We find out more about how Chloë started and grew a great craft-based business, whilst publishing two successful books on the subject.

What do you sell? What is unique about it?

I sell handmade toys, accessories and homeware made from my ever-growing collection of 60s and 70s fabrics (I’m a fabricaholic), using appliqué and free-hand embroidery techniques. Cups and saucers with my appliqué designs and retro patterns I designed, printed on. Fabric appliqué wall hangings, and my craft books All Sewn Up and Chloë Tells You How, where I share tutorials.

What I do was probably more unique when I first started about 7 years ago, there weren’t many people “drawing” with a sewing machine in quite the same way as I do, or using solely vintage fabrics, but the trend in vintage fabrics has grown a lot in that time. But I’ve always stayed true to my style, with my appliqué wall hangings in particular, which are my signature thing.

My craft books are very unique in the way they’re designed. I wanted them to be more visually exciting than your average sewing books; Chloë Tells You How is based on my collection of vintage children’s annuals, like Playhour and The Dandy.

Who is the typical customer and why do you think your product appeals to them?

My usual customers are parents wanting to buy keepsakes for their children or as gifts, and people who are decorating their homes and want a statement art piece to go on their wall.

My toys in particular are very vintage inspired, and have a nostalgic feel about them. I think parents want their children to experience the same feelings they had about their own toys at their age.

How was the business started? What was the inspiration and what were you doing before?

After I left art school I was temping in different admin and reception roles mainly, and I hated it. I really didn’t want to waste my degree so started making things whenever I got the chance in my spare time. I got obsessed with making little fabric owls, and people loved them!

I bought a make-your-own Mr Site website from eBay and started putting my creations on there. The owls started getting featured on lots of creative blogs and magazines. I started getting commissions for personalised cushions with names on for weddings and christenings, and it went from there!

How did you know when it was the right time to go full time on your business?

Probably when I was struggling to keep up with stuff in my spare time, and when the business came to a crossroads - grow or stay the same. So I took the risk and quit my job to focus on my own work full time.

How is your product made, what were the main challenges in setting this up and how did you overcome them?

My products are handmade using fabric and stitch. A big challenge with using vintage fabrics is the designs can’t be produced in large quantities, but this is also what makes the products unique. So I just have to make each thing a one off or limited edition. It also makes the making process more interesting.

__Have you always used this process or did you do something different in the early days? __

My products have always been made by hand, and they all (apart from the ceramics) still are.

How do you ensure you always have enough inventory to satisfy demand?

As most of my designs are one-offs or limited editions, there’s always a limit to how many I can make anyway. So I just make different variations, or design something new!

When a customer buys from you, how do you ensure they come back and shop again?

With personal commissions, particularly my name cushions, there’s a lot of interaction with the customer, I like to let them have some say in the design if they want to. They tell me which colours the person they’re buying for might like, and their name and date of birth to go on the cushion, for example. It’s a really personal gift, and they often come back to buy more in the future.

I think packaging is also important, wrapping the products nicely, and adding tags with ‘thank you’ written on them, and business cards! That way, the whole experience is pleasant for the customer right from the beginning.

How do you attract people to the website? This is something a lot of people struggle with, especially at the start. If you use social media, how do you do it and which channels do you use?

I didn’t use a lot of social media at the beginning, I used to get a lot of press in magazines and on blogs. Blogs are probably the best way to get traffic to your website.

I use most social media channels now, but my favourites are Instagram and Pinterest, both great for inspiration. Instagram has a real community feel, you can get a lot of support from people too, if you need it. It’s a really good place to share your ‘story’, and it’s the story of your brand that really sells.

What software are you using for and with your website?

I recently had a website revamp, originally it was Mr Site, but now it’s built on Wordpress. I’m a bit of a tech-phobe, but luckily I have some techy friends who helped me with it. I helped design it, and someone else built it.

I use Google Analytics, and for the images I use Photoshop. But for those that can’t use or don’t have Photoshop, there are companies out there who can help with image editing and cut out really affordably.

What are the three most important elements of a good ecommerce website?

Easy to navigate. People are impatient, and if they can’t find what they’re looking for, they’re likely to give up, quickly. Make sure menus are prominent, categories are properly named, and the homepage is easy to get back to.

Secondly, detailed but concise product info. Customers need to know exactly what they’re buying. If the info they need is not there, or equally if it’s there but you’ve written an essay, they will get bored and decide against buying. Good quality images are also important.

Finally, an easy checkout - something I need to work on. If the process from adding to cart to payment is too long and complicated, the customer will get frustrated and change their minds or never return.

How do you find areas of improvement for your website? What have you done wrong with your website in the past that you have learnt from?

Something I learnt is that people don’t want to have to fill in their personal information or sign up to newsletters before buying, which is what people currently have to do on my website. I’m going to remove this process and make it as simple as possible, and also add more payment options other than Paypal, and possibly even free shipping.

What's the biggest lesson you've learnt along the way, that you would pass on to aspiring retailers?

To know what you’re worth and not to undersell yourself. This is important for crafters, who started for their passion for making, with money coming second! Sometimes you have to do a few freebies to get noticed in magazines for example, but ultimately you need to make a living, you’re a business and need to be profitable.

Take into account your time and materials - know the cost price. Sometimes it’s worth calculating backwards - work out how many products you would need to sell per year to cover your annual costs.

What would you do differently if you were to start again?

I’d take some of the advice above, and probably have done a lot less wholesale, as it’s not always the best route for a handmade business, after the retailers have added their 2.5 mark up on top!

What resources can you recommend to help with running a business, such as books, blogs and podcasts?

Etsy and the Crafty Fox do a lot of talks for small businesses starting up. I also recommend getting involved in the Etsy community and forums, ask questions and offer your own advice. There’s lots to be learnt from other business who are in the same boat.

Mollie Makes magazine have a blogging edition out, which has lots of really good creative advice for blogging and social media.

What’s the best thing about doing what you do?

Freedom and creativity. I could never go back to an office job now!

You can find out more about Chloë at chloeowens.com