by guest contributor Fina Tejada
Picking out a name for your indie business is important decision to make. It takes a lot more time than you’d think, there is so much to consider. I think Snowberry and Lime nails it though. You are not sure if you want to eat it or play in it, until you visit her Etsy shop. Owner, Veronika von Allmen, stocks her store with dreamy hand spun yarns and other craft goodies, and although she is based in Germany she is ready to ship all over the world.
Read more in my interview with her.
Tell us about your business.
Snowberry and Lime started on the idea of creating handbags made from recycled sail, as I grew up on a boat and this was the most readily available material… it soon moved on to being about colourful bags and snugly wrist warmers. Everything I do is marked by a great obsession with detail. My great love for knitting eventually led me to selling my own hand-spun yarns last winter and they quickly became my most popular items. Combining high quality materials with beautiful colors and textures is my main motive in creating yarns. They often feature interesting themes as I specialize not only in luxury Merino and silk yarns but also in quirky art yarns.
What did you do before you started your business?
I started while I was still lounging around at the university and now moved on to a part-time job with an international charity. My spare time is pretty much devoted to my little venture…
Other than Etsy where else can we find Snowberry and Lime?
My yarns are being sold only on Etsy, this allows me to offer prices which are below retail – I am basically sharing the savings from not going retail with my customers. 🙂
Some of my bags are being sold through the German based website Dawanda, this gives me the chance to get in touch with German customers who might have never found me on Etsy. Language barriers can be a huge problem for online shoppers and I try my best to at least offer my items in the languages I speak.
What do you consider is the best way you’ve attracted customers?
Complimentary Chippendale postcards. 😛
Where do you see your business in the next few years?
Where it is right now—on your screen! I would like to start my own website pretty soon though, ideally Snowberry and Lime will keep growing and who knows how far it will go!
How do you stay motivated?
Well, my boyfriend always tells me that when I get bored from spinning I can always come to the gym with him—that always keeps me motivated! Motivation really never has been a problem for me, there are so many different parts to having a little business that whenever I don’t particularly feel like doing one thing, I can just do something else. These little task include far more than creating, it is also about taking good pictures, listing items for sale or looking for more great supplies.
About the contributor: Fina Tejada owns Miss Fruitfly, an indie lifestyle company featuring artwork and home accessories. She is also a blogger who loves to cook, is a closeted reality show junkie and supports independent designers. She will be posting on the Indie Fixx Guest Blog featuring international indie crafters & bloggers to find out what motivates them creatively, how they started their businesses and how they approach the U.S. market. Fina will be posting periodically on Thursdays.
