It’s Friday and this means I get to interview another lovely crochet business owner. Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Georgia of The Hat Factory. I came across a news story about her and her crochet hats.
Hello Kitty by Gloria of The Hat Factory
Can you believe she has sold over 1,000 hats since October 2011? When she named her business The Hat Factory she knew what she was doing.
She gets very little sleep and crochets for more than 15 hours per day plus does her own marketing on Facebook, which by the way has over 8,400 fans. She also sells her own pattern creations on Etsy. One more thing she is the only one making all of those hats.
I just knew when I read her story I had to feature her on Crochet Business Blog. You will be inspired by her story of success. Oh, by the way, Georgia is giving all Crochet Business Blog readers 50% off your order if placed before August 31st. I’ll give you the details of how you can claim this discount at the end of the interview.
Sock Monkey – the Hat Factory
Crochet Business Interview:
Note: My questions are in purple and Gloria’s responses are in black
Sara:
Did you set out to make money with crochet or was it an afterthought? When did you think “hey I can make a living doing this”?
Georgia:
I didn’t. It was just a hobby that I loved. I was making afghans all the time & giving them away to anybody that wanted them. In April of 2011 my cousin asked me to make a girly looking sock monkey hat for his soon to be born daughter.
I didn’t. It was just a hobby that I loved. I was making afghans all the time & giving them away to anybody that wanted them. In April of 2011 my cousin asked me to make a girly looking sock monkey hat for his soon to be born daughter.
I posted a picture of it on my personal facebook page for show & tell. (I always posted photos of anything I’d made). I had several requests for that hat so I made them & sent them to people for free.
In August or September of 2011 my sister asked me if I could make a “sleepy owl” hat for her new granddaughter. I did & posted a picture on my personal page. I had several requests for that one as well.
Then requests started coming out of the woodwork. People would send me photos & ask me if I could make a “hat like that”. After sending out about a hundred hats I decided it was time to create a business page & start selling them.
So on October 9th, 2011, The Hat Factory was officially born. I had over 100 likes on my page the first day. I currently have almost 8000. I can, indeed, make a living doing this!
Angry Birds – The Hat Factory
Sara:
What is the main income stream from crochet? Selling, Advertising, Teaching, Designing etc
Georgia:
My main income stream is selling. I do also design some of my own patterns & sell them on etsy, but the bulk of my income stream is from sales of finished items.
My main income stream is selling. I do also design some of my own patterns & sell them on etsy, but the bulk of my income stream is from sales of finished items.
Sara:
How do you market your business? blog?
Georgia:
I work my Facebook page every day. I give away a free hat every time the page reaches 500 new likes. At first I was giving away a hat for every 100 likes but had to bump it up to 500. I offer discounts, play games, offer things in give aways & auctions on many other pages & I host give aways with multiple vendors on my page about every other month.
I work my Facebook page every day. I give away a free hat every time the page reaches 500 new likes. At first I was giving away a hat for every 100 likes but had to bump it up to 500. I offer discounts, play games, offer things in give aways & auctions on many other pages & I host give aways with multiple vendors on my page about every other month.
The Hat Factory
Sara:
How long was it until you really saw your financial goals being met via your blog? (could be short term goals or long term goals)
Georgia:
I do not have a blog, just a facebook page. What I’m doing supplies a steady stream of income for me.
I do not have a blog, just a facebook page. What I’m doing supplies a steady stream of income for me.
Sara:
Any advice you would give to those just starting out?
Georgia:
You’ve got to work. I am a workaholic & always have been; whether it was working outside the home or doing this. I love to work & be productive.
You’ve got to work. I am a workaholic & always have been; whether it was working outside the home or doing this. I love to work & be productive.
Take care of your customers, be fair, be generous. I give away a LOT. In addition to the free hat at every 500 likes, as I mentioned, I also give away hats or patterns in other give aways constantly.
The Hat Factory
While I obviously don’t make money on those items, it does get my product into the hands of the public. But it’s not just THEM that sees it. Their neighbors, friends & family see it & can attest to the quality. That’s what brings people in.
About Georgia:
I am a 47 year old mother of 4, grandmother of 15. I sleep very little (2-4 hours a night) & dedicate my entire day to my business, crocheting 16-20 hours a day & managing my business on the computer. 95% of my business is from my Facebook Fan Page – The Hat Factory – and the other 5% is from my Etsy Shop.
The Hat Factory was featured in the IT’S YOUR BUSINESS section of Central Illinois’ largest paper. This morning WAND TV out of Decatur, IL aired a segment about The Hat Factory on their 6 a.m. newscast. And yesterday, the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce contacted me to become a member.
Thank you so much Georgia for taking the time out of your busy day to answer my questions. I am inspired by your success and I am sure my readers are as well. I can already predict your Christmas season will be a very prosperous one.
How to Claim your 50% off Discount:Expired
Purchase any item from The Hat Factory Facebook Page or from her Etsy Shop (*See restrictions below) by messaging Georgia. You can also email her your order at georgiabeckman a t hot m a i l -dot – co m (no spaces or hyphens). You must mention this blog in your order to get the discount. All orders must be made and paid for by August 31, 2012.
Restrictions: Discount does not apply to Bowser, Octopus or Purses
Thank you for joining my very first Cutey Linky Pinky Party. I will pin this post !
Aww thanks Jei. I’m so glad I met you on G+.
You are one of my featured bloggers fom last weeks Cutey Linky Pinky Party! Come and grab your featured button! http://jeicrochet.blogspot.com/2013/06/cutey-linky-pinky-party-2.html
Thank you Sara! I am glad that I met you too!
Thank you Jei. I’ll head over there now.