In late 2017 my bride of 30 plus years was hospitalized for a week and during that time started paracording to fill her time. We thought it was a hobby, but over time it has become an addiction that filled one spare bedroom, the dining room, part of the garage, and part of a local boutique.
Renee started out my making dog collars and leashes but the variety of products has mushroomed into bracelets, necklaces, flip flops, horse leads, key chains, cable covers, monkey fists, outdoor survival devices, and the list goes on and on.
Although Renee had plenty to keep her busy with paracord, she started making Kumihimo jewelry so she could make bracelets for Ali’s bridesmaids, so we now own the paracord and Kumihimo market in Republic Missouri.
In an attempt to dispose or sell the overwhelming amount of paracord and Kumihimo product Renee has produced, we started to attend local events, fairs, and farmers markets where we actively sell these items to the local public.
Learning which events are worth participating has been an exciting exercise. There are days where we are in the black and days we are in the red, but by far fairs and farmers markets are the best venues to attend.
We have set up a page on Facebook, and we are partially set up on Etsy. Our goal is to build our website, and we have bought the address, but my travels have impacted accomplishing this long-term goal.
Renee has a farmers market circuit we participate in where we set up her booth on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturday in Nixa and Republic Missouri. We have made some new friends during and have attracted many tire kickers and numerous customers. Unluckily, we spend money at many of the vendors for fresh produce and other desired items but why not.
Our boutique booth at Peabody’s in Republic does a consistent amount of business, and it is a consignment type relationship where we pay a percentage of the sale, but it is worth it for the exposure. Peabody’s rents out space for weddings, and other special events, so traffic is decent.
It is great seeing Renee doing something she loves and much better than her working for an established company where you are just an employee. I do prep work for Renee on the product that she incorporates into her paracord offerings which can be fun.
I am sitting in Nixa Missouri at the intersection of Main Street and Mt. Vernon Street as I type this blog and there has been a good turnout of people with most tire kicking but some buying product. The temperature is in the high 80s with a slight wind blowing so not a bad day at all.
Renee left me alone at the booth so she could run to McDonald’s to grab a cup of coffee, etc. Like I said before, we make a little and spend a little when we attend events, but they are fun. I am trying to decide what I will be offering on my side of the booth but have not decided yet.
Life is short. It is crucial for each of us to have a hobby or craft that we genuinely enjoy and when you can make money with while doing it, all the better. I wish I could recover the bedroom, half of the dining room, and part of the garage back but the kids are gone so no big deal.
What hobby or craft do you enjoy doing and do you make money at it? It’s excellent being fifty plus going on fifteen.
Have a great day.
Jay