You’ve got a craft business that’s humming along. Your work is selling pretty regularly and your business is getting some media attention here and there. Things are going alright.
Now, let’s pretend in walks some very nice, very trustworthy, and very generous person. This person loves what you do and says, “I want you to really be able to make a living at this. I’m going to give you $50,000 right now, no strings attached. Take it and make your dream for this business come true.”
Crazy, I know, but humor me here by answering this question: what would you do?
Sit down for a second now and make a yourself a list. Let every idea come forward and put it all down. Really. What would you do?
My friend, Stacey, posed this question to me a few days ago, right after she told me about her elevator speech (That Stacey is one smart cookie and the clarity of thinking that has come from our conversations just speaks to the huge benefits that come from talking openly with people in your field.) I immediately made a list of what I would do right now for my softie business if the barrier of money was removed.
Here’s my list:
-Get a web designer to make my blog look and perform better
-Hire a graphic designer to make my patterns look amazing on the page
-Get my four top-selling patterns printed and picked up by some wholesale distributors to be sold at fabric shops
-Advertise online
-Hire a tech person to help me along the way with the million tech problems I run into and can’t solve on my own, I need to take a few courses on websites like https://www.calc.edu/programs/ to learn on my own but for now a lot of help is needed for sure!
After I made my list I read it over and realized that these are my long-term goals and that some of them are goals I didn’t even know I had. These were the secret goals lurking in the back of my mind. When they would pop up, I’d push them back down because the financial threshold to achieving them was so high I wouldn’t even allow myself to think about them. And most of them are related to technology, an interesting theme that points to the area where I may need to invest real financial resources going forward.
So here is my question: how are you ever going to achieve big goals if you won’t even allow yourself to think about them? We should stop censoring our thoughts and allow ourselves to dream really, really big.
Then we can look at our lists over the next three years, or five, or ten, and build. Knowing what you ideally want can help you make real world decisions that edge you closer to your goals over the long-term. Chances are some of these things could happen, maybe even this year, if we look them in the face and ask ourselves how.
Okay, I shared my secret list with you. Share with me! If this $50,000 patron came to your door, what would you do for your business? It’s entirely okay to dream big and aim high. Let’s hear it!
I actually called my local CoC today to ask about business information. I would find a commercial kitchen to rent and take a class or lecture on food safety. I like ice cream too much not to do something with it!
First of all, LOVE the Josey pic!
I would use the money to acquire a studio space and hire an assistant. I would also get a website overhaul.
Great post!
That's awesome, Seanna Lea. A lot can happen with just one phone call.
I share your dream of a website overhaul. I'm going to save for that because I think it is worth investing in, as long as I can maintain it myself afterwards. Studio space and an assistant are probably dreams a lot of people can relate to! I need to work from home now because my kids are so young, but I think I'd get a lot done if I were out of the house working somewhere else. Maybe in a few years!
The most reachable of my dream big goals is to redo my craft/office. It’s actually mutual goal my husband and I have been saving for. We’ve both agreed that it’s going to be our “quiet” room for producing things.
I would also use that money to pay the bills and hire a cleaning service to let me write my book. I’d also keep paying to see my therapist because writing this book is hard emotional stuff.
I would also hire an editor when the book was finally done.
I think most of these things are in my reach and it really shows that what I need is time which I can honestly carve out starting right now. I just need to put pen to paper and do it, yanno?
Vanessa- Time is so often my greatest wish. A patron who could grant you unlimited time would be another great thought experiment. Thank you for sharing your dreams here.
First thought? Run off to Barbados for a couple of weeks!
Seriously, I would be able to quit the day job and devote all my time to art and crafts and hire an assistant for all the tricky paperwork and correspondence that eats into my crafting time.
Caroline,
I hear you on the temptation to sneak away for a fabulous vacation! I think I might add to my list a book keeper who could track all my financials day to day and month to month. That would make my life much, much easier.
my goal honestly seems a little too big considering im just about to turn 17 but here it is: my own int’l company that combines amigurumi, fashion, and food [i already picked out a name for it!!]
ive been designing amigurumi patterns for 2 years and now, im planning to take a fine arts class before i head onto college for legal management. after taking my fine arts mini class, i’ll start to design my own fabrics which will then turned into cute little totes. then, im thinking of trying my hand at creating clothes. after that, i have college to think of but then once college is over i want to learn the ropes of a company then start up my own…
everything’s still a big blurb right now, hopefully, it’ll all work out
Wow, Shannen, you have big dreams! When I was in high school I literally had no idea it was possible to have a career making things. I'm glad that I got an amazing education and worked really hard as a history major in college, and got a master's degree, but I do wish I had also gotten some formal education in textiles and graphic design. Knowing what you want early is really amazing! Best of luck to you!
Definitely build my commercial kitchen so I can expand my business to provide light lunches. Finish off the landscaping so my customers can have somewhere lovely to wander and dine 🙂
It's so interesting for me to hear the dreams of small business owners in other fields. Equipment is a common dream among so many of us, as is providing a better customer experience. Thank you for sharing your dreams, Beth!
Technology is also my biggest blocker. That and time. So, my fairy godmother would be Mary poppins, allowing me to skill up guilt free.
Quality childcare is definitely something I would use some of my $50,000 for. Time and technology – we share the same biggest challenges for sure!
thank you =]
but im actually wanting to become a lawyer as well so i have my plate quite full 😀
you can actually check out my designs here: http://fb.com/sweetncutecreations
Wow, your crocheted animals are adorable, Shannen! Thank you so much for sharing them with us!
Hum, that is actually a good question, one to make you have a really pleasurable 10 minutes thinking good thoughts 🙂 I would get a studio, filled with fabric and sewing tools and sewing machines. I would hire people to manage the boring stuff that suck my creativity just thinking about it and I would invest in writing a book, not sure what kind of book, there are so many books in me, but it would absolutely be on my to do list. Thank you for the exercise 🙂
This is so great to hear! It really is a good exercise because it puts you in touch with what you didn't even realize you wanted.
Wow, such a great question. Thank you for asking me that, made me realize I need to set some goals as I am so new to all of this. I guess I would like to have a book published one day, make nicer looking patterns that I can sell…
I love your blog, it’s not just nice to look at, but it’s smart and makes me think. I really appreciate that 🙂
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Thanks, Heather! That's so nice to hear and I love your big plans.
Ironically i actually had a dream a few nights ago that a guy came up to my booth at a craft fair and gave me $100,000 and told me to make my dreams come true…such a great dream 🙂 i would quit my day job, take the money and invest it in opening a bakery and an attached consignment shop that provided a place for local columbus crafters and artisans to sell their creations as well as maybe teach some beginner sewing classes. And also put in a gallery featuring local artists….and maybe write and illustrate my own children’s book and make stuffies out of all the characters…and i would love to have the spare tine to make more of my own patterns:)