Already thinking of Christmas, with three little girls one must start pretty early around here. My oldest asked for another handmade doll with a several outfits ranging from a princess to a doctor. Where she comes up with these things, I'll never know! After much research I purchased the Mae Doll pattern from Bit of Whimsy Dolls and after further investigation I found out Sarah is a mother of three as well and was curious how she handled working from home. Sarah was so gracious to answer a few questions and to offer three (3) Girl Indie readers a pdf e-pattern. Giveaway at the end of article...
Tell us about your business? I make handmade dolls for children and I also sell the patterns for sewers who want to make the dolls themselves. I love providing both the dolls and the patterns. The dolls are great for people who don't know how to sew but love handmade and the patterns are great for passing on a tradition of handmade dolls.
What inspired you to start working from home? My kids, my kids, my kids! I have always wanted to be a stay at home mom but I also enjoy working. Starting my own business seemed like a good option to meet both wants.
What did you do before starting your business? I worked in retail management for many years and up until a year before Robbie (my seven year old) was born I had only worked in retail. I then moved to a consulting job and managed a help desk for an all government building security systems in the South East. I loved this job and really saw myself advancing in my career with the consulting firm I was working for. Robbie was born and I went back to work for three days and quit. I just could not go back to work! I sold various crafts on eBay for a few years before I started Bit of Whimsy Dolls.
Tell us a little about your family? I have three great kids who inspire me everyday. My two boys are seven and four and are typical boys who love Star Wars and Legos. My five year old daughter is the girliest girl you'll ever meet! She is my biggest inspiration for doll ideas because she loves soft dolls and stuffed animals and is always making requests! My husband is my number one supporter and he helps me out a lot with the technical side of the business. Since I stay at home and my husband often works out of his home office, we get to spend a lot of time together. Good thing we get along so well!
How do you juggle family and your online business? This is hard! When you run an online business, you don't have business hours. When you work from home, you can't leave work at work. I try to do most of my work in the morning when the kids are in good moods and they are happy playing. I also work very late every night after they go to bed. I work in the same space where my kids play and I think this has helped us out tremendously. The kids don't feel separated from me and often times sit at the table with me and play or draw or just sit next to me and talk while I sew. I do very minimal work on the weekends. Weekends are for family and I try to do everything I can to avoid working after 5:00pm Friday night. The great thing about being my own boss is that I can always put down what I am working on if needed and I can put it down for a few days if necessary.What do you think are your biggest challenges? My biggest challenge is keeping my supplies and workspace organized. I waste too much time some days looking for things! It is also a challenge to keep track of all of my correspondence. I get a ton of email everyday as well as conversations on Etsy, I use Twitter to keep in touch with customers and fellow crafters, I have a new Facebook page and I like to keep in touch with my friends and family too! It can be a little overwhelming at times to make sure that I respond to everything. I know I should blog too but can't seem to find the time. If it involves typing... it's a struggle!
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I still see myself sewing dolls but I think my business will be more pattern based than it is now. I have a lot of ideas for other doll patterns and for related sewing patterns as well. I would love to have a line of more difficult and involved patterns geared more toward heirloom and advanced sewing.
What advice do you have for women who want to work from home? Do what you love! You have to be passionate about what you are doing to make it work. Starting your own business means staying up very late or waking up very early and working non-stop to be successful. It is easy to get burned out when you are a one woman show juggling two more-than-full-time jobs! I also really believe that you need your family's support. I think it is important to talk to your family and set expectations so everyone is on the same page. I honestly do not believe I would be as successful as I am now without my husband's support. I still get the roll of the eyes sometimes when the house is a mess and I have mounds of fabric everywhere but I also know that he understands the reason for it and this makes all the difference in the world!
Giveaway For a chance to win a pdf e-Pattern please visit Bit Of Whimsy Dolls and then return here to let us know which pattern you would chose and who you would be making it for. Winners will be announced Friday, July 17th, 2009.
