Hello friends.
Today's interview is with Tina from PaperRecyclery .
She has hand-made paper business. Her papers are beautiful as well as have unique quality.
Thank you for participating in the interview AND for inspiring us, Tina!
Facebook: The Paper Recyclery
Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaperRecyclery
1-Why did you decide to have your own business (as opposed to getting a job somewhere)
I have an education in science and was working as a postdoctoral fellow at a research institute until my third child was born and I decided to stay home with the children for a few years rather than continue in the high-stress environment of academic research. During this time, my childhood passion for arts and crafts was rekindled and I started thinking about ways to make it a source of income for me and my family. The most compelling reason for me to have my own business was being able to work from home and being in control of my own time, which was hugely helpful as a parent of young children (and has continued to be so as they’ve grown older).
Question 2- Did you have any worries at first? And how did you overcome them?
When I first started the business, my family was living entirely on my husband’s income and there was no immediate pressure for me to turn a big profit as any amount I made was a plus for us
Question 3- What were the first five actions you took to get started?
My first five actions were
1) Learn about the process of papermaking and the science behind it by reading all the available books (there are lots of information on the Internet too, but I like books).
2 Invest in the necessary equipment and teach myself to make paper by hand.
3) Read several books on the topic of starting and running a business selling handmade goods. There were several books specifically on being an Etsy seller.
4) Officially establish the business by applying for all the necessary licenses, tax-IDs, etc.
5) Take product pictures and start posting listings on Etsy
4- Did you come across with challenges and doubt yourself (What am I doing?)
The start of my small business journey was littered with trial-and-error situations, and it took me a few of years to really start turning a profit that made a difference for my family. There have been many times that I feel that I don't make enough money to justify all the hours of work I put into it. I try to use those moments of doubt to sit down and really think about goals and areas of improvement and I usually manage to come up with way to turn things around for the better.
Question 5- Did you invest a lot of money?
I intentionally chose to build my business on a craft that initially required a very minimal amount of investment which took away a lot of pressure
Question 6- How do you see the future of your business?
I am currently at a point where I can't significantly increase my output without expanding the business by hiring other people, and I have decided that this is not a route I wish to go down. I will probably keep it going this way until we have put our kids through college and after that I will reevaluate. The fun thing about this business is that I can keep it interesting for myself by experimenting with making new items to sell, and my customers seem to like that.
Question 7- Do you have any advice for people who want to start a business?
My advice would be to find a niche that does not have a lot of competition. For me, this was probably the single most important reason why my handmade paper business was initially able to take off. There were very few other paper makers out there and I had to spend almost nothing on advertising. The other thing is to provide excellent and personalized customer service, which will help your business grow by word of mouth. Finally, branding and a strong social media presence is a great way to reach a lot of customers at no cost.
