If you’re a crochet business owner, I’m gonna give you a big piece of advice right now.
Yesterday, I was out looking for places to sell my crochet stuff, you know, consignment opportunities and places to pop-up. I walked in to a little corner market here in La Jolla.
I met a lady in charge named Lisa, and asked her if I could display some of my stuff in her store. She instantly took me under her wing. I think she could see I was a budding entrepreneur, and she said, “Come back in an hour when my other shop next door opens, and I’ll introduce you to the manager over there. We can set you up to teach a class at the store.”
Wait, what? Teach a CLASS?? That’s not really what I had in mind.
If I had been so stuck in my head about my plans that day, I would have quickly dismissed this opportunity: “No…I was just looking for consignment opportunities and places to pop up…”
But I thought about it for a second, and then I realized “hey, I could make at least $30-$40 per head for an hour or two of teaching. And they’re probably gonna help me advertise this thing if I do it here! Freaking TRY IT, Jen!”
Okay Lisa, let’s do it! 🙏
Love, I’m telling you something really important today: Get rid of any tunnel vision you have because it will blind you to some amazing business opportunities.
Keep your eyes open. Keep your mind open. And keep trying new things.
When you’re trying a new thing in your business, don’t be afraid to really try it, in whatever way it seems to be presenting itself to you. You are testing something to see if it works. Go with the flow.
It might fail. And then you’ll go back to the drawing board, rework it, and try it again.
So, I’m gonna try teaching this class. If no one signs up, so what? I won’t try it again. (Or maybe I will, but in a different place or with different advertising, because I have a hunch about this…)
Me being worried: “What if they hate the class??” (They won’t). Again, I’ll rework it.
This is the grit it takes to have your own business. Keep trying different things different ways UNTIL it works. And, you’ll know when it works 💰
Remember, even beyond the money, the rewards of making your own business a successful one are infinite: flexibility, complete creative license, giving to the world exactly the way your heart desires.
So, friend, why don’t you try teaching a crochet class?
- Are you nervous you’re not “good enough” yet? (Answer: you totally are. You can teach someone how to chain and single crochet. Think potholder.)
- You don’t have a website yet, and you want to be “all official” first so you have a QR code to send your students to sign up? (Dude, just give people your number and tell them to text you! Don’t let constraints like that get in the way. Or better yet, ask for their number so you can call them.)
- Where do you even start? (Answer: potholder. And if your students already know how to make a potholder, you could teach them how to make this cute keychain, or this awesome hacky sack, or this beautiful yoga strap! Good intermediate-level items that make great gifts or products to sell)
Maybe you’re thinking “Jen, where do you find people who actually want to pay you to teach them? Don’t people just watch YouTube videos to learn crochet these days?”
Some people do. I did. But no, not everyone is a DIY kind of person. Some people can and will pay you to teach them! And maybe even pay more for a private lesson!
Comment below, ask me where I’m finding my customers, and I’ll tell you 😉
With love,
Jen