Options Still to be Considered

I haven’t been able to think about the side-business business because I’ve been doing my actual job. And while I may moan and whine in the off-season because I’m so bored I could cry, I do in fact love what I do.

But it’s scary right now and I’m having to go back to thinking about the side business. Because if the bookstore in which I work goes away, what purpose does the absolute library of book knowledge that I’ve accumulated over the last eight years amount to? Nothing?

I’m thinking about all this with the demise of Borders and the 11,000 booksellers who will be losing their jobs. What will they do now? Most likely not find work in another bookstore. What about their collective book knowledge, where will it go? The Ether? Has it all been in vain? Are we nothing but dinosaurs on the verge on extinction? I feel so futile.

I’ve probably put on my happiest face and done my best handselling in years – but we’re selling fewer books now than we did during the recession. Ebooks, Amazon – stop asking me if they’re affecting our business. You know they are. Instead, ask what you can do to help.

Reality Check

So, the truly sad state of my personal affairs is that my actual job is beginning to take over my life.

I have any number of publishers clamoring for me to read advanced-advanced copies of their books for review, something that can’t be done during business hours. And I love it, truly, I can currently say that half of my job right now is getting paid to read.

However, the other half of my job is working 40+ hours/week. And, as my boss chooses not to write schedules more than a week ahead, and we’re short-staffed right now, I never know from one week to the next what my schedule will bring. Throw in my co-workers taking weeks and weeks off at a time which means I work literally weeks in a row.

Add a husband who’s not working right now and therefore wants me to spend every minute I’m not working at home with him.

Therefore, little or no time now exists for me to sew.

Which is most unfortunate as now is when Jayne needs me most. She had jobs left and right that she’s completing and could truly use my help. Which I can’t give because I have no time to spare.

And the sad unfortunate truth of the matter is that the store in which I work is watching as the entire book and publishing industry undergoes a sea-change. We have no idea what the coming year will bring, but I feel confident our stores will remain.

What worries me is that my boss/store owner will begin to tighten his grip on me as an employee and expect me to take on more and more of the business while all I want is to change directions and start something new in life. But I’m worried that if I propose changes he’ll selectively hear what I have to say and turn it around on me.

I stay now indefinitely because we need the money. I’m trying to pay off my student loan in the next six months and we’re attempting to refinance our house.

It appears that for now my side business has been side-lined. Which really, really blows.

An Opportunity Presents Itself

I’m clapping my hands in excitement! A local businessman has been trying for almost a year to get town approval to convert an old, abandoned lumberyard into a farmer’s market in a prime location. After repeated rejections, and some modifications to his proposal, his plan has been accepted!

Why do I care? Aside from the fact that it’s in walking distance from my house and will have outdoor produce & flower stalls, the indoor market will offer booth rentals. The idea is to give locals who have micro-businesses (such as crafters) a place to sell their wares. And you know what this means? Depending on the cost of a booth rental, I could have an official side-business this summer!

It’s time to buckle-down with a game plan.  I’m thinking in January that I may take a week of unpaid leave to get plans and goods in order. Aside from my eye pillows, which I think I should continue to make, I must come up with two or three other products that are similar in nature and appeal.

Off the top of my head: electronic device covers made from old waterproof tablecloths (think cell phones, ipods, ipads, ereaders, etc. at the beach), yoga bags, pillow covers, aprons (kinda overdone, but always adorable if done right), tea bag holders for your purse, fabric book covers, thinking thinking, simple slippers, sleeping masks, hmmm………

In sad news, the only place left to buy fabric and sewing supplies on the Outer Banks, Walmart (insert sound a cat makes hacking up a hairball) is converting to a Super Walmart. According to employees in the know, this means the end of the fabric department. Don’t get me wrong, Walmart doesn’t have a great selection of fabric, but if you need zippers or thread, fringe, notions, patterns, you don’t have to drive two hours to get it. Guess I’ll just have to start buying up what they have and start a little warehouse in my sitting room closet. Darn you, Big Business!!

My replacement sewing machine light bulbs came in, finally, so I can start sewing up some of these ideas in the wee hours before work and see where it leads me.

If Everyone Else is Jumping off a Bridge, Would You Do It, Too?

- My Mom

This crafting, reuse, homemade, handmade craze is, shall we say, quite large? After starting this process, I have had a multitude of friends and family tell me about various and sundry other people, tv shows, stores, neighbors, websites, etc. doing exactly what I want to do: make cool things out of old stuff. Yikes!

So, I can look at it two ways:

1) Everyone else is doing it, I should, too! It’s like Mexican restaurants, no two are the same and they are everywhere. And who doesn’t love a Mexican restaurant? They’re full of tchotchke’s and a little tacky, but we always find ourselves back there loving every minute of it.

2) Everyone else is doing, I should steer clear.  What if interest in this particular type of good dies out when the economy picks back up? Will all of these fun & funky reused goods be our generations pet rock – adored when we got them and discarded when something flashier comes along?

While no one is discouraging me, I have become very aware of potential pitfalls of this particular endeavor. Which means I must put my brain, and hands, to work and come up with something really, truly unique and special to produce, catch everyone’s eye and make millions. Or enough to cover the shortage in my paycheck next year if certain tax credits expire.

The more I think about it, the more the idea of a website to sell local’s homemade goods might be a really good thing to look into. Argh. As I mentioned before, I HATE working on our company website. It’s the least intuitive thing I’ve ever encountered in my life. All those years people said, ‘It reads like stereo instructions,’ I get that now. And it shows. Our poor website looks like something a fourth grader made in computer class. When I was in college, they taught us how to use Microsoft Office, because it was advanced.

Yet, the logic behind the website is undeniable. We have no farmers market where a local could set up a booth and sell his or her wares; retail space is pricey (read: unaffordable); and there is an obvious need. If the homemade movement is large enough to garner time on HGTV’s Christmas special, then there are others out there making goods with the hopes of selling them to help with household income. There must be something easier than Drupal. Ick.

Any, and all, of this hinges on my being able to find the time to work on my projects. My employer, like so many others we’re hearing about in the news lately, are learning to make do with fewer employees which means I work more. More work = Less Fun Meaghan.

I’ve never been more excited about getting light bulbs – I feel once I have them in hand and can once again sew, inspiration and a sense of direction will hit me.

On the Job

I spent mucho time with my mother-in-law last week, getting some skills!

Monday- I iron

We began the day covering three projects she had slated to work on: roman shades, drapes, and valences. We decided to make the five valences. Jayne pre-cut the liner and fabric, so I was the official designated ‘Ironer’ (very exciting) while she sewed them together. Before assembly we contemplated the client, a vivacious and colorful woman for whom Jayne has made many, many things. Apparently Evelie is a fan of fringe. In this case, however, Jayne said Evelie’s been going less ornate and more subdued, so we decided to skip the fringe.

After mounting the valences on wood sticks with a staple gun (I subtly suggested I could use a staple gun and jigsaw as fabulous Christmas presents if she needed ideas), she showed me how to make a double-pleated drape. Since I don’t have alot of time to spend with her, I suggested Jayne start assigning me homework assignments, which she did!

Tuesday – I complete my Homework

My homework was to make my own mini double-pleated drape. Oh, so exciting. Now, for those of my generation, a double-pleated drape is something you’re probably used to seeing in your Grandmothers’ house.

Double Fold Drape

Mine was made from scrap, and could probably cover the front of a gerbil cage, but it was meant for practice and I did well! Jayne gave it a thumbs up!

 

 

 

Wednesday – Shoulda Added Fringe

We began Wednesday by going over to Evelie’s to hang our pretty valences. Turns out Evelie DID want fringe. So, back they went into the van to go back to Jayne’s workroom until she can find the right fringe to complete the look. Adding fringe will either entail A) if it’s pretty, just sewing it onto the bottom or B) taking the entire valence apart, sewing in the fringe and re-assembling it. Argh.

Back with us went a piece of fabric Evelie wanted made into a pillow. So, that’s what we worked on. Jayne, very off the cuff and with no pattern, came up with a flanged, envelope pillow-cover with a beautiful beaded ($15/yard) fringe. I got to cut AND sew this time, earning my cup of coffee that morning. Apparently Jayne could charge about $60 for a pillow cover like that. Whoa. And since we cut conservatively, she’s going to make two additional pillows out of the fabric that’s left. Color me impressed.

My next homework assignment: pillow covers! And lots of them. Jayne wants me to test my creativity to come up with all sorts of sizes, shapes and embellishments. Before I left, she showed me how to put in a zipper for a pillow cover. Now this sounds like fun!

Thursday – Stupid lightbulb

A cup of tea in hand, I headed down to my sewing machine Thursday morning before work to complete the pillow cover Jayne and I started. I flicked the switch on my machine and *pop* my machine light burned out. (Insert sad face). I can’t see the thread or needle to sew without my machine light, so homework on hold.

The only two places on the beach where I could possibly find a replacement bulb (Ace and Home Depot) were a no-go. So, online I went. I ordered 3, just in case. And in 5-7 days I will be sewing again. SIGH.

Ask advice only of your equals

- Danish Proverbs

As I’ve mentioned before, I have good great amazing friends that I am blessed to know. People who not only honestly assess what I’m trying to do, but give me advice and support.

This past Sunday, a football Sunday which I’ve mentioned before are a cherished time for me to spend with friends, I took along my eye pillows for a hands-on test. I meant to share them on Thanksgiving, but walked out the door completely forgetting my beautifully arranged picnic basket display of product. I brought everything I’d made up to this point, my three proto-types.

Initially I offered the eye pillows to all who wanted them, and encouraged my gal pals to take a few extras to give as Christmas presents. All were incredibly supportive and enthusiastic. I got complements on my reused goods, my hand-made product labels, and the quality of what I’d made. Which was all very, very exhilarating.

My friend Sara, a savvy businesswoman who manages a property-management company, shared with me her ideas for moving forward. She recommended making up about 60 eye pillows and approaching all of the day spas and salons on the beach. Since now is the gift-giving season, something simple but appreciated under $10 would make a perfect present for many this holiday.

And I would LOVE to do just that, but we come back to the time issue. It takes me two hours to make 5 pillows. So, we’re talking, what? 24 hours of cutting, sewing and construction, essentially a part-time job in addition to my full-time job. This is something I simply cannot do in time to pitch to all the stores on the beach for the holiday season. BUT, I can prepare for the Spring when spas and retailers are stocking up for the summer tourist season.

In addition to Sara’s support, my friend Matt, a restaurateur, mentioned that a great number of his clientele are in off-season cottage-update mode. He keeps a binder of business cards behind the bar for local services, including contractors, plumbers, housecleaning, etc. He offered to add my business card to his binder. (YEA!) Thank goodness for Vista Print and those free business cards – I ordered 250 right away, and should have them just in time for the big post-Christmas rush we get each year.

Right before we left the girls raided my product, taking 8 between the three of them. I was so flattered!

My Dad always told me to learn to play golf because that’s where all the networking got done in business. I think for our generation, networking is done amongst friends, relaxing and having a good time.

Case Study #2: Crafting

Wow, oh wow! Crafting. Hmm. This is something that I’ve been told time and again that I should do as a side business. Make cute things themed as made from reused fabrics and notions, and people will buy them. Ha! I’m not the only one thinking these things, and I’m beginning to wonder if there might be a bit of supply and demand problem with it.

You’ve heard of Etsy, right? Etsy is a brilliant website on which crafters, professional and hobbyist, sell their wares. It’s a wonderful place to find unique handmade goods. Literally, thousands of them. A search for ‘eye pillow’ narrowed to ‘Bath and Beauty’ gives me 1268 results. And they’re all as adorable as mine! Yikes! How do you compete with that? Um, maybe I don’t try that as my retail outlet.

My father suggested starting an Etsy-esque website that exclusively sells goods from crafters of the Outer Banks. I like this idea, alot. We have one farmer’s market right now, in Manteo, that only functions during summer months. Our county’s unemployment and foreclosure rates are the highest in the state. A website like this would be a great opportunity for local crafters who can’t afford a storefront the chance to sell their wares. All those people who need a little extra income uniting with all those folks who want unique Outer Banks goods, Brilliant! I’d sign up.

The catch: I would have to build it and god knows I am NOT website building savvy. I pull my hair out every time I think about updating the company website, which I do awfully! Plus, it requires money for start-up, which I don’t have, and once the Make Work Pay taxcut goes away at the start of the year, I’ll have even less. Oh, and there’s being tied to a computer, the last thing I want. I’m tied enough as it is and only time will tell what cancers I’m going to develop from prolonged exposure.

So, what do I do? Do I give up on this crafting as side business idea? We’ll test some waters tomorrow, Thanksgiving. I plan on bringing over to a friend’s T-Day celebration my eye pillows to get opinions and advice. I want everyone to take one, test it out, and let me know if it’s something they would want or give as a gift.

I’m not ready to take reused goods off my potential for side business, but I’m not thinking it’s going to be a big income earner, either.