Running your own Craft Business – Overcoming the guilt

For me the month of September feels like the crafters New Year. There is so much to look forward to; the little ones have started/gone back to school (freeing up time for busy Mums), there are all of the rich autumn fabrics to drool over, we start spending more and more time in our work rooms cosying up and making or handmade goodness. It is for these reasons and more that September is one of the most popular times of year for folks start up their own craft business, that and we want to be ready for the Christmas holiday (one of the busiest times of the year).

So, for all of you craft business newbies (and not so newbies) it is November; 2 months on into your new business. How are you all getting along? My guess is that amongst other things it’s all still very new, you’re still learning on the job and there are lots of new routines to get to grips with. This is all very normal and as long as you care deeply about your business, there is always something new to learn no matter how long you’ve been a business owner.

But today, I want to talk a little about the emotionality of running a new business. The thing that a majority of you will have in common is that you have a craft business, you work from home and you are women with families. Firstly, I want to congratulate you on having your own craft business (BIG CHEER, WOOT WOOT!), it isn’t easy and it’s a big decision to make. It’s an even bigger decision to make if you also have children because running a craft business (and most types of businesses) will involve taking some time away from the family to devote to your business – which I’m sure results in guilt pangs.

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There definitely IS more to life than this!

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I’m guessing that this guilt is one of the hardest emotional hurdles to overcome when running your craft business. If it is I just wanted to say some words of encouragement. Stick ‘em on your fridge if you like

• It’s just as essential for women as it is for men (I’d argue more so) to feel fulfilled in an activity/ies outside of the family. It is easy for women in the role of (busy) main caregiver to loose sight of the things that they enjoy. Doing other things for yourself strengthens your sense of identity. See it as a necessity NOT an indulgence.
• Committing time and energy into ‘Me projects” such as running a craft business is such a positive thing for a Mum to do because of the confidence you will gain, it’s fun, it’s challenging and absorbing. Most importantly it has the potential to make you feel great about yourself and if you feel great about yourself it stands to benefit everyone around you (HEAPS!)
• Women often feel more guilty about striving to achieve goals because women just don’t receive as much encouragement as men to Go For It! We know that this a silly nonsense, don’t we?
• The dishes and the ironing aren’t that important (were they ever?), they will still be there after you have finished making your craft items. As soon as they’re old enough why not rope the kids into doing more household chores?  It never did us any harm. I’m sure that why my siblings and I can all cook and iron a great shirt…
• Get your family and your friends behind you to encourage you in your business. Call them when you are feeling anxious and tell them when you are happy. Oh, and if your partner isn’t keen on you taking time away from them for you to do your own thing – your partner is at fault not you!!!!!
• Rather than spending any time feeling guilty, how about using that time to figure out time management strategies to help make it all fit in for you and your family?