Aspirations

In the small business world, I think it is important to have people/companies in your field that you can look up to and be inspired by. Not to the point of envy or jealousy, but in an effort to visualize where you want your business to go. Things don’t happen in a vacuum, and inspiration can happen anywhere! When I first started Handmade Baby Love, there was another business on Etsy that I aspired to be like – pdxbeanies. She wasn’t making booties, really, but she was, like, the guru of crocheted hats. She had lots of sales, beautiful photographs and was exactly where I wanted to be. Having her shop to “look up to” really helped spur me on, give me attainable goals, and inspired me to no end. Her shop proved to me that it was possible – I could do this for a living.

Just as it is important to grow, and make changes to support that growth, it is also important to find new aspirations to support that growth. One of my new goals is to have a website for my business – and I have just found the most beautiful, inspiring site: Matilda Jane Clothing. Granted, it’s clothing, and not crocheted, but it’s a small business, the brainchild of one young woman, and I love it. Her designs are unique and cute and modern, and the site is so well done (of course, I would expect nothing less from Promise Tangeman, the web designer).

I am expecting big things for myself this year – God is really moving in mighty ways. Get ready for coming changes!

I’m curious, though – what inspires you? If you have people or businesses that keep the creative juices flowing, tell me or link to them in the comments section!