Quit Your Day Job: julipbags

2009-09-21T16:26:00-05:00

Amby, the self proclaimed Type A personality behind JulipBags, has been able to successfully quit her day job in the mental health field to focus all of her energy on her bag business, which is now bringing home the bacon. After finding herself at a point where she could either dial back on her Etsy business or quit her day job in order to fuel its budding growth, she made the decision to become her own boss. Keep reading to find out why Amby takes being her own boss seriously, how she filed for a utility patent and why buying a BlackBerry has been one of her best business moves to date.

Come on by and chat with her Wednesday, September 23 at 4 p.m. ET in Etsy's Virtual Labs.

How did you originally get into the business of making things?
I’ve been making things for fun and gifts for as long as I can remember, but my first creative business was when I started my own wedding photography business seven years ago while also working a full-time day job. I loved the work, but eventually it was too exhausting to work full time during the week and then shoot a wedding all day Saturday and sometimes Sunday too. I couldn’t do both, and at that time, the day job took precedence.

I started Julip Bags just over two years ago when I made a Roman shade for our living room window and remembered how much I LOVED to sew, then discovering how many gorgeous fabrics are out there now! I love bags and purses and already had quite the knitting bag collection, so it was a logical next step. I found out about Etsy from all the reviews on Lime & Violet’s podcast, checked it out, and discovered what a wonderful platform it was for an online crafty business.

When you first started selling on Etsy, did you have dreams or goals of eventually quitting your day job?
Honestly, not at first. My husband JP is a chef, and I was working 9-5 in the mental health field. We don’t have kids, so it started more as a way to keep busy since we had such opposite schedules, and to provide a little extra spending money. I was genuinely shocked when I sold my first bag just a couple of days after opening up my shop. I was also very attached to the security of a steady paycheck...the idea of not being able to pay the bills is a sure-fire way to send me into a full-on freak out.

Did you do anything to prepare ahead of time?
I didn’t really do anything that I hadn’t been doing all along. I had a DBA (Doing Business As) and sales tax license from the start, and I do my own bookkeeping with Quickbooks. I’ve treated Julip Bags like a business from the beginning, even if it was a part-time one. When I did start having “Wow, I would love to do JUST THIS full time!” thoughts, I bought a BlackBerry, and it’s absolutely the best business investment I’ve ever made, right on up there with my laser printer! With an online business in a global economy, people want responsiveness from a seller or else they’ll go elsewhere. With my BlackBerry, I’m immediately notified of all new sales, Convos, and emails. If I’m not at home, I can respond from my BlackBerry so I often have people comment on how quickly I respond to inquiries. I also have my own dedicated working area; for a while I had my workspace in our kitchen, but then I took over our larger guest room so now I have physical boundaries to contain the chaos.

I actually quit my day job at the dumbest possible moment from a logical standpoint. We live in Metro Detroit, my husband had been unemployed for several months and had just taken a new job with a significant pay cut. My day job was bringing in the majority of our income AND our health insurance AND was fairly secure in a very insecure economy. I had come to the point where I could either do Julip Bags full time or back off it, because I had reached my limit juggling both at once. At that time, I’d invested so much in bringing Julip Bags to where it was, I couldn’t imagine scaling back. So I took a deep breath, gave notice to my boss, bought a bottle of champagne and went home to give JP the final word. He was incredibly supportive although I know he probably questioned my sanity more than once, and my family and friends are the greatest support system anyone could ask for. There is no way I would be where I am without their unwavering cheerleading and support, and I will never be able to thank them enough!

What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What's your best marketing tip?
I have to be completely honest, I owe so much to the knitting community, it’s very interconnected and online-savvy. You can make or break a business on word of mouth alone, between knitting groups, blogs, podcasts, online forums, and now Ravelry. It’s an incredibly supportive worldwide group that supports and nurtures, one that other mediums don’t necessarily have.

My most effective promotion, marketing, and advertising has been through Ravelry, hands-down. The only paid advertising I do is through Ravelry, I have a fan group there, and it’s an incredible gateway for real-time feedback, suggestions from my customers, questions, etc. I also have a Facebook fan page since Ravelry can only be accessed by members at this time.

My main advice to others is to be confident in yourself; when people ask what I do for a living, I don’t dither about “Oh, I have my own business,” I confidently tell them that I’m a bag designer and then go on to explain from there. I always carry an example of my work, have business cards and don’t hesitate to hand them out, as do my friends and family. Being shy about tooting your own horn will not make sales, you have to be willing to do the legwork to get your name out there. I would also suggest that you try to diversify and stay keenly aware of customers’ needs while staying true to your vision for your business…in my knitting bag shop I have dog poop bags! Designer bags for poop! But they’re one of my customers’ favorites!

What have you found to be an unsuccessful promotion?
I’m on Twitter now, but I don’t think I have enough interesting things to post to really garner a following. I’d just rather read other people’s Tweets. I also used to give donations for contests, giveaways and doorprizes for anyone who approached me, but I’ve learned to review these requests with a critical eye and ask myself if it will actually benefit my business. Sometimes they’re totally worth it, sometimes I know it would be smarter to list that bag for sale in the shop than to give it away.

Walk us through your typical workday.

I normally wake up around 8 a.m.; I do my blog-surfing, emailing, and other quiet stuff before JP wakes up. While he takes our two Jack Russells for a walk and gets ready for work, I’ll start packing up any orders that came in overnight.
After he leaves for work around 12:30, I head down to the post office, come back home, put Pandora on the computer and really buckle down to work. I try to make bags a day ahead of listing, so first I’ll take photographs outside in my light tent and list items.
Then I’ll start making new bags, and that keeps me busy for the rest of the afternoon. Our Russells wake up and start demanding playtime around 5 p.m., so I’ll stop for dinner and try to either take them for a walk or play ball in the backyard.
After that I usually pop a movie into my laptop and finish up the bags for the day. I wish I could say that I drop work when JP gets home between 9:30-11, but oftentimes I’m still working while he relaxes after his day.
When I first started doing Julip Bags as my full-time job, I planned to take off Mondays and Tuesdays with JP, but that has definitely not happened. I don’t have any set days off now, but if I’m genuinely in need of a break, I don’t feel bad about catching up on business necessities and then kicking back to knit or going out for sushi and martinis with friends. Letting go of my Type A personality guilt for taking time off has been hard, but I know I need it to be productive and creative.

What do you enjoy most about not having a day job? Is there anything you miss?
Aside from being my own boss (and who doesn’t dream of that?!?), I like that the buck stops with me. I call myself the Owner, Chief Creative Officer, and Chief Grunt because ultimately the success or failure of my business is up to me. Not my supervisor, not my lazy coworker, ME. So many people have told me that I need to hire help, but I would never be able to truly relax without being completely in control of every aspect of my business and knowing that it’s all up to my standards. And yes, I’m a control freak, but I’m okay with that.

What's the hardest part about running your own business?
The main thing is the lack of a guaranteed paycheck and health insurance. We just found out that it will cost too much to add me to JP’s insurance through his job, so I’ll be paying to self-insure. It’s tough, but it’s doable as long as you have a written budget and stick to it. Additionally, it’s ALL up to you, even if you’re exhausted or sick or dealing with crises in your personal life, you still have to make your product, market it, provide customer service, etc. if you want to continue to sell. Not having someone to lean on for nitty-gritty help is the flipside to being your own boss!

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself? What advice would you give someone else?
I would have stockpiled a lot more money! Although, in retrospect, if I’d waited until I genuinely felt that I could take the plunge, I never would have done it! My advice is to always treat it like a business, even when facing that reality is big or scary or uncomfortable. Just a couple of months after quitting my day job, I found myself in the position of hiring an intellectual property attorney and filing for a utility patent. Talk about WHOA! My friends and family pay full price when they buy a bag. I don’t answer the home phone, do laundry, or wear my pajamas while I’m working. This IS my full-time job now, and I treat it as such.

Don’t be afraid to form collaborations with other Etsy artisans! I have a blog with two friends called The Boss Knits about the ups and downs of indiepreneurship. Also, get out of the house…working from home can be very isolating and lonely, so be sure to recognize when you need to get out of the grind and be around real people! It will re-energize you and give you that deep breath of fresh air that you need!

What goals do you wish to accomplish in the coming year for your Etsy business?
I really want to start doing craft shows regularly, I’ve already taken a step in that direction for the holiday season. Other than that, I’d just love to keep coming up with new designs and providing the best customer service I possibly can! I’m blessed with a very loyal customer base, and I want to make sure I live up to their expectations!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Always take your business seriously, because if YOU don’t, no one else will. But at the same time, don’t forget that YOU are the living breathing heartbeat of your business and take care of yourself accordingly! And finally, don’t lose sight of why you quit your day job in the first place…it’s so unbelievably rewarding that I can’t even imagine going back to the corporate grind!

Thanks to Amby for sharing her story. Have your own questions to ask? Come on by and chat with her Wednesday, September 23 at 5 p.m. ET in Etsy's Virtual Labs.

You can see some of Amby's beautiful work in the Related Items. Check out previous Quit Your Day Job posts here.

Gift Ideas: Shop Local Detroit

2007-12-07T07:26:00-05:00

I used to be a founding member of the Michigan Indie Crafters of Etsy. When I moved to Brooklyn I had to sadly say goodbye - but my time with these Detroit artist is very much missed. I wish I could fly up and attend their holiday show December 8th at the Royal Oak VFW (it was literally right around the corner from my old house!). Please pop by and tell them I miss 'em! Here are the details:

What: Holiday Craft Extravaganza (with all Etsy sellers!)

When: Saturday December 8th, 11am to 6pm

Where: VFW Acorn Post 214 E 4th Street Royal Oak, MI

If you can't make it - check out their work below and order online! There are some great gifts in here!

Search results (tags) for: "detroit"

Quit Your Day Job: julipbags

Gift Ideas: Shop Local Detroit