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Episode 71: Managing Subscriptions, Diversifying Your Income, and Growing Your Business at the Right Pace with Stacey Trock from FreshStitches

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Manage episode 165734651 series 166769
Content provided by Marie Segares: Crochet and Knitting Blogger, Designer, Teacher, Solopreneur, Indie Artisan and Marie Segares. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Marie Segares: Crochet and Knitting Blogger, Designer, Teacher, Solopreneur, Indie Artisan and Marie Segares or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.

Stacey Trock is the owner of FreshStitches. After a technical failure during our interview at The National NeedleArts Association summer show in June, we talked over Skype about the success of her kit club and why she is switching to digital subscriptions. We also discussed how and why she's diversified her income and her perspective on pacing her business growth, customer service, social media, and more.

About Stacey Trock Stacey Trock, the owner of FreshStitches, recently relocated to Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. Stacey started her business in 2008 selling crochet amigurumi patterns as PDFs and has since expanded her business and diversified her income.
  • She is the author of Cuddly Crochet, Crocheted Softies, and Modern Baby Crochet.
  • She is a nationally recognized knitting teacher (and she explains why in the interview), as well as a crochet instructor of Craftsy/Bluprint classes. She also teaches business classes from time to time.
  • She blogs and sells crochet and craft kits and craft eyes through her website.
  • She designs crochet and knitting patterns.
  • And, she recently transitioned her kit club to a digital ami club.
You can find Stacey on FreshStitches and follow her on Etsy, Facebook, Instagram (as @staceytrock and @amiclub), Pinterest, Ravelry, Twitter, and YouTube. About the Episode

This episode was inspired by a question Delisa Carnegie, the yarn dyer behind Apocalypse Friday, asked in the Creative Yarn Entrepreneurs Facebook group. Delisa wanted to hear from someone who had a subscription club, and since Stacey's club was the most successful one I knew about, I reached out to her. (Since the original request for an interview in the spring, Stacey has actually ended her kit club. You can read more about that and watch the video where she explains this to her audience here. Her new digital Ami Club is opening soon.)

Stacey shared her perspectives on several important business topics in this interview, including:

  • How and why she diversified her business from exclusively selling PDF amigurumi patterns in 2008 to starting an educational blog, selling individual kits, a her kit club (which has now transformed into the digital Ami Club), selling craft eyes and other supplies, writing books, teaching, and launching a yarn line;
  • Managing a club, starting with understanding your customers, determining your price (and cost), deciding between prepaid and month-to-month subscriptions, being strategic about supply orders, technology for managing payments, inventory, packaging, shipping, and more;
  • Her DIY approach to running her business, how she thinks about scaling, and deciding when and if to bring in contractors and employees to help;
  • Her business philosophy, including her focus on flexibility, customer service, time management, organization, and social media; and
  • Mindset, including speaking your business fantasies into reality.

Stacey also answers questions from Delisa at Apocalypse Friday, Angie Doherty at Hooked by Angel, Carmen Nuland at A Simple Homestead, Angela Plunkett at Little Monkeys Design, and Anita Bose Natarajan from NitaB&NishaN.

Listen to the podcast for more discussion from me and Stacey.

If you enjoyed this episode

The Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show is no longer broadcasting. Episodes are available as a service to the yarn community. This episode originally aired in November, 2016. Be aware that content may be outdated.

If you'd like to chat with other yarn-related business owners, join the Creative Yarn Entrepreneurs Facebook group. Support Marie's work by buying one of her books, Make Money Teaching Crochet: Launch Your Business, Increase Your Side Income, Reach More Students (Amazon | Gumroad) or Design It, Promote It, Sell It: Online Marketing for Your Crochet and Knit Patterns (Amazon | Gumroad).

  continue reading

74 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 165734651 series 166769
Content provided by Marie Segares: Crochet and Knitting Blogger, Designer, Teacher, Solopreneur, Indie Artisan and Marie Segares. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Marie Segares: Crochet and Knitting Blogger, Designer, Teacher, Solopreneur, Indie Artisan and Marie Segares or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.

Stacey Trock is the owner of FreshStitches. After a technical failure during our interview at The National NeedleArts Association summer show in June, we talked over Skype about the success of her kit club and why she is switching to digital subscriptions. We also discussed how and why she's diversified her income and her perspective on pacing her business growth, customer service, social media, and more.

About Stacey Trock Stacey Trock, the owner of FreshStitches, recently relocated to Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. Stacey started her business in 2008 selling crochet amigurumi patterns as PDFs and has since expanded her business and diversified her income.
  • She is the author of Cuddly Crochet, Crocheted Softies, and Modern Baby Crochet.
  • She is a nationally recognized knitting teacher (and she explains why in the interview), as well as a crochet instructor of Craftsy/Bluprint classes. She also teaches business classes from time to time.
  • She blogs and sells crochet and craft kits and craft eyes through her website.
  • She designs crochet and knitting patterns.
  • And, she recently transitioned her kit club to a digital ami club.
You can find Stacey on FreshStitches and follow her on Etsy, Facebook, Instagram (as @staceytrock and @amiclub), Pinterest, Ravelry, Twitter, and YouTube. About the Episode

This episode was inspired by a question Delisa Carnegie, the yarn dyer behind Apocalypse Friday, asked in the Creative Yarn Entrepreneurs Facebook group. Delisa wanted to hear from someone who had a subscription club, and since Stacey's club was the most successful one I knew about, I reached out to her. (Since the original request for an interview in the spring, Stacey has actually ended her kit club. You can read more about that and watch the video where she explains this to her audience here. Her new digital Ami Club is opening soon.)

Stacey shared her perspectives on several important business topics in this interview, including:

  • How and why she diversified her business from exclusively selling PDF amigurumi patterns in 2008 to starting an educational blog, selling individual kits, a her kit club (which has now transformed into the digital Ami Club), selling craft eyes and other supplies, writing books, teaching, and launching a yarn line;
  • Managing a club, starting with understanding your customers, determining your price (and cost), deciding between prepaid and month-to-month subscriptions, being strategic about supply orders, technology for managing payments, inventory, packaging, shipping, and more;
  • Her DIY approach to running her business, how she thinks about scaling, and deciding when and if to bring in contractors and employees to help;
  • Her business philosophy, including her focus on flexibility, customer service, time management, organization, and social media; and
  • Mindset, including speaking your business fantasies into reality.

Stacey also answers questions from Delisa at Apocalypse Friday, Angie Doherty at Hooked by Angel, Carmen Nuland at A Simple Homestead, Angela Plunkett at Little Monkeys Design, and Anita Bose Natarajan from NitaB&NishaN.

Listen to the podcast for more discussion from me and Stacey.

If you enjoyed this episode

The Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show is no longer broadcasting. Episodes are available as a service to the yarn community. This episode originally aired in November, 2016. Be aware that content may be outdated.

If you'd like to chat with other yarn-related business owners, join the Creative Yarn Entrepreneurs Facebook group. Support Marie's work by buying one of her books, Make Money Teaching Crochet: Launch Your Business, Increase Your Side Income, Reach More Students (Amazon | Gumroad) or Design It, Promote It, Sell It: Online Marketing for Your Crochet and Knit Patterns (Amazon | Gumroad).

  continue reading

74 episodes

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