If you read craft blogs (and you do, because here you are!) you’re bound to watch as other crafters get great opportunities. One just got a book deal. Another has an article coming out in a big quilting magazine. Someone else has their work in a new gallery show and she secured a licensing deal with a hot new home goods company all in the same week.
And then there’s you. You have awesome ideas, too. You’re work has come a long way and it looks really polished now. You’ve been creating
a portfolio of new designs and you’ve gotten really good feedback about it. You write insightful articles about your craft on your blog. Here you are, ready
for new opportunities. So how do you get to the next step?
Reading craft blogs you can begin to think that opportunities land in people’s laps. It may seem that some people get chosen for these new ventures and then they’re off to the races, while you’re not being chosen. What is it about their work that is so special? Why have they gotten tapped for all these neat deals? What about you?
Let me tell you a story. About dating. But it relates, I promise.
In 1999 I was in graduate school and every Friday night I attended a Shabbat service at Harvard Hillel (Hillel is the Jewish student
union on college campuses). I hadn’t been involved with Jewish life for a few years and I was ready to get back. The service was pretty intimate with about a
dozen people in their 20’s coming each week, sitting in a circle together. We all became friends. The service was led by a guy who was living in Cambridge
and working at a non-profit downtown. I sat in this circle, across from this guy, for a year singing songs and celebrating Shabbat and generally having a
good time.
And then one day it dawned on me that I was in love with him.
And this is where the story hits a crossroad. Do I wait and hope that he’ll notice me, or do I take action and ask him out. The reality is I’m not one to sit and wait. I emailed him that night and asked him if he might like to get some dinner with me. He said yes. He was a bit surprised, but he said yes. We agree now, after ten years of marriage, that if I hadn’t asked it may have never occurred to him. Never. Even though he was single and looking to find someone. Even though we were both
Jewish and already had that in common. Even though we shared a group of friends, I could see that there was potential, so I took a risk and asked
him out. This time, I am thinking of talking to a couple counselors to guide me. If you want to learn more about couple counseling, click here: https://empathi.com/couples-therapy.
The underlying idea here can be applied to your handmade business: ask people out. I’m serious. If you think about your business at all (or obsessively…ahem) you’re bound to see potential opportunities for your work as you’re browsing around Twitter, or Flickr, or Facebook, or craft blogs. You’ll find yourself saying, “That
person’s work is so cool. Maybe we could make something together.” Or, “I love that ezine. I wish I could write something for them.”
And this is where your business hits a crossroad. Wait to be noticed or take action.
If you make great stuff and create great content you very well may be chosen out of the masses for new opportunities. It’s happened to me and it’s probably
happened to you already. But it may not happen very often and those opportunities may not be the ones you’ve been striving for. If you take action,
you can make it rain.
When I say take action, I don’t mean to go asking out random people on the street. I mean take considered action. Prepare a well-written email that is geared specifically to the company or person you’re hoping to work with. Include great photos of your products and a bio that really shows you off as an expert in your field with a lot of offer. Make it easy for them to say yes. Because the truth is most of the time, if you ask the right people the right question in the right way, they’ll say
yes.
Of all of the successes I’ve had with my business the vast majority have come to me because I asked for them. I wanted to write a book so I send out a book proposal. I wanted to teach a workshop so I asked if I could. I wanted my patterns to be for sale in some of the major online shops so I asked if they were interested in selling them. I wanted to be in shows, I wanted to collaborate with other people, I wanted to guest post. If I had sat and waited to be chosen, most or all of these things would not have happened, not because my work wasn’t worthy, but because it may never have occurred to these people to reach out.
Rainmaking is a big part of success as a sole entrepreneur. If you never ask, opportunity may never knock.
little dotty bird says
great advice…thankyou! 🙂
Kristin says
Very well written post. Thanks for the wonderful (and spot on) advice!
melissa q. says
you are awesome. this is such a wonderfully motivating post. thanks.
Littleminx.wordpress.com says
Thank you for your words – a very motivating and well written post, and for me very well timed. Great advice x
Claire - Matching Pegs says
Great post.
I loved your story, it made me smile because it is similar to mine.
I asked my hubby out 16 years ago, when we were both studying at Uni.
I’m launching my patterns this Friday, with a distributor at Australian Quilt Market, which is very exciting. I’m reading this post in my “breakfast break”, but I had better get back to it. Your blog is always worth reading.
Kim says
thanks for this great advice, I have noticed lately as I talk to more people and take a chance on different things they are receptive, you won’t know until you try and ask 🙂
I really liked your dating story too 😉
Melissa Crowe says
It just occurred to ME that I’m in love with YOU. 🙂
abbyjane says
You're welcome! I'm glad it was helpful to you!
abbyjane says
You're welcome, Kristin!
abbyjane says
Aw, thank you! That's so nice. I'm glad this was useful to you.
abbyjane says
So glad to hear that. Thanks for reading.
abbyjane says
Wow! Good luck to you! I'd love to hear more about Australian Quilt Market, and how it might be similar and different to the American one. Thanks, Claire!
abbyjane says
Exactly. You've got to ask! Thanks. My husband just read this post and said, "Awww…"
abbyjane says
You're always awesome, Melissa. Always.
Sarah says
Your posts always appear on the right topic the moment I need to read them – from running a sewing school/workshops to what is my next step for my own little handmade business. Thank you Abby.
Sarah @ Hunting for Ladybugs
abbyjane says
I'm so glad to hear that, Sarah!
Tim says
Great advice! Have you written a post about writing a book proposal?
abbyjane says
Hi Tim,
Thank you. Kathreen at WhipUp wrote a great two part series on this topic. Here's a link: http://whipup.net/2012/01/12/how-to-get-your-craft-book-published-part-1/
Laurinda Reddig says
I love the comparison to dating! My sister and I realized this summer that her online dating experiences are much like my submitting designs to get published. You just have to send yourself out into the world and hope others can see how awesome you know you are. 🙂
abbyjane says
It is certainly an apt comparison in many ways.
Twine and Pearls says
What a great post! I think a lot of hesitation to “jumping right in” is just paralysis and indecision. But you’re absolutely right about just going ahead and asking. What can someone say– the worst case scenario? “No.” But even if they say no, then the idea is planted and those people are more likely to say Yes sometime in the future, especially if they know you’re all ready interested.
Eleni says
I just landed in your blog-land, and just read this post, thank you for sharing this. I have applied this advice in my everyday life since my universuty years. For some reason, I have not applied it at all during my blogging time for the last year. There may be several reasons for this, probably cause I believe I am not good enough to ask other people to “trust” me with their work. Thank you for reminding me of this thought. Loved the love story!!! bless you both!!
Abby says
Thank you, Eleni.
Becky Waldvogel says
You have great ideas that will work. I’m starting a new business and blog.
Kellie says
Thank you for the wonderful advice, this is just what I needed this morning. I’ve just started my own blog http://www.maandmedesigns.wordpress.com with goal of getting my patterns and creativity out there like so many others I admire. “Like my mother always said to me “if you don’t ask, you don’t receive”.
Kellie. Xx