Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Christina Vinogradov, Owner of Artisanthropy Fibre Arts, located in Whitby, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Quality yarn, thread, and tools for knitting, crochet, cross-stitch, tatting, and other fibre arts. Our customers are fibre artisans from around the world. We ship worldwide.
Tell us about yourself
As someone who lived in 3 different towns far away from each other growing up, I'm a fiercely independent person. Entrepreneurship has always appealed to me. I remember reading about it in high school. I read everything I could about owning and running a business, and that's a habit that stayed with me throughout my adult life. I started my own web design business when I was a late teen. After making websites for other people for 15 years, I launched my own yarn shop website. It didn't pan out in that form due to sourcing issues, but two years later, in 2016, I launched Artisanthropy.ca, and I haven't looked back. I absolutely love yarn and thread in all of their glorious forms, and my passion is to open up people's creativity by bringing the best of the best to them and inspiring them to work with it. My drive is innate because Artisanthropy integrates my passions to own and run my own business and to play with, share, and talk about yarn and fibre supplies with other passionate fibre artisans.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Growing our revenue from <100,000 in our first year to over half a million by year five has felt pretty great.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Since you have to wear all hats, it knows what to focus on next to move everything forward, all while avoiding burnout.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Cultivate a growth mindset in yourself and your employees.
- Never stop listening to self-help books: personal, professional, spiritual, health-related, whatever. You're going to need ALL of that growth.
- Always be looking for ways others can help you run the business. The minute you think you can afford to hire someone to do a major task that takes up most of your time, do it. That way, you can get back to growing the business.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.artisanthropy.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Artisanthropy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artisanthropy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArtisanthropyCA
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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