the courage to take the leap into the unknown.
I enjoyed being self employed for a while, but a time came when working for myself wasn’t enough. I’d always enjoyed and been good at writing, which I was doing as a freelance instructional designer, but at some point I wanted more — I wanted to make money doing what I absolutely loved.
Seven years after retiring from my freelance instructional designer gig, I can now say that I have a business which pays me to do what I love.
Do What You Love, And the Money Will Follow
Image via Flickr by Dvortygirl
Actually, I’ve been able to combine three loves – crochet, writing, and teaching – into a micro business that I hope will be profitable as 2013 unfolds. Sara Duggan’s crochet business blog challenge has helped me get organized and set goals for what I want to accomplish this year, something I’ve said I needed to do but never got around to doing.
While I don’t have to rely on this business to pay for essentials like food, shelter, and transportation (my retirement income does that), it doesn’t mean it won’t be an important income generator. I’ve been doing some freelance copy writing to fill in the gaps that my retirement doesn’t cover. Yes, I enjoy writing, but I usually have to write about topics that others want me to write about, and I’m not always interested in those topics. That makes writing feel like a job and not a joy.
Writing about crochet, on the other hand, is an absolutely joy, as is teaching it, publishing patterns, creating commissioned pieces, and doing contract crochet work. Therefore, my goal is to have my crochet business take the place of the freelance copy writing I’ve been doing, hopefully by the end of 2013.
Now Is the Time to Start a Crochet Business
Image via Flickr by love Maegan
This is a fantastic time to have a crochet business. Crochet has made a huge comeback, thanks to designers like Christopher Kane who incorporate crochet into their fashion designs. There is a lot of crochet-related work that skilled crocheters can get involved in, including:
- Designing and selling items on sites like Etsy or at craft fairs, in consignment shops, and at bazaars
- Doing crocheted pieces on commission
- Publishing patterns
- Doing contract work such as pattern testing and creating samples
- Blogging about crochet
- Editing crochet patterns.
If you know how to crochet, you might want to take a serious look at how you can profit from your skills. That’s definitely what I’ve decided to do.
Now it’s your turn. Which of your crochet skills do you think you could create a crochet business around? Let me know in the comment section below.
No, I didn’t forget the last few days of week 5 of the blog challenge.
12 comments On Why I Love My Crochet Business
I am so enjoying your 31 Days blogging – I’m learning so much from your posts. At what level of skill do you think crochet might be considered as a business opportunity? and what types of other business skills or people to help have you found necessary as you have worked at a crochet business? I can crochet but my skills are definitely not extensive yet.
Hey Karen, I’m so glad you are finding my blog challenge posts so useful. You’ve asked some great questions. Let me see if I can give you some decent answers :-).
What crochet skill level is necessary for a biz opp? It depends on what you want to do. If you’re comfortable with the basic stitches (i.e., sc, dc, hdc, tr) and are comfortable reading patterns, you could very well be a pattern tester or create samples from beginner to intermediate patterns. Some designers actually want pattern testers who are beginning and intermediate crocheters. If you have some design skill, i.e., can turn a concept into an item, you could very well sell crochet goods you’ve made on Etsy, at craft fairs, etc., or even write and publish patterns. Sara Duggan’s ebook, Hooking for Cash, will give you even more ideas about how you can make money from crochet. There’s a link to it in the sidebar of my blog if you’re interested. I think it’s going for 99 cents at the moment.
What business skills do you need? – You’ve got to be organized, know how to keep accurate financial records, know your state’s business licensing laws. As for other people to help you, you may need an accountant and tax preparer if you don’t want to do this stuff yourself. But there’s also a lot of accounting and tax software out there that you could use if you want to do this yourself. Any book on starting and running a home-based business will help you in this regard.
Hope this helps, Karen. Let me know if you have other questions.
I like writing too but definitely enjoy it more when I write about what I love. You will have be successful in what you do and I’m looking forward to seeing you grow this year. Can’t wait to see the new blog.
Thanks, Sara! Things are moving more slowly than I anticipated re: the new design, but Rome wasn’t built in a day (I don’t believe I actually said tha :-P).
I read this post and was totally INspired all over again!!
I’m glad you left your “good government job”… And I’m proud of you for taking that leap of faith! And I’m just as happy for you that you are finally doing something that you LOVE!
Like your captions says ” Do what you love & the money will follow!”
Know that you have a subscriber for life!! LOL
Great post as always!
Z.
ZaMarah, thanks so much! I look back over those years and wonder where I would be had I not left my “good government job.” I don’t think I’d have learned nearly as much about myself and what I was capable of if I had stayed.
I’m happy to hear the post inspired you, and thanks so much for subscribing. I’m glad to be a part of this wonderful group of crochet business owners with whom we can share ideas and so much more.
And thanks again to Sara for pushing us to get our crochet businesses going!
Thank you so much for the answers to my questions, Patrice. Excellent advice. 🙂
You’re welcome, Karen. Glad I could help!
Thank you for this Patrice.. It may not happen overnight but it can (and will with enough proper effort) happen and that’s all I need to know.
Hey there. Belle! You are absolutely right. And don’t forget to enjoy the journey. That’s what it’s all about after all :-).
I have resently been going to a Crocheting class , and have learned many things for one thing its good for your nerve’s to crochet, but I also would like to be as good at it as some of the other ladys in my class, so I need to keep going all I can to learn alot of different patterns, its fun you learn, maybe I’l be good enough one day to have some beutiful items to sell.
Hi Teresa, you are absolutely right. Practice does make perfect. I’m sure you’re creating some beautiful pieces already! Keep at it and you’ll be selling your crochet sooner than you think. Thanks so much for stopping by and Happy Holidays!
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