Crafting Knitwear Designs & Mentorship

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in fiber arts and crafts but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Megan Nodecker, a Knitwear Designer & Co-Founder of Pip & Pin, located in Abbotsford, BC, Canada.

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

First and foremost, I am a knitting pattern designer. I create knitting patterns for others to use to knit their own garments and accessories. I also teach and mentor others on how to start their own knitwear design businesses. My customers are generally people just like me. People who are enthusiastic about the fibre arts and want to create a custom, sustainable wardrobe, and those who want to begin their own journeys into knitwear design.

Tell us about yourself

When I first started Pip & Pin, it was just a way to earn some extra income at craft markets, but over the years, it's expanded into something much, much bigger. What started as creating for others quickly transformed into a strong desire to get others to create for themselves - for them to feel the same pride and accomplishment that I do when I finish a project. And that's what motivates me the most - sharing my knowledge through patterns or workshops and seeing my customers create the things they want in their lives, whether that's a custom wardrobe, a cozy pair of socks, or a thriving business of their own.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I always get the most fulfillment from seeing one of my knitwear design students publish a pattern of their own. Knowing that I had a hand in teaching the skills they needed, and fostering their confidence, is one of the biggest indicators that I'm doing something right.

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

Personally, since I am a one-woman show for the most part, keeping to a set work schedule is the hardest thing. I work well with deadlines, but it is very easy to become complacent when the only person you have to answer to is yourself. Setting a schedule, sticking to it, and keeping myself accountable is the trickiest thing about being a business owner.

To combat this as much as possible, I like to share my goals and deadlines with my customers. I also share when I meet those goals and when I don't. It's that extra layer of accountability that really helps with the day-to-day. Bonus, it also shows them that I'm a real person and creates more personal connections with my customers.

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

Embrace your intuition and follow where your energy naturally wants to go. This is a big theme in my design class, especially because your customers can tell when you love what you've designed and when you don't. If something is not flowing, I always suggest setting it aside and coming back to it later or possibly scrapping it entirely! This doesn't only apply to designs or creative work but to other products or services as well. If that monthly subscription service you've been offering has been weighing you down, just stop because that time and energy will serve you better somewhere else.
Engage with your customers and ask them directly what they want from you. One of the most valuable things I've done is getting my customers to fill out a survey. It was a large, all-encompassing survey, asking what they wanted to see more of from me, how they wanted it presented, and how much they were willing to spend on it. By offering a free knitting pattern of their choice do it, I was able to get over 5000 responses, and three years later, I am still going back to those responses and refining my business.
Find a work buddy. I work, for the most part, entirely by myself, and I've found it very valuable to have someone to get together with every once in a while to bounce ideas off of, talk through problems, and share accomplishments with. My person is my sister, who is also a sole proprietor but in a completely different field. We grab our laptops and go to a coffee shop about once a month and just work near each other, talking things through as needed. It makes it feel like you're still a part of a team, even if you're by yourself.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.pipandpin.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pipandpin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pipandpin

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.

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