Somewhere around November 6th of last year I hit the two year mark for Wright and Rede. Only I didn't notice and I'm just now realizing that I never did my end of the year round up. I think that is a good example of what this second year in business has been like. The first year of starting a business is all about moments. The series of firsts that keep driving you on to the next milestone. The second year is a steady slog uphill. Not that I don't like the slog. I love the slog. I eat slog every morning for breakfast and love it. Slog is what makes you feel like you are starting to get a grip on what you are doing. Slog puts a little ground under your feet for the first time. It's also kind of sloggy. What use to be a major milestone last year is just another task to be completed this year.

The second year heralds just a little bit of normalcy. I have a general idea that I can actually make a living doing this. I have a reasonable grip on how much work it is going to take and how much material I need to have on hand. The days of stumbling around in the dark are fewer but strangely missed.

I had some hard lessons learned and a few roads blocked. In 2014 I decided to stop seeking out wholesale business. After sitting down and doing a little math and some serious soul searching I had to conclude that my work is too labor intensive to sell at wholesale prices. Maybe someday I'll be able to produce enough that it is an option again. Right now it is just noise that is distracting me from the work that needs to get done. In April I pulled out of my last consignment shop as well for the same reason.

I also succeeded in having my first truly public failure. I spent six months promising and promoting messenger bags that would be ready for the holidays. Then the holidays arrived and I discovered that hand stitching bags at a production level is a superhuman task no matter how many extra hours I throw at it. I had to come to the conclusion that for the amount of labor I put into each bag, I'd have to charge a price that I didn't feel they were worth.

There were some great moments in 2014 as well. The good folks at Cleveland Magazine were kind enough to put a nice big picture of my goofy mug in their publication. The article that went along with it made my mom proud and (hopefully) everyone who ever picked on me in high school green with envy and self-doubt. There was the morning I woke up to discover that my website had sold out over night. There was that weekend where I sold an entire season's worth of stuff in three days. There were all the people I had to apologize to when they came looking for a bag I didn't have who responded with “We can wait.” There were trips to cities I've never been to before. New products were stumbled upon. Things were made and sold. Blood spilled. Tears shed. Acquaintances were turned into friendships over pints of beer. Burdens were lightened and gossip was dished. The second year has fewer milestones but the more I look back on it the more I smile. There is something to be said for the quite happy moments. They might pass by unnoticed but they have added up to a life that I'm happy to live, which is the point of this whole venture anyway.

The biggest (and best) moment waited until after my season was over. He is currently napping right next to me while I (quietly) type. While he was asleep he went from being four weeks old to a five weeker this morning. Nothing has provided more clarity to my life than this little guy. You can gain a lot of confidence when it is required rather than volunteered.

Social Media:

First, before I rattle off some numbers here, the biggest social media milestone is that I stopped giving a flying fig as to how many likes I have received. I have been witness to too many social media juggernauts putting out crappy (and over priced) work to really care any more. The simple reality is this: some people will get me, some will not. I'd rather have 200 people that are really interested in what I'm trying to do than 5000 anonymous followers.

Facebook followers: 360

Instagram followers: 734

Pinterest followers: 101

Tumblr followers: 34

Twitter followers: 185

Mailing List subscribers: 782

What's Up For 2015?

That is the big question. January is always the time of year when I sit down and do all my planning for the year. Mostly I just ask myself if this is the way I want my life to be going and if not what can I do to change it. The little guy is going to change a lot of things. Working from home makes childcare a lot easier. It also makes getting any work done much more complicated. I foresee many late nights in my future. I'm also going to have to scrap a few of my more labor intensive products. While that's a little sad, it's also a chance to try new things. The bags (once again....) are on the drawing table. A new design that requires a lot less stitching but is much stronger is in the works. Hopefully this pony will make it to the finish line this time. A couple of side projects have turned out to be a big success. I hope to spend more time working on special one offs and experimental projects. That is one of the benefits of not courting wholesale accounts. I think the biggest change for 2015 will be in the way I do business. Last year I didn't have a weekend off from April until October because of all the events I do. It's a lot of fun getting to talk to everyone. It's a lot less fun having your livelihood dependent on whether or not it is windy that day. So starting with the website relaunch I did back in October I'll be devoting much more attention to the internet side of my business. Also, I have plans for some interesting collaborations, but that will be a discussion for another day.

Finally I want to take a moment and thank everyone for all of their support in 2014. I was talking about how the milestones fade as the time passes. This past holiday season was one that not only broke records but sent them packing. It is rare that I am left speechless (imagine that), but that is exactly what happened and on more than one occasion. What all your support really means to me is that right now, during my slow season, I can take time off and sit here and watch my son sleep and daydream about what he is going to be like when he grows up instead of worrying about paying bills. It blows my mind that I've gotten myself to the place I am at right now. I could not have done it without all of your support. So thank you.

This will be a hell of a year. Hope to see you out there.

As of November 6th I will have been in business for on year. I've decided it was time for an honest look at the past year.

Part of being a small business owner is dealing with a lot of uncertainty and insecurity.  One of the ways to cope with this is to hear the story of those that have tread this path before you. So basically I read a lot of other maker's blogs. One of the things I have found most useful is to go back and read the blog entries from when they first started out. I've found that I can glean a little confidence by reading about how they didn't know what they were doing, how they took really bad pictures, and rambled in their posts. There is a lot to learn from those early posts. There is also a trend that I find very frustrating.  The posts tend to go like this:

May 21: Just bought our first supplies

June 2: Just got our first order!

June 28: Here is us at our first event

Dec 28: Just landed a contract with Anthropology.

I feel like some important things probably happened between June and December. That is ultimately the problem with life on the internet. Only the good or noteworthy moments get documented. No one ever posts "Accidentally bought $50 worth of the wrong-but-not-returnable hardware today. There goes the tiny bit of profit I had for this month." 

So without further ado here is an honest look at my first year in business.

Finance: 

Am I paying the bills? The honest answer is:  kinda. In the beginning the answer was a resounding no. My day job was still my main source of income and leather goods was just a little extra cash. Once I made the transition and quit my day job the answer was still no. I was busy enough that my day job was hampering my ability to produce goods but I wasn't busy enough to make a living. Mostly I was pleased that the business was able to pay it's own expenses and not drain our bank account. Without support from my wife I would have had to transition more slowly or have a fair amount saved up.  Once the summer show season rolled around I started getting close to making a living. Some weeks I made a lot more than I did waiting tables. Some weeks I was grateful that last week was busy. Little by little I've managed to make more at each event.

Here is where things get tricky. I hear all the time about how it can take years to make any profit when starting a business.  That didn't make sense to me. If you start with little or no overhead and keep your profit margin high enough then you make money. That is true, but only if you want to stay the same size. The growing is the tricky part. Basically what I spent the summer doing was thinking "After this next show I'll be able to pay us." Then the next show would go well and I'd have to buy more supplies to make even greater amounts of product for the next show. I was selling more at each show but having to buy more for the following show. Step by step I climbed until sometime in mid-July I was able to both pay us and buy supplies.

The bottom line: Am I making money? Yes. Wright and Rede is in the black despite all the initial investments and the cost of buying new equipment. Hopefully, after the holidays, I'll be heavier on that side of the ledger. I never took out a loan and owe nothing to either banks or creditors. Most importantly I am still making money. It's just that the money left over after paying the bills tends to go towards more supplies instead of leisure spending (IE. crap I don't need).

Social Media:

Let it be on record that I am an introvert.  I do not have special skills or training. I'm a normal person doing the best I can. The best thing I've learned here is to apply the if-I-didn't-know-me-would-I-give-a-crap-about-this filter to what I post. The most important thing I can say is to get in the habit of doing it regularly. Try a bunch a platforms and see what works best for you. I like Instagram the most and that is reflected in my followers. (If you are not following me on any of these platforms I won't mind if you take a minute and go ahead and hit that "follow" button. Really, it's okay. I'll wait...)

Facebook followers : 133 (I remember being really desperate around December to get to 27 so that I'd have analytics.)

Instagram followers: 208

Pinterest followers: 37

Tumblr followers:  19

Twitter followers: 55

Members of my mailing list: 143

Lessons Learned in No Logical but Handy Bullet Point Format:

• The tent that you are bringing to a show to provide shelter for you is not waterproof. (!?!?!???)
• Be the kind of guy that has garbage bags (or a waterproof tarp)  and duct tape with him at all times. You'll be really glad you carried them around all year on the one day you need them. Optional bonus: People might think you are a professional hit-man. Likely side effect: People might think you are a serial killer. (You win some. You loose some.)
• You can never have enough weights on your tent regardless of what the weather looks like.
• Really good photographs are almost as important as the work you produce. A really good photograph will; entice strangers on the internet to buy your stuff, make blog posts more interesting, get you into better shows, get shared by people who want their blogs to look cooler, look really nice in publication (which will make people want to put you in publications), and make you not look foolish when people ask you what you do for a living.
• If you are accepted into an event it's a good idea to respond by saying thank you and here are some photos for publicity if you need them.  Organizers are under a lot of pressure and will use what they have handy when they need something for a flyer or press release.
• If someone asks what you do for a living say, "I'm self-employed." If they want to know self-employed doing what, have an answer ready that is no more that five words. "I make handmade leather goods." Anything longer and they'll start to tune you out.
• I find networking easy because I don't do it. Anytime I've had a five minute conversation with someone and exchanged business cards it has never turned into anything. The relationships I've found to be successful are the ones I've made with people while helping set up their tent, shivered next to them on a cold day, provided a confidence boost when business is uncertain,  suggested events they didn't know about, and watched their booth while they snuck off and bought some breakfast.  These people are not assets in my network. I just call them friends.
• The best thing I can do when stressed out/lacking confidence/ insecure/ depressed/ or seriously unsure of what steps I should be taking in my future is to go get some real work done. By real work I mean making things out of leather not blogging or updating my mailing list or doing "research". I might not be any more confident at the end of the day but at least I have ten more wallets to sell than I did before.
• To come up with a really good design: Draw out what you want to create. Then start taking things away from it. When you are down to the most simple way to do it: it's ready. 
• Sometimes the best business opportunity is the opportunity to walk away from one. Once you start doing business with someone then you are in business with them.  To quote my dad on this one "the closer you get to the skunk the more you stink."
• Read blog posts out loud to proof read.

Failures:

In my best estimation I have seriously burned two bridges, really pissed off one customer, made four things that either broke or were a different size than what they ordered, had 4 shows that were a total bust, and had to respond to at least 20 awkward emails in ways that were not graceful enough to answer successfully.

I have wasted 30+ square feet of leather because I wasn't paying attention,  not giving up when I should walk away, creating a bad design, or just didn't know what I was doing.  This translates into about $1000 - 2000 worth of ruined leather goods. (ouch! R&D days are hard days.) Additional I have about $300 worth of hardware that has no purpose or will never be used. (I was pretty sure I needed it at the time.)

The take away:

• Not matter how hard you try you can't make everyone happy. Sometimes it's better to walk away and piss someone off than get involved in something that will be bad for your business. The other party will never understand this because they can only see how it would be good for their business.
• Always try to fix what you can. It will usually be waaaaay more work than it is worth but you'll sleep better at night.
• Custom orders tend to be more trouble than they are worth. It is nearly impossible to create what someone else has in their head.  (And if they start saying "Oh, since you are changing that could you do this too?" It's time to walk away or raise your price.)
• Only buy supplies for what you are working on tomorrow not for "later." By the time later gets here you'll be working on a different project than you thought you'd be.
• When they day is not going your way, despite your stubbornness, it is usually best to give up and do something else. 
• When you really screw up, apologize in sincerity. If possible, look them in the eye when you do so.
• Also, look people in the eye when you say thank you. Doesn't really belong here, but it's worth mentioning.

And to end on a positive note, Successes:

One year ago I raised about $160 in key rings sales to help support those effected by hurricane Sandy. This was the first $160 I made as an official business. My smallest accomplishment but the one I'm most proud of.

There are 500+ people out there that find me interesting enough to follow my goings-on via the internet.

I have stuck to my guns and never taken out any sort of loan.

I have insisted in making things the way I feel they should be made and have managed to get my customer's respect in doing so.

I have been in four separate retail locations.

I have landed my first few wholesale accounts.

I have helped two other people start their own business.

A year ago I was intimidated by the big holiday shows in Cleveland. I felt that I wasn't good enough to be in them. I was hoping that maybe in a year or two I'd be good enough to show at them. Those events were: The Bizarre Bazaar (now the Cleveland Bazaar) , Made in the 216, and the Last Minute Market. Wright and Rede will be selling at all of these events this year.

I've been in three publications and interviewed twice.

I've been on two vacations since starting this business. (I had not taken a vacation in the five years prior.)

I decided to follow my dreams and quit my day job. This might sound all nice and fluffy but it has real world effects. My blood pressure is down (I had prehypertension). I've lost weight. I'm happier more of the time. I'm more focused, driven, and confident. I feel that I'm all around a better person to be around.

I say all this not to brag but to point out what you can do if you put your mind to it. I am not extraordinary.  I didn't start with a bunch of money or a special set of skills. When I needed to make money then I found a way. If I didn't have a necessary skill then I learned it.  My point is that you really can live your life the way you want if you are willing to truly commit to it.

Thank you for sticking with me this first year in business. I've enjoyed meeting many of you. I've grown in ways I never would have imagined. I'm really looking forward to year two.

In my last post I covered why I got started. In this one I want to cover the other part of the equation; how.  I get asked this question a lot. I'm never quite sure how to answer it. I feel like no one wants to hear,

"Well, I needed a way to pay the bills, and this seemed like it could work."

That's not really the right answer anyway. I'd love to tell you that I come from a long line of leather workers, and that this was my destiny. That would be a lie. The truth is that I had never even picked up a leather working tool until about ten months ago. So how did I get started? The answer is really simple. I just started.

This isn't my first business. I spoke about Little Bird Ice Cream a little in my last post. What is really important about this story is why it didn't work. I spent years playing it safe. I did research. I doodled logos, stressed out about the perfect name, developed recipes. It never got off the ground because I wasn't really making anything. The perfect logo, a well organized business plan, and a masterful secret recipe don't mean shit if you aren't making or selling anything.

The textbook method for starting a business goes like this.

• Do market research and assess the needs of your target demographic.
• Develop a formal business plan. This includes listing the names of your marketing department, accountant, and lawyer (I actually read one of those business-plans-made-easy books where you fill in the blanks and end up with a successful business. I gave up when the author actually wrote "If you can't afford a lawyer and an accountant you don't have enough money to start a business")
• Sell this business plan to a bank (Here is where you stop being self-employed (the bank is now your boss) and get to play Russian Roulette with your credit score.)
• Invest all of your capital in overhead ( a lease, fax machines, custom letterheads, and a flashy website)
• Try to figure out why not enough money is coming in.

With Wright and Rede I tried a different approach. I got online and ordered an amateur leather working kit for $150. I spent the next month figuring out how to make a simple wallet. While talking with a coworker my new hobby came up and I showed him my wallet. He said he'd take one, and I sold him one for $35. I decided that if I could use my remaining materials and sell three more I would go into business. I sold three by the end of the month. I took my $140 and bought more leather. I was in business.

My point is that I didn't have a business name, a license, insurance, a series of goals, or even any experience. I just started making something. If you want to start a business then start a business.  Do not go get a loan. Start with $100 and figure out how to make money with just that $100. It doesn't have to be your dream job, just a way to make your own money. This way you can sidestep all of that daydreaming planning and start creating some momentum. When you have enough income to pay a graphic designer to create a logo for you, that is when you should worry about a logo. It's really a small risk. Wost case scenario you loose your $100. All the other things that are keeping you back are really just bridges that can be crossed when you get to them. 

I'd highly recommend the $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau  and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill  as good reads for starting your own business. You can gloss over the motivational parts if that's not for you, but there are some really sound ideas in here if you look for them. ***I am in no way connected to either of these authors and I am not profiting from recommending them in any way. (Besides, you can find both of these books at your local library.)

It  would be convenient to have a nice beginning for this story, but as tends to be the case with real life, there are no convenient beginnings.  So maybe I won't start with the beginning, but with a beginning.

Do you remember taking aptitude tests when you were in middle school? You would fill in little bubbles on the Scantron sheet to find out if you were meant to be an architect or a plumber.  I cheated.  The test were boring, so I'd create patterns in the bubbles. Sometimes I was supposed to be a park ranger, others a mechanic.  If only it were that simple. I progressed to being a high-school trouble maker. A's in Art, and D's in Math. I drifted though a few different colleges. I didn't know what I was doing there, but that was where you go when you finish high-school. Five-and-a-half years later I had a degree in photography and no idea what to do with it.

While I was in college my sister got me a job in the kitchen where she worked. I planned on working there for a year while I figured myself out. That was twelve years ago. Now, I have always been known for being equal parts clever and determined, both of which are great assets in the restaurant industry, and that made me successful. I worked my way up to running the bar (how I became a bartender is a great story I'll have to share some day.) I bought a house, met my wife, and managed to live a comfortable life. I wasn't happy. I was miserable. I moved to different restaurants hoping the change would help. It didn't.

The problem wasn't the restaurant. The problem was me. I've never been comfortable having someone else decide my fate. It chafes. So I decided to go into business for myself. I had planned everything out perfectly. I was going to start a gourmet ice cream company. I spent years designing logos, researching recipes, looking up rules and regulations.  All the while working at my regular job, telling myself that it was all worth it because I was on my way out.

I was wrong. I spent four years planning that business. In that time four separate ice cream joints opened around my house and I had to conclude that there was plenty of ice cream around. I spent so much time planning the perfect business that I had missed the chance to start one.

Then I read about a conference. This was a conference about entrepreneurship. The main speaker had an interesting proposition. He wanted everyone to take $100 and start a business with it. That's it. Don't follow your dreams, don't plan the perfect strategy, don't find investors, don't search for you dream job. Just take $100 and figure out how to make money with just that.

For $100 I couldn't start a food service operation. So my main area of expertise was out of the question. I had always had a slew of hobbies. I was currently on a leather working kick. I had made myself a nice simple wallet and when I showed it to a coworker he asked if he could order one. That was when my business started.

I didn't have any business cards, a vendors license, a company name, a logo, or any of that stuff I had stressed out about before. I did have a demand for one wallet though. That was September of 2012. I decided that if I could sell four items by November I'd have a go at it. I sold four in two weeks. So I had a friend design a logo, came up with a name that wouldn't limit me too much, and started selling leather goods. I never got a loan. I never had a plan before hand. I just figured out things as I went along.

Then one night it happened. I was standing around waiting for the restaurant to get busy. I was stressing out because I was rushing around all day trying to get leather goods in the mail and still make it to work on time. I was looking around at the empty tables and thought to myself "Is this really what I want to be doing with my life?". I had come to a crossroad. I could stay at the job I knew would pay my bills, but had no future in it, or take a risk and see what happens. I went home and had a long talk with my wife that night. The next day I went into work and told them I'd be leaving.

So here I am. Back at the beginning of this story. I quit my day job and took the plunge. I don't know if I will succeed and I don't really have a plan worked out. I do know that if you want something it won't come to you. You have to go out and get it.  So wish me luck.