Probably the biggest thing flying around in my head lately is how to get my business up and running. A lot of you know that I've recently started making custom diaper cakes and wooden letters, and as more and more people are requesting them, I figured I would try to make this more than just a hobby. As I'm writing this, I find myself wondering, "What is the defining moment that makes a hobby an actual business?" I have sold a couple of things, so I guess for lack of a word that describes the limbo between 'for fun' and 'really making some money', we'll call what I'm doing a business.
I think that I'm pretty creative, and for as long as I can remember, I've had a really hard time keeping all of my ideas in check. I actually have an entire binder full of pages ripped out of magazines and notes of things I want to do in the future, or ideas that I have to turn into rea
lity someday. It's kind of an obsession! There isn't a store I can go into without having some type of "I can do that!" moment, and I find myself buying TONS of things that I will 'someday' use to create one of my ideas :) It's kind of a problem, and I'm currently trying to keep that part in check... I'm sure Chris is grateful for that! Since lately I've only been making diaper cakes and letters, I want to branch out and see what else people are interested in, but I think I'm starting to get more into the 'business' mode. I've been finding myself thinking about how I can market my products, or how many prototypes of things I will need to make so people know what I can do, but it is so hard to limit my options! I have to keep reminding myself to stick with what I know and start slow... I'm proud to say that I am getting orders for letters a couple of times a week, and I'm hoping that more people will notice my cakes and possibly order some of those as well. I can't explain to you how exciting and flattering it is when someone chooses you to make something for them, and it's even more exciting when they are willing to pay you! It is great motivation to keep going, and to keep looking for more things that I can make to make people happy.
So the first thing that I have to do (which I keep having to remind myself of...) is to come up with a name for my business. I am getting to the point where I am needing some sort of website, and you can't have a website without a name! You would think that with all of my other ideas, a name would be easy, but it is the hardest part for me to come up with. I think I get scared because it is so permanent, and choosing a business name is really really important. You want it to convey the type and quality of product you are making but you want it to also be original and true to who you are... It is extremely intimidating. I've been researching web hosts lately and kind of spying on other people's sites to see what I like and don't like, and I think by the time I get my own site going, it should be pretty effective (I hope). I guess I just haven't ever thought about what it takes to get a business going, but man, there are a ton of things to consider! When you are selling things that you create, I am finding that you must must must have boundaries and have the skill to hold back. I am afraid that I am offering products that are entirely way too custom, and to start this off, I need to have more of a simple offering. I have to think of pricing, how and if I am going to ship products to other places in the country, where I can start getting materials cheaper than where I am currently getting them, and I have to keep an eye on my competition. It is quite an undertaking, but this is something that no matter its success, will be really rewarding and hopefully will bring joy to someone else's life!
I'm sure future posts will be related to this somehow, but I just wanted to get this out there, and hope that I continue to get the love, support, and praise from the people who have been with me and have helped me get this started! It makes a world of difference when people believe in you, and I am so thankful that I have many supporters through this process. It takes a lot to create something and put it out there for criticism, praise, and whatever else might come, but it sure has been great getting feedback from people and seeing how what I do for fun impacts someone else in a positive way :)
**If anyone wants to see some of what I have been making, please leave me a comment on this post or check out my facebook page!
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