Writing Prompt: What specific qualities will make you succeed in your business?
Knowing the skills and strengths you bring to your business will help you identify the areas you need help in.
I love writing, research, and helping others. This may help in in ghost writing, blogging and article marketing but it doesn’t help me when it comes to marketing and selling which is a pretty big part of owning a crochet business.
After flopping last year when things didn’t go as planned (read this post) I had to take a real hard look at what I wanted. Did I really want a business? My conclusion was that I want the income and freedom from self-employment but an entrepreneur, I am not. It’s taken me almost 12 years to finally come to terms with this. I can not run a business – I can be a contractor for others but I can’t ‘run’ everything.
This by no means, means that I can’t work from home it just means I’ll have to do it differently. I enjoy writing and that is where I will concentrate my efforts from now on. I also enjoy helping others which is why I’ve maintained this blog – I get to share with you all the great crochet businesses out there. Believe me, there are so many talented people out there and they need recognition.
Business wise, what do I (Sara Duggan blogger at crochetbusiness.com) bring to the table? aka Why Listen to Me?
I have head knowledge about business but I usually make my decisions based on my heart. This does not work for business. I could hand the ‘business’ over to my husband but he too is a dreamer – not much good with the business side of things. Although, he does know what a business should look like because he grew up in his father’s business which is nearing its 45 year anniversary.
If and when I become an ‘official’ business owner then I will need to hire certain people to take over that aspect. I’ll need a marketing manager, an accountant, a lawyer, a web design team, an editor, and a number of other professionals who do what I lack better.
My Crochet Business Background
For me personally, I do not like selling crochet. It loses something for me when I have to produce 10 or 20 of the same item. I was never comfortable calling myself a designer when I was selling patterns although that is definitely where I found steady income. (not profit but sales)
Being a designer calls for a lot of behind the scenes work, crochet stitch knowledge, layout knowledge, fashion trends, great photography skills, and the ability to handle constant interaction with people. I’m an introvert sometimes I need weeks of down time and this includes computer relationships.
I sold my patterns at ridiculously low prices. I wrote patterns for others at super low prices but I enjoyed it so for me, it was more of a hobby than a business. I’m okay with that. Now if I create something (which I haven’t done since 2009) I share it on my blog for free.
Ask for Help
It’s always been difficult for me to ask for help. Anyone who has worked with me will testify to the fact that help has been offered freely but in my stubborness I will go it alone. For some reason I think I must ‘do it all’ solo. If there is one thing I’ve learned, a solopreneur is not a solo business owner. She has many behind the scene workers helping her out. (via Kelly McCausey of SoloSmarts.com)
Really write out what you bring to your business. Do you have past job experience in retail? Do you have experience delegating employees? Are you good with math, accounting specifically? Do you have an insatiable will to complete what you’ve begun?
About Sara Duggan
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