Having a business in 2020 has not been easy for many. The pandemic has forced many small businesses to close, which has been heartbreaking to see as a fellow small business owner. I am fortunate enough not to rely on the income I receive from my business, so I was not forced to make this decision. Regardless the pandemic has greatly affected my business. In some ways the pandemic has had a negative affect, but surprisingly some positives have also come from this year.
Pros of Crafting During a Pandemic:
- Time
- Worked my way through my yarn stash
- Increased traffic to my Etsy shop
- Built up inventory
- Reorganized craft room
- Learned how to punch needle
- Made Pride Wall Hangings
- Renewed my passion for the handmade, crafting, and my business
As an optimist, I always like to start with the positives! Like many Americans, the pandemic led to me being furloughed from my full-time gig for some months. With this and the cancellation of all in-person events, I was unexpectedly left with a lot of free time to spend working on my small business. During this time, I was able to deplete my yarn stash!!! Something I never thought possible. It also allowed me to finally have enough time to build up my inventory (which will be very nice when in-person events resume). Before 2020, I never really had the time to build up a surplus inventory, rather I very often found myself knitting furiously to have enough items on hand for the next craft fair. This was good for my margins but really stressed me out between fairs. Now I have a much needed cushion for the upcoming craft fair season which will hopefully happen in the coming year!
With this time, I also reorganized my craft room. My yarn stash was depleted...I was not able to shop in-store or attend STITCHES to replenish it... the only task left was to tackle the chaos that had become my craft room. I got some new fixtures to better hold my new yet-to-be-purchased yarn stash, a desk that I hoped would turn into a shipping station in the future, and a bookshelf to accommodate my increasing surplus inventory. Everything now has a place and I am ready to tackle the new year!
I also learned a new skill! Punch Needling!!! I was surprised how easy and relaxing this was. I have some of the punch needle creations that I made up on my Etsy shop. I am excited to see how these do during in-person events. During the learning process, I ordered canvas squares that I thought would work for punch needling. They DID NOT! Instead of trying to return them, I have used them and my yarn remnants to create Pride Flag wall hangings! They turned out really cute and are an excellent way to use up the yarn remnants that are not long enough for hats.
Lastly, the best thing about this year was the increased traffic to my Etsy shop. Normally, I get a handful of orders through my Etsy shop as most of my sales are completed in-person. This year that number exploded. Especially during the holiday season. It was wonderful every time I got the notification of another order. I really appreciated all the people that purchased a hat! Each and everyone made my day!
All in all, the increased time, cancellation of in-person events, and being trapped in the house gave me a renewed passion for the handmade, crafting, and my business. I would not have survived quarantine without it. It also made me realize how much joy and satisfaction I get from in-person events and can't wait for their return! Now on to the negatives!
As always, use the code BLOGPOST on my Etsy shop to save 10% on your next purchase, and thank you for shopping small!
As always, use the code BLOGPOST on my Etsy shop to save 10% on your next purchase, and thank you for shopping small!