[soapbox] I want to live in a world where
craft companies recognize and reward those who a) use their products (duh!),
and b) dedicate time out of their busy schedule to be creative, let their inner
artist come out to play, and encourage others to do so as well! [/soapbox]
It’s no secret that although DIY craft activity has exploded
since the massive success of sites like Pinterest
and Polyvore, being able to turn DIY
crafting into a profitable business has yet to be reliably mapped out. I mean,
how do you make money off doing something you do for fun, and mostly in your
spare time?
Craft supply companies haven’t quite caught onto the DIY
craft blogger marketing freight train yet, especially when you compare how
companies like Nestle and Huggies/Pampers have sunk their hooks into the mommy
blogger marketing machine. Sure DIY
craft blogs have been around for quite a while; however the exposure has been
minimal up until recently (the last 2 years).
For the time being, crafters who wish to exploit their
creativity and turn a profit, need to be equally industrious and have a knack
for entrepreneurship (or at the very least know someone they can rely on to
mentor them through the process)…oh, and have an original idea that will draw
potential customers in! Fact: Coming up
with original ideas is HARD!
Then I came across this article.
Alicia DiRago owns WhimseyBox the DIY craft company she hatched
out of her DIY fashion blog DismountCreative.com.
WhimseyBox ships a selection of craft
products to customers every month for $25. I just signed up and hope to get my
box of goodies soon! I can’t wait! The article takes us through Alicia’s pitch
day at Excelerate Labs’ 3rd
annual Demo Day, where she would be looking for $900,000 in venture capital to
grow her business. It offers a rare
glimpse into what it takes to go from DIY craft blogger, to DIY craft
entrepreneur. The answer: A metric sh*t-ton of dedication
and hard work, that’s what!
Perhaps it is a sign that DIY crafters are beginning to be recognized
as a profitable market, albeit slowly and with a healthy dose of reserved
investment, but recognized nonetheless. If
I had half the lady balls
this woman has I wouldn’t think twice about quitting my cushy government job and
pouring my life into a venture like this. Huge props to Alicia DiRago for making a
bulletproof business case and paving the road forward for venture capital providers
to begin investing in DIY craft start-ups. *high five*
I sincerely hope to see more of this in the near future!
