Tag Archives: business development

Midwest Yarn is Almost Here!

Posted on January 24, 2012 by | Comments Off on Midwest Yarn is Almost Here!
Design
The hard work is just beginning, but I'm happy to report that Midwest Yarn, a Cherished Moments company, has filed its paperwork to establish it as a business!  To the right, you'll see the logo I designed, with the help of Vistaprint.

I'm building the website and meet with my first yarn sales rep in a week. The best part is that I am completely overwhelmed with excitement.  I also wrote a lot of the business plan tonight which is a combination of all the notes I've made for myself over the past several months.  I have not decided on a deadline for launch of the website, but I'm aiming for March 1st. 

Even with that deadline so close, I'm still optimistic that I can continue to design patterns, knit, and maintain the Cherished Moments website and etsy.com site in the process.  I'm pretty efficient when it comes to running a business, that's why I am able to keep those things in my life and not get burned out.  Once my website is launched, I'll also be working on setting up my husband's online vintage shop, also to be run as a Cherished Momens company.  You won't be able to access the shop's website yet, but I'll keep everyone posted as it becomes available.

Reboot
My reboot is going well.  I am on Day 5 and have lost almost 5 pounds.  On Day 4, I did have a lot of problems with lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations.  While I do believe that it's because of the lack of sleep the night before (Peanut stayed up all night), I have decided to end the fast sooner than the 15-day deadline.  It's unhealthy to lose more than 2 pounds in a week and I definitely felt that yesterday.  The 5-day express program is more realistic for me, which means I'm done as of today.  I'll be repeating this program once every 3 months or so as suggested, just to maintain good weight and results.

With so much going on with the business start up, I don't want to make myself sick to the point that I cannot work.  Over the next few days, I'll be adding in nuts, legumes (beans), and whole wheats, slowly as to not make myself sick that way either.  I'll continue to juice and keep fruits and veggies as a main part of my diet, but I'm sure adding these things back in will slow down my weight loss.  My ideal weight is 125-135 and I'm already at 135!  Wish me luck!

Coming soon
Working on advertising for Midwest Yarn.  You may see ads on Ravelry and other places soon.  I'm also almost done with the test for pattern #2, so look for that on Ravelry as well!

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Reflecting on 2011 and Counting Down to 2012

Posted on December 26, 2011 by | Comments Off on Reflecting on 2011 and Counting Down to 2012
Knitting Madness
I never really cared for this time of year.  In spite of the family gatherings and all the parties, I always felt so small and alone.  What I didn't realize was that I was spending the time reflecting in my own space, rather than reaching out and making others happy.  
Baby Buddy came out of hiding and went
right back to the tree on Christmas Eve!

And now, I can't believe Christmas is over!  I've been running around, knitting like crazy, baking, Christmas shopping, and taking care of a sick cat.  With all of the incredibly bad things that have happened this year, I had so much to be thankful for once I sat down and thought about it.  When you look at all of it, I still have my wonderful family and many opportunities ahead of me.  I even got my own Christmas miracle when I found out that we did not have to put Baby Buddy to sleep!  They did not find cancer but we will have to have more tests run to see if his growth is affecting anything.  He even started to act like his old self again and came to sleep next to me on Christmas morning (something he has not done in a few months because he didn't have the energy to get upstairs).

In between the regular Christmas-time running around, I managed to make a few gifts for the people in my family who have been admiring some of the things I've made so far this year.  There was:
     
    My two sisters-in-law were really excited about their hats:
    Slouchy Beanie in Peacock Colors (left) and
    Simply Elegant Beanie (right)
    
  • A pair of socks for my aunt in Arizona
  • A pair of socks for my grandmother
  • A hat for two of my sisters-in-law
  • A pair of slippers with suede soles for another grandmother (husband's side)
  • A custom-made sweater vest as my first Etsy sale
  • Finishing the hats that my brother-in-law ordered
*sigh*  My husband and I also decorated the house and built Peanut's larger gifts.  We also took turns baking: I made sugar cookies and oatmeal cookes (with dark chocolate and toffee chips) and hubby made three different kinds of cheese cake (peppermint, eggnog and apple).  When it finally came down to it, we spent Christmas Eve at my father-in-law's house, Christmas morning at our house opening gifts, and Christmas evening watching football at The Royal Victorian Manor, my parents' Bed and Breakfast. 


Peanut models in front of the Christmas tree.

So much love, so many smiling faces.  Now I remember why I do what I do.  I love helping people and making them happy.  If I can do something well enough to brighten another person's day, I know I have a purpose and something to look forward to.  Working in health care did give me that opportunity, I mean, I managed a clinic for people who would have no other access to health care if it wasn't for our little clinic.  And speaking Spanish allowed me to be a representative for women's health education to a rural Hispanic community, giving those women a chance to learn more about important women's health issues.

With Peanut around, I want to spend every minute with him, watching him grow and learn.  He's helped me to realize that there are many things that I love to do, but if I must help my family succeed.  Why not do that while doing something you love?  And this is why I knit.  I love the arts, I love my family, and I love making people happy by making something that keeps them warm or warms their heart.

I am looking forward to see what 2012 will bring for my own personal growth and the growth of Cherished Moments.  I'll be:
  • Frantically working on my business plan
  • Designing knit clothes for babies and children that have a timeless style
  • Writing patterns
and enjoying every little part of the process.  I promise, you won't be disappointed!
Christmas at the Royal Victorian Manor.

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Cherished Moments 2011-11-27 06:16:00

Posted on November 27, 2011 by | Comments Off on Cherished Moments 2011-11-27 06:16:00
We've reached over 350 views of the blog, but we still need followers!  If you like the blog, please follow us.  :)

Current Projects
I feel overwhelmingly lucky that I get to spend my days doing a lot of things that I enjoy and taking pride in some of my greatest accomplishments.
  1. I get to spend time with the most adorable two year old I know,
  2. I can knit for as long as I want,
  3. and I can do all of this in the comfort of my own home.
I dream of the yarn store and I dream of expanding this little business, after all, I did get an MBA and I want to know that it was worth the time and the effort.

"Suboscillator"
 I've got an order for 10 hats from my brother-in-law and hat #3 is under way.  Peanut modeled one hat for me, so that I could show that the hats would fit almost anyone, from a kid to an adult.  I think he's pretty much used to me snapping pictures of him, so he poses for the camera without prompting now.

I'm also experimenting with different yarns and knitting stitches.  I've been stocking up on more of the Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino (thanks to Fiddlehead Yarns), which I've decided is my favorite yarn right now.  I've also been researching patterns that contain measurements for the different sizes and looking at industry standards for design and sizes.

I do all of this so that I can start the task of getting my own designs and patterns out there and finally start earning money with the business.  I plan to post some free patterns here soon!  In the mean time, I'll be sharing some easy project ideas.

For those who read regularly, what would you like to see more of?


Coming Soon
More winter items to get us through these cold months!

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Make it Happen!

Posted on November 10, 2011 by | Comments Off on Make it Happen!
We've reached over 300 views of the blog, but we still need followers!  If you like the blog, please follow us as we begin to build the business.  :)

Knitting Madness
Yes, the craziest time of year is quickly approaching, and I'm still torn about what sort of items to post in my Etsy shop.  I also have the choice of filling an order for 10 hats (all the same) and just resting on my laurels until the new year hits.  What to do?  What to do?

At the same time I'm wondering how I can get more exposure and increase my sales to people that are not family members.  It all comes back down to writing the business plan.  I have this vision in my head of having my own yarn shop while also doing some sales on Etsy as well, but will I have the time.

While sitting down and knitting with my mother, it just hit me, "See, we need a yarn shop where we can just sit and do this all day.  Share knitting advice, make some sales, have some classes and just have a nice relaxed atmosphere.  But how do we do that?"  My mother, surprisingly agreed!  So of course, my brain is going, Make it happen!


Peanut helps with the pumpkins
for Halloween

This is a tough economy, and the one thing that scares me is that I won't have enough sales to stay afloat with a new business.  My other worry is if I chose between a brick-and-mortar shop or an online shop, will I regret not making the other choice.  Business plan, business plan, business plan.  Since Peanut is such a wonderful helper, I definitely want to get him involved, even if it means he's just there to say "hi" to people.

Either shop choice, I definitely want to give back to the community and also involve business students and teach them how to run a business, give advice for business plans for retail ideas, and even have those who are interested in the industry get involved.  Almost like having a yarn apprentice.  That's one thing I miss about teaching (I taught at ITT Tech for almost 2 years), having promising students do well and have intelligent discussions about so many different things.

I'm also looking into some marketing solutions, in case I decide to do an online shop.  I was told that might be a little bit more difficult to do, especially since there are so many widely respected online knit shops already.  I know some brands that I would like to include: Millamia, Cascade, Holiday Yarns, Berroco, Debbie Bliss, etc., but I definitely want to be smart about marketing in this area.  I do love all the LYSs that are in this part of the state (see my entries about the Yarn Trek).  We'll see!

Coming Soon
I'm thinking about doing a giveaway for Christmas time, so those of you that read the blog, begin following to get more details as they get hashed out.

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The Business of Doing Business

Posted on September 23, 2011 by | Comments Off on The Business of Doing Business
Design
I'm calling this entry a design element, mainly because the topic of business can be tailored to any industry, any project.  In essence, you're designing a business.  I'll be doing a few entries like this, mainly to show some of the process I'm going through to create my business plan.  Yes, I'm buckling down and writing a business plan.

Why talk about business?
Simple, I love the little nuances of running a business.  What you may not know about me is that I have a Master's Degree in Business Administration (aka MBA) with a concentration in Health Care Management.  I have done some business consulting, planned events, and even taught courses to business students.  I have been a manager, assistant manager, and a line worker for over a decade, and the actual idea of running a business is virtually the same in all sectors, except a few...  And with a health care background, I've seen a lot of crazy things!

When starting my own business back in 2008, I did not think I had what it takes to be an entrepreneuer.  I lacked a lot of confidence in myself, and I wanted to quickly make a lot of money.  I made the mistake of thinking that my degree inherently warranted that.  Boy was I wrong.  Starting a business is harder than getting a job and learning how someone else does business.  Why?
  1. You have to set your own way of doing business.
  2. You need to research all aspects of yourself and the business you want to go into and put it all down into a coherent plan (i.e., you have to write a formal or informal business plan).
  3. You need to make sure that your idea is unique and viable for continuity of the business.
Craft businesses need a plan too!
In the early days of toying with the idea of starting a craft business, I thought I could just continue knitting, and just sell my products however I could.  Nope, nope, nope!  Even as a crafter, you have to pick your niche.  Ask yourself these questions:
  • What market do you want to target?  (Men, women, children, all ages, etc.)
  • What kinds of sales do you expect?
  • How much can you realistically invest to start your business?
  • Do you want a brick and mortar shop or want to sell online?
  • Who is your competition?
and the list goes on... 

What does all of that mean?
You've got to do some good old-fashioned research on your industry.  Whether it's woodworking, knitting, painting, or any other craft, start with a simple Google search and see how many viable businesses you can find doing what you want to do.  Find out how successful they are.  Find out how popular they are amongst other crafters in that niche and go from there.

So what are you waiting for?  Let's get this business started.  If you'd like a little free advice on starting a business or writing a business plan, leave a comment and I will get back to you ASAP. 

Coming Soon
Some fall and winter design ideas!

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