Melisa : Oh Melisa!

What made you decide to start your craft?
I have always been into art and crafts ever since I can remember. I remember back in  elementary school making "friendship" bracelets and selling them on the sidewalk, so I'm sure this was a glimpse of what was to come of my future in crafting! I love the idea of using old things and turning them into something new and unique. I would be crafting for fun anyway, so why not try to make into a business...

When did you realize that it had evolved from a hobby to a full-fledged business?
After talking to my friend Bethany (Cleodee), I was amazed that she actually made a sucessful business out of something she loved doing and it really inspired me. I decided in January of 2007 to just try putting some items online and see if maybe this would work out for me and possibly become a business. As it turned out, it picked up right away! People actually liked my handmade items and were buying them! The next thing I knew I was selling many items online and was participating in craft shows, and I became convinced I could make this into more than just a fun hobby.

What keeps you inspired?
I think the fact that i am in a constant creative mode keeps me inspired. I love making handmade things, even without selling them. It is fun for me to come up with new ideas, I am always trying new things which makes me excited to see what people think of them! Since I have started my craft business, I have been very inspired by the awesome crafters and artists around me. I never knew this whole handmade "world" existed! It's super exciting and makes me want to do even more!

Whats the hardest thing you've faced in having a crafty business?
Something that I am still learning a lot about is how to get my name out there and do well with promotion. There's a lot of people that would rather go to a huge chain business and buy something cheaper than pay more for a quality handmade item. It can be hard to compete with.  There's a lot more to making your craft a business rather than just a hobby. There's more to it than just making the product! Now I'm thinking about things like logos, and advertising, and displays, etc... I will say it's been way more positive than a negative experiance.

What goals do you have for your business?
I have a lot of goals since I still consider myself very new at this craft business thing. I would like to continue to make my business known through participating in more shows, more advertising, more networking. I'd also like to  continue to have come up with new handmade goodies as often as I can!

What advice would you give someone starting out in your field?
Go for it! Try it out! If you don't at least try, you'll never know if anything can come of what you want to do! It takes a lot of time and patience, but it's worth it to invest in something you truly love! I have always just asked for advice from others that are sucessful. do your research and always be open to try and learn new things.

Whats the best advice you've received?
Like i've said, i'm still pretty new at this. This past year has been overwhelming in a lot of ways. My first show I was up all night the night before and I called Bethany crying my eyes out because I didn't feel at all prepared. She told me that it takes a long time to figure everything out. Nothing is going to be perfect the first time and it will take a lot of trial and error to find out what works and what doesn't. Don't expect to have it all together right from the start. That made me feel a lot better, Bethany was totally right. Now, I take things one thing at a time and find my business getting better before I know it.