Woo Hoo! Here is another fabulous Crafting Heroes Interview hot off the press. I am really loving these interviews. Like you, I am finding them so inspiring and full of great advice on how to run my own business. For those of you who don’t yet know, I asked the lovely readers of my other blog to vote for their favourite Crafting Heroes and LOADS of them responded, it was great! There are more wonderful Crafting Heroes interviews in the pipeline and this one is no exception…

This time the I’m featuring the lovely Carrie Sommer. Lots of you will already know and love Carrie from her delicious handmade bags and accessories that she sell through her shop Sommer Designs. Not only is she a whizz at the sewing machine, she is great at marketing herself too and this has really really helped in getting her business out there (in various magazines and such!) Rather than me giving you Carrie’s bio; Carrie has written an amusing one of her own: “My husband and I have been married for almost 19 years, but we dated for 8 and were friends for 4 before that. So, I’ve known him more than half my life! We have 3 boys - twins that are 15 and a 12 y.o. My twins just got their drivers permits and I’m scared to death! I am afraid of heights, but have climbed to the top of Mount Baldy, Mount San Jacinto & Mount Whitney. I have two silly doggies that keep me company all day in my studio. Lately, I’m really info refashioning, and it’s keeping me sane by allowing me a a much needed creative outlet from my creative business.” In our interview Carrie shares with us her experiences of starting up and running her Craft Business.

Carrie with one her yummy aprons and bags. How does she manage to craft like crazy AND have lovely looking hair??
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CraftBoom!; How long have you been in craft business?

Carrie: I’ve been in the craft business for 4 years now.

CraftBoom! Where/how do you sell your items, and do you work from home?

Carrie: I do work from home. After my production line took over the formal dining room and started to encroach on the living room, we did a soft conversion of our 3-car garage. I love the wide open space, and I can cut out fabric in the middle of the night. Not that I do, but I could.

My products are sold on my website (www.sommerdesigns.com) and at local outdoor craft fairs and shows. I never thought I would enjoy the shows, but it’s become very gratifying to interact with my customers, and it’s expanded my customer base tremendously.

Carrie’s booth looks great; it’s very professional and inviting.

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CraftBoom!: What made/inspired you to go into craft business, and what were you doing before?

Carrie: I have a degree in Political Science from UCLA, and I later became a paralegal. I always knew I wanted to stay home once I had children, but after my third son was born I started to get a little fidgety. I started freelance writing, which morphed into desktop publishing (this was 1996!) and finally website design. I started my business in 1999 as a web design studio. That was fun for a while, but when things slowed down a bit in 2003, I started thinking about my next creative venture. At this same time, a friend was pregnant, and I made a diaper bag for her. I hadn’t sewn in years, but somehow, I started receiving requests for more bags and the proverbial light bulb went off!

CraftBoom!: How did you finance the start-up of your business?

Carrie: When I started my business in 1999, it was service-based, and everything pretty much went right back into it. So I already had a small cushion with which to work. Everything I made in the beginning was reinvested, and that allowed my business to grow organically as opposed to financing it through loans. I’ve definitely bootstrapped this to the hilt!

CraftBoom!: How do you decide what you are going to sell?

Carrie: I have a set collection – 5 handbag styles, 1 apron style & my lavender drawer liners. The collection stays the same, but I change the fabric seasonally, or just when it strikes me to do so! There’s so much cool fabric out there, I sometimes can’t stop myself! (”Yeah tell me about it!” - Lisa)

One of Carrie’s bag designs in scrummy fabric.

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CraftBoom!: When did you realise that your craft business had real potential?

Carrie: After I made that first diaper bag, I got a few requests for bags from friends and family. Then I put some up for sale on eBay (this was before Etsy!), and those sold well also. After about a month or two, I realized it was silly to be paying eBay fees when I already had a website. At that point, I transitioned from service-based web design to a shopping-based site. It was very easy for me to do.

CraftBoom!: What things do you do to market your business?

Carrie: What don’t I do?! I have to say that marketing is almost as much work as creating! And since I can’t afford to hire a PR firm (or I’m too stubborn and cheap), I’ve tried to be as creative as possible. I maintain a blog (www.sommerdesigns.typepad.com) and have tried to establish and maintain a online presence, not just on my website & blog, but also online communities, forums like The Switchboards (www.theswitchboards.com), places like Flickr, Facebook, etc. It all trickles back down, and I routinely get traffic & sales from these places. [”I agree this kind of marketing is so important and it’s well worth the time & effort.” - Lisa]

One of Carrie’s aprons. Professional looking photos really do add value to your products.

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CraftBoom!: What things do you know now that you wish you knew from the beginning?

Carrie: Focus! Focus! Focus! There are so many ideas I’ve had over the years that I’ve tried to incorporate into the business, and they’ve actually taken time and money away from the core concept.

CraftBoom!: What do you love most about running your own craft business, and what do you like least?

Carrie: Well, I love that I make all the decisions, and can go where I want to go with my business. As I mentioned, I’ve done a lot of other things during this whole ride, and I love the flexibility that being an entrepreneur allows me. I’m home for my kids and family, and they support me 100%. This is so important because I have to count on them a lot as well when I’m busy.

The thing I like the least is that it’s me 100%! Everything pretty much falls on my shoulders and I’m responsible. I don’t mean that in a legally responsible way (even thought that’s the case also), I mean that I am designing, cutting, sewing, pressing, photographing, editing, writing, updating the website, keeping up with inventory and orders, shipping, PR, press submissions – everything, it’s all me, and it can be all consuming.

It’s hard to close the door on it at the end of the day.

This is where the magic happens: in Carrie’s big garage.

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CraftBoom!: What advice would you give to newbies who want to start their own craft business?

Carrie: I’d say go for it! If you have an idea, just put yourself out there and see what happens. Don’t let anybody tell you it’s dumb, or you can’t do it. Step out of your comfort zone, and surround yourself with people who believe in you. Join networking groups, both online and off, with other inspiring and creative women. If you don’t think you have a business mind, check out the multitude of free business resources, like SCORE, The Small Business Administration and The Small Business Development Center. Also the local Chamber of Commerce has a lot of resources.

Try to create a little niche, even with something tried and true. When I launched my handbag line, I named the styles after little pocket neighbourhoods in my community. This has been very successful for me locally, especially when I do shows. The whole community aspect is very important to me, both online and off.

If you are selling something, make yourself legal! Don’t assume that nobody cares about your little craft endeavour! You must always put on a professional face – get a business license, open a business checking account (do not comingle funds!); get your resale permit; order professional business cards (they’re cheap!). Make it official!

Appearances are everything!

When you pack your goodies with love and care you increase the chances of repeat custom and it also shows pride in your products.

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CraftBoom! Are you satisfied with the income that your craft business brings?

Carrie: Yes, I am. I love mapping my progress over the years to see the growth.

This is especially rewarding because it’s everything I’ve put into it, and my business is still growing. I always look at it cumulatively at the end of the year and think, “Now, how am I going to top that?”

CraftBoom! What are your plans for future growth?

Carrie: I really don’t know! I know I won’t be doing this forever…that’s my MO. I kind of go where life leads me. That’s what it’s all about…for me, at least…the flexibility of my own business and the direction of my whims.

A trio of Valmonte Bags, perfect for smart Moms on the go.

Thank you so much for your open and informative interview Carrie; keep up the good work with lovely accessories, fabulous marketing efforts and your shop (I love your homepage!). Best of luck with everything you do.

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