Questions RE: starting WAHM business

[SamanthaSews]

My mom & I are thinking about starting a small business dying wool interlock & sewing soakers, shorties, longies etc. We have a small amount of interlock on the way to play with & we are very excited. We have many questions about how to start a business.

How would/did you go about the testing phase? Would you just test one pattern at a time? (say soakers) or would you make up a variety of styles/patterns (soakers, shorties, longies etc.) How many testers did you have (per round)?

Another question: Should I purchase a pattern(s)? Any pattern recommendations? or use a free pattern? or modify/create my own patterns?

How did you come up with a name for your business?

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[SamanthaSews]

Anyone?

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[SamanthaSews]

Bump

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[BabyTork]

Go for it!!! If it's something you want to do you will succeed. As for a pattern, you could do any of the above. Making you own would be the most original, but sometimes startin gout you need a little help. You could do a few testing phases with as many testers as you want. If you are going to do multiple, shirties, shorties etc. You may want to limit the # to 5. Do one round and when you get your feedback revamp your pattern or keep it the same and sell. If you need a second or third round, do the same thing: 5 testers in each category.
For the name...that's a hard one. You want something catchy. Write down a few you can come up with. Play around with words. Hope this helped a little. Like I said in the beginning, go for it!!

[SamanthaSews]

Thanks for replying! I was beginning to think I was invisible or something.

And thanks for the guidance, I feel like I have a little more direction now.

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[Chasing Zen]

I purchased the Apple Dumpling Gear Pattern for Longies and Shorties and sew from that and I do a modified version of Katrina's Free Soaker Pattern as well. I drafted my own patterns for Skirties and Ruffle Bum Bloomers as well as Ruffled Capris. I tested my first patterns on my own little one using recycled wool in the beginning, and then did my first round of testers in wool interlock here...It really only took one round to fix any issues. I had nearly half my testers flake out on feedback, so whenever I do them now, I offer to refund the savings once the questionnaire is finished instead of taking it off upfront.

[Chasing Zen]

For my business name, I decided on Chasing Zen after Chasing my son Chase around all day...I really needed to find my center again...so I refocused my energy into chasing a Zen-like state, and enjoying his exuberance instead of stressing out about it

[SamanthaSews]

Originally Posted by ccsmom11 I purchased the Apple Dumpling Gear Pattern for Longies and Shorties and sew from that and I do a modified version of Katrina's Free Soaker Pattern as well. I drafted my own patterns for Skirties and Ruffle Bum Bloomers as well as Ruffled Capris. I tested my first patterns on my own little one using recycled wool in the beginning, and then did my first round of testers in wool interlock here...It really only took one round to fix any issues. I had nearly half my testers flake out on feedback, so whenever I do them now, I offer to refund the savings once the questionnaire is finished instead of taking it off upfront.

That's a great idea to offer a refund for testers that complete the questionnaire. I feel like tester are just looking for a good deal sometimes & are not interested in helping a WAHM out. I started altering the patterns on Katrina's blog this weekend & trying them out on ds- so I think I have the shorties/longies pattern worked out for now. I should start to modify the soaker pattern today. I am just practicing with some fleece I have hanging around. We have some washable wool blend interlock- we are going to use it for our dye trial & practice. I am going to see how well it works on ds.

Thanks for your replies. I really appreciate it, especially seeing how I am looking at starting a business in the same niche.

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[Chasing Zen]

One thing I learned the hard way, is each type of wool dyes up and felts differently. Washable will not react the same as the Feltable, so keep that in mind. Also, write down your dye attempts and take pics so you remember how you got which colors...with dyeing it's not just the amount of dye you use, it's the temp of the water and duration. I wasted a lot of wool trying to recreate a color I achieved on accident Just help another Newbie when you're given the opportunity...even if your in competing arenas.

[Hopper Graphics]

I don't have much advice on the tester/pattern front, but for the name...sit down and have a brainstorming session. Write down EVERYTHING that pops into your heads, no matter how cheesy it is!

Example:

Kid name 1
Kid name 2
wool
woolies
sew
sow (you never know...you may go with a moo theme )
sewn
stitches
stitched
stitch
dye
dyes
dyed
home
working
work
works
mom
mama
mother
mommy
mommy & me
made
kid
child
tot
kinder



etc, etc, etc. Fill several pages with ideas. Cliches...quotes. everything.

From there, try to see which of them can overlap. Sew Busy, Kid Made, etc. Make a big list of those. Then circle some of your favorites...write in the margins.

Once you have a few names you somewhat like, google them. Check out etsy, hyenacart, ebay, diaperswappers, and any other carts you can think of to see if someone else has your name. Type the name into the URL bar to see if someone else has it. Check facebook too.

Ask on facebook too for ideas! Offer a free item for someone to name your business.

Good luck!