I have been neglecting this blog lately, because I've been hard at work on a new project. For years, I have been sewing portable art kits for kids that I call Coloring Wallets. After getting fresh inspiration from the fabrics I found in Japan, I decided that the time is right to find out what it takes to turn this into a business.
However, I don't know anything about running a business! My degrees are in English, Theater, and Education! So since our return to Portland, I have been taking a series of business classes focused on the apparel and accessories industry, and gradually I am gathering some of the skills I need to feel comfortable investing in my coloring wallets as a real business venture.
My long-term plan is to create a model where I design the art kits and find the fun fabrics I want to feature, but my job is running the business, not doing the actual sewing. But until that happens, which could be years away, I will probably have less time to sew for myself (or at least less time to blog about it!)
In the meantime, if anyone reading this has any advice for me about starting your own business, I would love to hear it! If the advice has anything to do with the fashion/textile industry, or the Portland, Oregon area specifically, even better!
So be on the lookout for information about my new venture, which will be called Chiku Chiku. It's a Japanese phrase about sewing, referring to the sound a needle makes when it makes tiny stitches.
Congratulations! And good luck with the business!
ReplyDeleteGood luck! I'll watch with interest. Starting a business is hard, I find marketing the hardest thing of all.
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