Thank you to everyone who opened up and shared their business experiences - their hurdles and their achievements and there sure were some great big ones. Please go and read them all and be inspired by these great people. Here are the five people chosen by Meg and Chronicle to receive a copy of Megs book Craft Inc. Enjoy! (you will be contacted in a few days via email - if not please contact me whipup[@]gmail.com

Little miss meshell

I haven’t started my business yet, I’ll be opening in 2008, but I think my biggest hurdle will be finding out all the really important information I need to know before I start (ie. legal, tax, business & wholesale information). I’ve delved into it a little bit and it is already making my head spin! I think figuring out what handmade work should be worth is always going to be hard too.

As for proudest moment, I think it would be absolutely amazing to stumble across someone wearing/carrying one of your pieces whilst you are out doing something like the food shopping or etc. That would be fab.

Andrea from Let it fly

I haven’t started my business yet either, in the “selling” sense. I started my blog about 6 months ago and began renting a studio two years ago so I could consistently create work and have somewhere to leave it and come back to it, out of the reach of my two children! :) The biggest obstacle I am finding is knowing what the next step is. I’m not sure what I need legally to get my type of business off the ground and although there is a lot of information out there about small business in general, I feel a bit lost about establishing an online art/craft business. Another obstacle is balancing a part time job (that is helping to pay the rent and keep the blog functioning) with time in the studio so I can create work to sell!

I have two proudest moments so far……..1) was the day I handed the first rent check over to the landlord of my studio. Getting married and having two wonderful children put the dream of having my own studio space (outside my home) on hold for a long time. Now I can spread out and make a mess and LEAVE it there for the next time. 2) is the day I started my blog. I set a goal for May 1st 2007 and I kept the promise to myself without letting my other obligations throw me off track.

gajettes

My biggest hurdle was overcoming my HUGE fear of failing and holding back for a really long time because of it. Currently, my biggest hurdle is finding a healthy balance between job, family, and business.

My proudest moment was when my family (mom, dad, brother and sister-in-law) went into a store that carries my things and the owner told them about someone who saw one of my skirts outside, came in tried it on, and left wearing it. When my mom called to tell me that story she was sooo happy for me - it made me feel awesome!

kathy from pink chalk studio

My biggest challenge is focus. Deciding which ideas to pursue. I have a gazillion things going on in my head at any moment in time. Just walking the kids to the bus stop generates at least 10 things that need a fun pattern. A lack of focus can lead to a lack of action. I’ve been trying to be heads down lately and see things through the rough days. One foot in front of the other. Pick a task and grind it out. I’m always amazed at what comes out the other side, things I didn’t imagine were possible.

Right now my most satisfying moments are e-mails I receive from people off line from blog comments. Women that have never commented publicly but feel motivated to send me a note thanking me for inspiring them, for the clear instructions in my pattern, how accomplished they felt making something for their grandkids. I really can’t describe how that feels except that it tells me I’m right where I should be, doing what I’m supposed to be doing.

rebecca from living the charmed life

My biggest hurdle seemed to deal with time management and motivation. I would come up with great ideas but I would put off producing the amount of these things that I needed to have the inventory for displays in shops or shows. I really think it was a mental block, wondering if I was good enough, if I would fail or succeed, etc. I mean, as long as I was in the planning stage, there was hope for the future. Once I did it, if I failed, then I officially was a failure. (OK not true, but that’s how it feels in my mind sometimes.) I sometimes like the potential of a project more than actually getting deep into it and seeing all of the flaws and problems. I mostly overcame that by setting myself production goals. For example, maybe 10 very simple pendants a day for 10 days in a row. It got me in the habit of working v’s planning to work.

My second biggest hurdle (or maybe it’s tied for first) was Katrina nearly destroying my home. The last two years I have used my studio for storage while I repaired my home. I’m almost back to normal finally. YAY!

My proudest moment was being asked to be the featured artist at the holiday open house of a store that’s too nice for me to even shop there. But she is carrying my stuff now, she’s excited about it, and she wants to put me on display. So I get to wear grown-up clothes and sit with my jewelry and talk to customers and try to pretend like I’m not dying from nerves.

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