It all started with having some extra time on my hands. Funny how the pandemic slowed me down, and allowed me the luxury of "open" brain space.
Instagram is a clever thing. Without realizing it, I must have been thinking of starting my own venture because one day this ad popped up for a free mini class with a seasoned entrepreneur. E-commerce was not something I had seriously considered. I am most definitely of an age that prefers brick and mortar. I had, of course, had some exposure to the online marketplace, both through my own art website and that of the Guelph Studio Tour.
But starting something form the beginning, and focusing solely on e-commerce? That was a stretch for me.
Long story short, I shelled out my dinero, enrolled in the course and was off to the races. Or so I thought. Actually, the journey was a lot slower than I anticipated, and included many false starts. Part of the journey, they tell me. Sure, I say. More likely the product of a scattered mind. But scattered minds are often brimming with ideas, and mine certainly did not disappoint.
Kudos to my poor family for listening to them all. Geena, my eldest daughter, proved to be an invaluable touchstone. The others were very patient with me as well. Before too long, I would convince some to join me on my adventure.
But back to the beginning.
The first step was to decide on a product. Initially I had visions of up-cycling children's clothing and re-selling those. I still may explore that on day, but I decided that sourcing the clothes to use would be too dependant on factors outside of my control. Good thing too as Ontario has had the longest lockdown of anywhere on the planet, and I would not have been able to start the journey.
Our family has always been dog lovers.. so my next thought was doing something with dogs. Freeze dried kibble? Too much upfront investment for me. Ditto dehydrated dog food. Thought about paw cream, dog shampoo, all of it. Then it hit me. Dog beds are, generally speaking, sooo ugly. And it was difficult to find an eco friendly version, let alone one made in Canada.
The nugget of an idea took hold. I would make eco-friendly, sustainable, but gorgeous dog beds.
Now for a deep dive into what makes a fabric sustainable and eco friendly. Would it even be possible to do from the comfort of my home? How does one start? More importantly, would I have the stamina to see it through to completion? I was challenging myself on a grand scale. And hoping that I'd be up for the task.
Stay tuned for more on the "Chronicles of a late, very late, bloomer".