Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in arts and crafts but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Andrea Ryan, Owner of Blissful Days Designs, located in Whitby, ON, CA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Blissful Days Designs was created in 2015. I came up with the name after I left my corporate job of 9 yrs. Leaving the hectic world of marketing and advertising to start my own handmade business and be my own boss doing what I love was pure bliss. So Blissful Days Designs was perfect. I made my first string art sign in January 2015 for my mom's birthday. I watched a few Youtube videos I found on Pinterest and just went for it. After my first sign, I was hooked. I had my first craft market that winter and almost sold out of all my pieces. People loved my work and bought it for their homes. I loved the challenge of creating a digital design, transferring it to wood, and figuring out how to recreate it using string and nails. I started teaching string art workshops in 2017. I love teaching my craft to others and seeing how proud they are of their finished sign.

My customers love to have unique art in their homes. They are also crafty and like learning new art techniques. I love when my customers want me to create a challenging custom design. Some of my most popular designs were originally custom orders.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Andrea. I've been making and creating since I could dip my fingers in paint. I knew I wanted to be a full-time maker when I was around 10. I loved to draw when I was younger. I would draw fun cartoon characters and tape them up on the wall of the garage of our townhouse in Scarborough, Ontario and pretend it was an art gallery. I wouldn't charge people to come in because back then, I wasn't very good at charging money for my work, and it still is one of my weaknesses that I need to work on.

I have to admit it's been hard for me the past few months to get motivated and to sit down in my studio and create. The past two years have been hard for so many small businesses. I realized recently that all the pivoting and struggling to find ways to still money when the world was shut down really wore me out and drained me of my desire to create. I've been taking it easy on myself and trying some new crafts for fun, not for the business. What motivated me before was seeing people's reactions to seeing string art for the first time and being able to show them how to make their own string art sign.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Being a vendor at the One of a Kind show Christmas market in Toronto was a huge accomplishment for me that I had dreamed about since I first attended the market over 15yrs ago. Driving down to the market every morning and being able to enter through the artist's entrance with my vendor pass was surreal for me. It was also one of the most challenging and exhausting things I've ever done. Taking the sketches of my 10' x 10' booth that I submitted with my application and making it come to life was so rewarding, and I was so proud of how it turned out. I had a wall of nailed hearts that people could come up to and try their hand at string art. It was fun watching people of all ages give it a try, and it helped with the sales of my string art DIY kits.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

As a business owner, the hardest part for me is time management. You don't have a supervisor or manager telling you what to do and how long each task should take. When I started the business, I thought all I had to do was create string art signs and sell them. Of course, I learned that there are so many other hats we must wear, like bookkeeping, social media manager, graphic designer, accountant, and so on. With all these other jobs, I find it hard to manage my time between all of them properly. I know I could hire someone to take on some of these roles, but I'm not ready for that financially yet. Also, procrastination is my middle name, which doesn't help with time management either. I've learned that if I make smaller to-do lists for each day instead of a weekly list, it helps me stay motivated and stops me from getting overwhelmed.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Don't wait till the perfect time to start your business, just go for it! The perfect time will never come.
  2. It's OK to take a break from social media when you need to. If not, it will burn you out. Try not to compare yourself to other businesses on social media. You do you!
  3. Network and meet as many other small business owners as you can. You'll meet so many wonderful people who will motivate and support you.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Running your own business is hard. It will put you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. There may be days when you feel like giving up. You may end up changing your business completely from what you had originally envisioned. Remember to stay in your own lane and be yourself.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://blissfuldaysdesigns.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blissfuldaysdesigns
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blissfuldaysdesigns/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.