Fiber Fairy

I know what I want to do when I retire.

I want to own a fiber arts shop (that mainly sells wool for spinning and finished yarn/stuff for knitting). It has been a dream for many years now. I am researching small business stuff online - the government actually has a huge website for women in small business. Tons of tutorials. My ex father-in-law (there really ought to be a nicer term for that) is the master of small business so I think I will recruit him as my mentor - he doesn't know this yet hahahahahahaha. I have quite a bit of experience being a *customer* of fiber arts stores but I don't know very much about running a business. I have about two years before I start this scheme so I am going to edu-ma-cate myself as fast as possible.

I have to make up a business plan pretty soon (I am at least two years out on this idea by the way). I think it will be incredibly hard work, but that isn’t foreign to me. They say that if you do what you love, the money will follow. I am going after that philosophy hahahahahaha. I need to do some market research but I think that the shop should be in or just South of Carbondale (Illinois). Carbondale is a great little college town with a fair share of arty folk and people who appreciate the arts. I have looked through the Southern Illinois phonebook that my dad sent me and there is almost nothing listed in the way of yarn shops. I am going for the crowd that appreciates quality material that isn’t afraid to pay more than they would for the yarn from Kmart.

I have a harebrained scheme concocted to start collecting inventory now and put it into storage. That way, when the time comes, I will rent a place and have at least 50% inventory in stock (I will still have to buy the current in-season stuff then). There are several huge sheep farms right there in Anna/Cobden that I can get fleeces from. I would like to have the sort of shop that offers tons of classes on spinning and knitting as well as scrumptious yarn to cuddle. I would love to be known as the neighborhood hangout with a constant pot of coffee. The Carbondale area has lots of cool pseudo old houses that would be perfect. Unless I win the lottery, I will rent for awhile because I want to buy a home for my family first.

Anyway, doing lots of thinking/dreaming/scheming. I am not looking to be rich. I just want to do something I love. I plan to work one or two days a week as an RN until my finances are safe with the new arrangement. They say that it takes two years to start turning a profit and that the first year you can expect to lose money. I think I am in a great position with my retirement pay and RN degree. What do you think? I don't know, maybe I can convince a few of my fiber art friends to sell their stuff at my shop or even come teach (really, Massachusetts isn't THAT far from Illinois LOL)

Posted by DebC at April 14, 2004 08:36 AM | TrackBack