Biz-y Mama Interview: Milk Money

 
1. What is the name and the online contact info of your business?
 
milkmoney
http://www.soniamccutcheon.etsy.com/


2. How did you come up with it?

I started my shop when milk prices were outrageously expensive and thought it would be a fun name for my shop.

3. What is your business?
 I design and knit infant, toddler and childrens hats. Some items in my shop are made from patterns from other designers but I have permission to sell those items.

4. When did you start your business?
I launched my shop right after Halloween about a year and a half ago

5. What made you want to pursue your own business? How did you do it?
I am hopelessly addicted to knitting and all things fiber. Family and friends were saturated with more hats etc... than they can ever use in a lifetime so my sister called me one afternoon after she had shopped on etsy and told me about it and suggested that a shop on etsy would be a good fit for me. I looked into it and decided to give it a try.

6. What is your daily life/ schedule like?
Daily life is a bit chaotic, I have two small children and split my days taking care of them, our home and all that is necessary to keep my business running.

7. When do you find the time to work?
I have recently started going to bed no later than 10pm and waking up at 3 or 4am. The kids don't get up til 7:30am so that time before hand is wonderful for working on orders, packaging up orders,doing laundry etc.. and planning what needs to get done that day.

8. What are your future goals?
I would love have more time to spin my own yarn, not sure when that will happen but it's a goal. I don't have a particular goal for my shop, I will keep doing this for as long as it makes me happy.

9. What is the hardest thing about what you are doing?
The hardest thing for me is managing my time. Sometimes I tend to feel as though I am being torn in a million directions.

10. What advice do you have for other working mommies?
The best advice I can give is forgive yourself for not being super mommie, my house is not always perfect, dinner is sometimes late- I have learned that everything always gets done. I don't fret if I don't stick to my schedule, sometimes it's more important to hug my kids and be there for them. I don't base my success on dollars but on the happiness of my family and my sense of peace about it all.

I am here....

I truly truly am. My past few weeks (months) have been CRAZY busy. I had a trunk show (and of course FORGOT my camera battery) It had low attendance, I picked a horrible night with things going on around town, but I made 30 things that remained in the store. The next few weeks my things sold like crazy! I was and still am so excited, and am so busy keeping up. Meanwhile, I have spent some time re-evaluating my "brand" . My boys stuff sells so much better- there just are not that many boys things out there, so my logo will become less "girl". I love the new look and look forward to sharing it. I have been busy talking to a new local shop and a store "Way Out West" so I may pick up my first out of state shop. That to has kept me busy.

On the flip side I am struggling- with juggling my life as a mommy, a wife, a teacher, and a small business owner. I cannot do it all well all the time. Who knows where it will lead- but I do plan on typing up a full schedule. Every other job has one. I plan to have a new interview up on Monday- and some insight into our home. I hope everyone is doing great!

Check out this new blog if you have not done so already- you'll love it! Tons of great advice and inspiration

http://www.ohmyhandmade.com/.